Tag: super regionals

Watch: Tennessee fans litter field after ejection

Worth getting this upset over?

Was the pitch low?

Yes.

Was it worth losing one’s mind over and being ejected from a Super Regional game?

I’d say no but then again I don’t have any experience playing college baseball so I couldn’t give you an answer based on what I’ve been through.

With Notre Dame leading the top-ranked Vols 8-2 in the fifth inning, Tennessee’s Drew Gilbert was none too pleased after taking a 1-0 pitch that came across a bit low but was called a strike.  He erupted, causing an ejection and the Tennessee faithful weren’t pleased, a few of which decided to launch their beverages onto the playing field. Check out the video below.

Jared Dickey replaced Gilbert to complete the bat by grounding out.

Keep it locked into both Fighting Irish Wire and Vols Wire for all the latest on the Super Regional showdown.

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Know Your Enemy: Hogs vs. Heels preview with Tar Heels Wire’s Zack Pearson

Tar Heels Wire’s Zack Pearson joins this week’s edition of “Know Your Enemy” to provide a more in-depth look into Arkansas’ Super Regional opponent

Arkansas escaped Oklahoma last weekend in what was one of the most electrifying and most viewed, regionals of the weekend.

After opening the Stillwater Regional with a win over a feisty Grand Canyon team last Friday, Arkansas went 2-1 over the host Oklahoma State Cowboys to claim the regional, and move on to their fourth consecutive Super Regional.

Arkansas’ next stop on the road to Omaha is Chapel Hill, N.C., home of the North Carolina Tar Heels, where they will do battle with the winners of the Chapel Hill regional beginning Saturday morning.

The Atlantic Coast Conference champions had a similar road to a regional title, as they had to dig themselves out of the loser’s bracket. After falling to Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday night, the Tar Heels would get revenge by beating the Rams twice to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

That’s not the only similarity that Arkansas and North Carolina share. Both teams also overcame slumps during the season, and are now playing their best baseball when it matters most.

Arkansas ended the regular season by dropping their final two SEC series of the season to Vanderbilt and Alabama respectively, before bowing out of the SEC Tournament after two games. Arkansas seems to have found their spark again, as they were able to post 37 runs in the final three games of the Stillwater Regional.

North Carolina’s struggles began in the last week of March, and basically lasted all through April. The Tar Heels were swept by Miami during their series March 25-27 in Coral Gables, and would go on to drop four straight ACC series before regaining their footing against rival NC State during the first weekend in May. The Tar Heels would end the season by winning their final three ACC series, and going a perfect 4-0 in the ACC Tournament.

Need more information on this weekend’s Super Regional foe? Well, you have come to the right place. Zack Pearson of Tar Heels Wire has had his finger on the pulse of North Carolina baseball all season long, and was nice enough to provide insight on the Tar Heels from a local’s prospective.

Here’s the next installment of “Know Your Enemy” from Razorbacks Wire:

The foundation to Auburn Baseball’s success is consistency

After a disappointing season in 2021, Auburn Baseball is back on track to continue the successes of the 2018 and 2019 teams.

The Auburn Tigers are the hottest team in college baseball. The Tigers swept the competition at last weekend’s Auburn Regional, outscoring their opponents 51-17 in the process.

Auburn dominated the regional in all three aspects. At the plate, Auburn hit 13 long balls, which included a three-home run game by [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] in Friday’s regional opener against Southeastern Louisiana. The confidence at the plate translated to the field, as Auburn only committed one error on the weekend. Pitching was also dominant, as the starting pitcher in two of the three games struck out ten batters a piece.

Some teams catch wind and have luck at certain points through the year. For Auburn, they are starting to see their consistent play throughout the season payoff.

Head coach [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] was quoted as saying “National Championship or bust” following last weekend’s regional win. He says that the team’s consistency has given him trust, as well as the confidence, to make that claim as they head to Oregon State to face the Beavers in this weekend’s Super Regional.

“We got to a certain point in the season where I said I trust this ball club,” said Thompson prior to the team’s departure for Corvallis, Oregon on Thursday. “This is a ball club of consistency. We have never lost more than two games (in a row) over the season. I don’t know if I have had that in my 30 years of coaching, so there’s a model consistency. I have had trust, and now I believe in them.”

