Tag: Arkansas James Madison

Beyond the box: Examining Arkansas’ numbers after set with James Madison

DVH isn’t worried about Hagen Smith, nor should you be. Besides, the team can rake enough to get by.

Perfect should not be the enemy of good.

The Arkansas baseball team should be feeling plenty good after their season-opening series against James Madison.

The Diamond Hogs, who moved up to No. 2 in the country in the D1Baseball poll earlier on Monday, beat James Madison 4-0 in the series finale to take the set three games to one.

On the whole, it was solid. Arkansas hit .310 as a team in the series and limited James Madison to .203. The top of the Diamond Hogs’ lineup provided plenty of punch and the bottom-half didn’t look out of sorts, either. Razorbacks pitchers, mostly, looked worthy of the ‘best staff in the country’ some have labeled upon them.

Arkansas’ real test comes this upcoming weekend in a three-game series in Arlington, Texas. None of the opponents are repeats and the Diamond Hogs will open Friday against No. 7 Oregon State.

But based off numbers, Arkansas should leave the Lone Star State with more wins than losses.

Let’s take a look at some of those numbers and what they meant against the Bulldogs.

Finding a leftfielder

Wil Edmunson, Jayson Jones and Ross Lovich split time in leftfield for the Diamond Hogs against James Madison. None of the three took the job and ran with it.

Jones, the only player among the three who was on the team last year, started two games, but went 1 for 7 at the plate with two strikeouts. Lovich, who hit .306 in 26 starts for Missouri last year, went 1 for 3 with a walk. And Edmunson, a transfer from Hutchinson Community College, finished the weekend 1 for 5, though he was hit by a pitch and ultimately scored three runs while adding a stolen base.

Three Big Sticks

Van Horn had a good idea who his three best hitters this season would be entering the series. It was borne out.

The trio of Kendall Diggs, Ben McLaughlin and Hudson White raked for the Diamond Hogs. Among them, they picked up 16 hits and walked an astonishing 13 times against the Bulldogs. They also combined for eight of the team’s 11 extra-base hits on the weekend, scoring 10 runs and knocking in another nine.

Smith’s status

Hagen Smith, Arkansas’ ace left-hander, didn’t have an ideal weekend. Van Horn allowed him to pitch just one inning in the opener after Smith allowed three runs on two walks and a hit.

On the short list for the Golden Spikes Award, Smith simply didn’t have his feel against James Madison. Van Horn said he isn’t worried.

“Hagen knows how to pitch. He’s fine.”

Diamond Hogs clinch series, shut out James Madison

Arkansas moved up to No. 2 in the nation hours before knocking off James Madison to take the series.

The first weekend of the Arkansas baseball season is now in the rearview mirror.

The No. 2 Diamond Hogs beat James Madison on Monday in the teams’ series finale of a four-game set, 4-0, on the same day Arkansas jumped in the polls. Arkansas’ victory clinched a 3-to-1 series win.

Ben McLaughlin’s two-run single in the first was all Arkansas really needed. Freshman pitcher Colin Fisher, making his Diamond Hogs debut, was golden. He allowed just three JMU hits over his five innings of work while striking out four. Koty Frank, Will McEntire and Stone Hewlett allowed just two more baserunners between them the rest of the way to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

Meanwhile, Arkansas saw its lead grow by one in the third and again in the seventh. Leftfielder Jayson Jones plated a run on a single in the former inning and Wehiwa Aloy knocked in another run in the latter on a single of his own.

Arkansas has the rest of the week off until Friday when the Diamond Hogs head to Arlington, Texas. Dave Van Horn’s team will participate in the College Baseball Series over the weekend against Oregon State (Friday), Oklahoma State (Saturday) and Michigan (Sunday).

The team returns to Baum-Walker Stadium the following Tuesday for a one-off game against Grambling.

Arkansas baseball vs. James Madison – Game 3: How to watch, stream, listen

Arkansas’ bats were alive Saturday and the Diamond Hogs will look to clinc their season-opening series Sunday in Game 3.

The start to Arkansas’ baseball season couldn’t be much better. On Sunday, the Diamond Hogs will look to clinch their season-opening series against.

The fourth-ranked Razorbacks will host James Madison in game three of the teams’ four-game set from Baum-Walker Stadium. Arkansas won the opener Friday, 6-4, then rolled the Bulldogs, 15-5, in the second game of the series Saturday. 

Every Arkansas position player had at least one hit in the double-digit eight-inning win Saturday. Centerfielder Ty Wilmsmeyer, in his first season with the Razorbacks after transferring from Missouri, had three knocks, including a home run, and two runs with five RBI.

That was more than enough for starter Brady Tygart. Arkansas’ right-hander allowed just one run on two hits and two walks in five innings to pick up the victory.

Once the Diamond Hogs are finished with James Madison, they hit the road for three games in Arlington, Texas, next weekend against some of college baseball’s best programs in Oregon State, Oklahoma State and Michigan.

For now, the Razorbacks will seek to clinch the series against JMU. Here’s how to catch the action.

Arkansas baseball vs. James Madison – Game 1: How to watch, stream, listen

If you’ve been waiting for Arkansas baseball after dreadful football and basketball seasons, your time is now.

The Arkansas baseball team is set to begin a hopeful march to Omaha on Friday when James Madison visits Baum-Walker Stadium for a four-game set.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn, heading into his 22nd season with the Diamond Hogs, has taken his bunch to the NCAA Tournament 20 times since 2003. In that span, Arkansas has made nine Super Regionals and seven trips to the College World Series.

This year’s Arkansas teams may have the best shot to make it to the showcase as any in recent memory. The Diamond Hogs are ranked inside the top four in every national collegiate baseball poll in the country.

Led by preseason All-Americans Hagen Smith, a left-handed starter who is expected to go in the first round of the MLB Draft, and transfer shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas has both pitching skill and depth and bats and defense that makes just about every other team in the nation jealous.

James Madison may not be terribly familiar to Arkansas fans, but the Bulldogs play in the Sun Belt, largely considered the best non-power conference baseball league in the land. JMU went 31-25 last year and were picked to finish 10th in the 14-team conference this year.

If you can’t make it to Baum-Walker Stadium for the opener, here’s how catch the Razorbacks elsewhere.