UA’s Moore named SEC co-freshman of the week
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas second baseman Robert Moore will be the reigning SEC freshman of the week for a long time.
Moore, 17, was selected Monday by the conference office as the SEC co-freshman of the week for his work in the No. 14 Razorbacks’ two-game sweep of Grand Canyon last week. Moore, an early enrollee from Leawood, Kan., went 5 for 9 against the Antelopes, with three hits in a 6-1 win Tuesday and two hits in a 10-9 slugfest Wednesday. He scored one run and drove in another in the first game and had a key two-run single in the second.
Moore’s pivot and relay from second base to turn a sterling double play after a stop by third baseman Jacob Nesbit might be the final out recorded by the Razorbacks in a while.
All of college baseball has come to a standstill as conferences react to stem the spread of the covid-19 virus. The SEC has suspended all competition and practices until at least April 15 and the College World Series in June has already been called off.
Ole Miss rookie Hayden Dunhurst shared the weekly honor with Moore. Dunhurst, the Ole Miss catcher, went 4 for 5 with two home runs in the Rebels’ 18-7 victory Wednesday at Louisiana-Monroe. He had three RBI and scored four runs in Ole Miss’ two-game sweep.
Moore, who is hitting .317 on the season, earned weekly SEC honors for the second time in the first five weeks of the season. The son of Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore, he was also named SEC co-player of the week on Feb. 24 after his showing in a four-game sweep of Gonzaga. In that series, Moore went 8 for 12 (.667) with at least 2 RBI in all 4 games, with his first career home run and a standout defensive play with a back-hand glove flip for an out.
He earned national player of the week honors for the Gonzaga series as selected by Perfect Game.
The Razorbacks (11-5) pulled down four player-of-the-week honors in the early season, as right fielder Heston Kjerstad was an SEC co-player of the week and right-hander Connor Noland was chosen as SEC pitcher of the week.
Moore, who has 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 17 RBI, leads Arkansas with 7 multi-RBI games and also has 6 multi-hit games.