Hogs, Kent State streak into CWS
FAYETTEVILLE — Neither was nationally seeded among the original 64 teams selected for the NCAA baseball tournament, but here are Arkansas and Kent State in the College World Series today in Omaha, Neb.
Despite struggling late in the Southeastern Conference season and held to one run when swept two games in the SEC tournament, the Razorbacks play Kent State at 4 p. m. on ESPN ( Resort Channel 30). It’s Arkansas’ first CWS appearance since 2009 while Kent State is the first Mid- American Conference team advancing to Omaha since Eastern Michigan in 1976.
That’s followed by an SEC matchup between two- time defending CWS champion South Carolina, seeded eighth, and Florida, seeded first although neither the SEC East or league- tournament champion. Both teams are 5- 0 through respective regional and super- regional tournaments at Columbia, S. C., and Gainesville, Fla.
Today’s losers meet at 4 p. m. Monday and the winners at 8 p. m. Monday during the weeklong quest to determine the two bracket winners, who will meet in a best- of- three series for the national championship.
The CWS began Friday with Cinderella story Stony Brook vs. UCLA then Arizona vs. Florida State, losers to play Sunday afternoon and winners Sunday night.
Arkansas ( 44- 20) went 3- 0 in the Houston Regional ( it was seeded second) with 5- 4 and 5- 1 decisions over Sam Houston State sandwiched around a 1- 0 win over host and top seed Rice. The Razorbacks then advanced to the Waco Super Regional against nationally No. 4 seeded Big 12 champion Baylor, which convincingly thumped Arkansas 8- 1 in the best- of- three series opener.
Arkansas, thanks to a basesloading Baylor error on what initially appeared would end the Razorbacks’ season with a double play, followed by two bases- loaded hit batsmen, turned a 4- 3 ninth- inning deficit into a 5- 4 victory Sunday. On Monday, five Arkansas pitchers combined for the 1- 0 victory in 10 innings that improbably advanced the Razorbacks to Omaha.
Kent State ( 46- 15) wasn’t supposed to win the Gary, Ind., Regional, headed by top- seeded Big Ten champion Purdue and No. 2 seed Kentucky. The unheralded Ohio school beat them both, Kentucky twice starting with a 21- inning epic opening the tournament.
From Gary the Golden Flashes were sent west to Eugene, Ore., for a super regional and prevailed against No. 5- seeded Oregon.
That earned Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn’s respect, though Kent State actually already had it since he and Kent State coach Scott Stricklin were assistant coaches together last summer for Team USA.
Starting his traditional opening series starter, junior DJ Baxendale ( 7- 5 record, 3.18 earned- run average), Van Horn asserts there is no looking past Kent State to renewing old hostilities with an SEC rival Monday.
“Coach Stricklin is a great coach,” Van Horn said. “They are good. They could win it. You look at their stats. They field well. They pitch well.”
The Golden Flashes also hit well, .302 as a team, 29 points higher than Arkansas. Led by first baseman George Roberts (. 368, eight home runs, 64 RBI) and shortstop Jimmy Rider (. 364, five homers, 55 RBI), five Kent State starters are batting .305 or higher while Team USA catcher David Lynn (. 279) has a team- high 10 home runs.
Van Horn expects the Golden Flashes to start well throwing senior left- hander David Starn ( 11- 3, 2.21 ERA).
“Their No. 1 guy is a lefthander who really can pitch,” Van Horn said. “Whenever you see seniors who are left- handed, they usually can pitch. Crafty, mixes it up.”
Arkansas didn’t hit much against a Baylor staff relying more on craft than velocity. The Razorbacks relied on pitching and defense, both musts in Ameritrade Park, which last year replaced Omaha’s historic Rosenblatt Stadium.