FAYETTEVILLE — They may lack wide-spread name appeal, but the opponents that make up the bulk of Arkansas’ month-long homestand are well known in the college baseball world.
The Razorbacks will play five projected conference champions during the 18-game stretch at Baum-Walker Stadium. Arkansas has already swept a three-game series against Horizon League favorite Wright State and won its mid-week game against Patriot League favorite Army by a score of 7-5 on Tuesday.
The Razorbacks are still scheduled to play pre-season favorites Louisiana Tech (Conference USA), UNLV (Mountain West Conference) and Southeast Missouri State (Ohio Valley Conference) by March 21.
Arkansas will begin a three-game series against Louisiana Tech on Friday.
“Army and La Tech are no joke,” Arkansas pitcher Hunter Hollan said Sunday while previewing the week ahead. “Those are really good teams.”
Army, which has played in the past four NCAA Tournaments, showed as much Tuesday. The Black Knights built a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning, and led 5-4 in the eighth.
“You can say it’s a Tuesday night in March,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said, “but that was a good win for our team.”
Wins like those of the past week have the potential to be important to the Razorbacks’ RPI — a key metric used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee for at-large bids and seeding.
Arkansas’ RPI ranked 41st last year, and despite a 38-18 record entering the NCAA postseason, the Razorbacks were sent to Oklahoma State for a regional.
This year’s schedule was assembled in hopes of avoiding another relatively low RPI score. Arkansas was hurt last year when several of its non-conference opponents finished with a losing record. That is less likely to happen with so many opponents that are expected to win big within their conferences.
“This is what we were hoping, that the teams that we play early on the weekends or midweeks are going to have good years,” Van Horn said before the game on the Razorback Sports Network. “We need to get a win against them and then that helps us RPI-wise.
“With all that’s going on with us, with some injuries to our pitchers, we need to play well and get as many wins as we can. I think league play is going to be extremely tough. Teams are older and experienced and almost every one of them is ranked, and all these games count.”
Mid-week challenges
Army was the third team to take Arkansas to the wire on a Tuesday or Wednesday night.
The Razorbacks had to rally from a five-run deficit to beat Grambling State 9-7 on Feb. 21. Arkansas won a back-and-forth battle with Illinois State by a score of 10-9 in 11 innings last Wednesday.
Tough mid-week games are nothing new to some of the Razorbacks’ older players who were around for hard games against Arkansas-Little Rock, Central Arkansas and Missouri State last season.
“We feel like we’re going to get everybody’s best shot,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “We’ve had a lot of success lately, we have a beautiful ballpark, we have great fans, and whoever we play, they want to beat us.”
Arkansas left fielder Jared Wegner, who transferred from Creighton, said it is noteworthy when non-conference teams get a chance to play top teams like the Razorbacks.
“I came from a mid-major and when you go into a park like this, it’s a big deal,” Wegner said. “You always want to beat them really, really bad. You know you’re not going to get their Friday, Saturday, Sunday starters, so you feel like you’ve got an opportunity. You’re excited for that chance. We’re going to get every team’s best.”
Second pitch clock
Arkansas is adding another pitch clock to Baum-Walker Stadium.
The new clock will be hung at an elevated position behind home plate and visible to pitchers. It is expected to be in place for the Razorbacks’ series against Louisiana Tech this weekend.
To this point there has been one pitch clock in the stadium, located on the outfield wall.
“You’re on the mound and you’re looking toward home plate, you have no idea what the pitch clock is at,” Arkansas pitcher Dylan Carter said. “You’ve got to have a sense in your head for how long you’re taking, but (the new clock) is going to be a huge factor with me and the rest of our pitching staff.”
Multiple pitch clocks are not required. NCAA rules state a pitch clock must be visible inside the stadium. The SEC mandates a clock be located on the outfield wall.
“It’s definitely going to help,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “I truly believe that. You know, we didn’t have to do it this year, and I imagine a lot of teams won’t, but I think it makes sense.”
The pitch clock did not work for the Razorbacks' game against Army and was kept on the field by third-base umpire Marvin King.
Kendall clutch
Arkansas designated hitter Kendall Diggs has started 17 games at Baum-Walker Stadium.
He has been the hero in three of them.
Diggs’ three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Razorbacks their first lead and they won 7-5 over Army.
It was Diggs’ third game-winning hit at his home park in a little more than 10 months. He also hit a three-run home run during the ninth inning of a 6-3 victory over Ole Miss last April 30, and last Wednesday he doubled home the winning run during the 11th inning of a 10-9 victory over Illinois State.
Asked if he had a knack for game-winning hits, Diggs smiled and responded, “I mean, sure.”
“I’d say it’s fun, but it’s no different than any other at-bat,” Diggs added. “I’m just happy I get the chance to be in those moments and come through for the team.”
In addition to his game-winning hits, Diggs initiated a run rule with a three-run home run in the seventh inning against Eastern Illinois on Feb. 24. Arkansas won the game 13-2.
Noteworthy
• Arkansas left fielder Jared Wegner was tied for the SEC lead with 22 RBI at the time Tuesday’s game ended. Wegner hit a three-run home run that traveled 427 feet and bounced off the batter’s eye during the sixth inning. It was his fourth home run in five games.
• The Razorbacks' three home runs Tuesday brought their total to 12 over the past four games. Jared Wegner, Peyton Stovall and Jace Bohrofen have each homered multiple times during that stretch.
• Five of Arkansas’ 10 errors have been committed by pitchers. Starter Parker Coil committed a throwing error during the fourth inning against Army.
• With his 1,177th victory Tuesday, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn tied Andy Lopez and Tony Robichaux for the 30th-most wins recognized by the NCAA. Van Horn’s last 30 seasons at Arkansas, Nebraska, Northwestern (La.) State and Central Missouri State count toward his win total. He also won 214 games as a junior college coach in Texarkana that do not count toward his NCAA total. Lopez won national championships at Pepperdine in 1992 and Arizona in 2012 as part of a 33-year career that also included coaching stints at Florida and Cal State Dominguez Hills. Robichaux coached 33 seasons at McNeese State and Louisiana-Lafayette before his death in 2019.