The constant play of this team is the product of a solid build up. Prior to the 2020 season that was abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Auburn had developed into one of the nation’s best programs.

In 2018. Auburn won the Raleigh Regional in similar fashion to last weekend’s Auburn Regional, and appeared in their first Super Regional since 1999 before falling to SEC foe Florida.

Auburn built off that success in 2019 by appearing in their second-straight Super Regional. The Tigers went on to take two-of-three from North Carolina on the road, and went on to make their first appearance in the College World Series since 1997.

After a season of struggles in 2021, Auburn seems to have found their way back on track to getting to the ultimate goal of being national champion. The player’s energy has rubbed off on Thompson.

 “I feel the chip on their shoulder,” says Thompson. “For those guys to come back last season, a lot of people were like “they are done, they are no good”, and for them to trigger back in, I started feeling it last year.” 

Auburn will spend Friday practicing and adjusting to the climate that the state of Oregon presents, then will lock in and begin the Super Regionals late Saturday night against Oregon State. First pitch between the Tigers and Beavers is set for 9 p.m. CDT.

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Monday’s Stillwater Regional final the third-most viewed game since 2006

College baseball fans were glued to their TV’s as they watched Arkansas Baseball defeat Oklahoma State to advance to the Super Regionals.

Arkansas’ regional-clinching victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night was a classic. The game was so exciting, that most college baseball fans could not keep their eyes away from their screens.

ESPN released the broadcast numbers from the game on Thursday and revealed that a total of 531,000 viewers watched Arkansas defeat Oklahoma State to advance to the Super Regionals for the fourth straight season. Dating back to 2006, it was the third most-viewed NCAA baseball regional game on the family of ESPN networks.

After splitting the first two games with Oklahoma State during the Stillwater Regional, the Razorbacks jumped out to a comfortable lead and fought off a late comeback attempt by the Cowboys to grab the 7-3 win.

Leading 5-3 in the 8th inning, freshman [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] was given the task to hold Arkansas’ lead despite the fact that Oklahoma State loaded the bases. He got the job done by striking out the final two batters of the inning. To add insurance, [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag] sent two runners across the plate in the 9th inning on a double to extend the Razorback lead to 7-3. Smith rode that momentum into the bottom half, where he sat down the Cowboys in order to seal the win.

Arkansas’ season continues in the Super Regionals beginning Saturday at North Carolina. Game one of the best-of-three series begins Saturday at 10 a.m. CDT, and can be seen on ESPN.

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Tale of the Tape: Individual Leaders – Notre Dame vs. Tennessee

Which players do you trust to beat the Volunteers?

Notre Dame is about to embark on its toughest test of the season against Tennessee in the Super Regionals. The Irish’s best pitching hopes rest in the arm of left-hander [autotag]John Michael Bertrand[/autotag], who leads them in the most significant categories. The offense is pretty balanced as we see we have multiple players atop the important categories there. That kind of production theoretically should help, but how much will it help against that Volunteers juggernaut?

The Volunteers have five players listed on MLB.com’s top 200 prospects for the upcoming draft. One of them is outfielder Drew Gilbert, the Volunteers’ top hitter. Also on there is third baseman Trey Lipscomb, their big power source. Lipscomb is tied for the scoring lead on the team with outfielder Jordan Beck, another player on the list.

The Irish won’t be intimidated by any Volunteers threat though. Otherwise, how could they have gotten this far? Only the strong survive.

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Rent-A-Catcher: Michael Turner signs NIL with Castle Rental and Pawn

Arkansas catcher signs NIL with Northwest Arkansas-based rental and pawn shop.

Arkansas catcher Michael Turner has had quite the last couple weeks.

The Kent State transfer was named Stillwater Regional MVP after an 8-for-18 weekend in which the Diamond Hogs upset host Oklahoma State to advance to the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

That performance came after a Northwest Arkansas sports-radio host took a swipe at Turner for being, in other words, not a true Razorback. Apparently, because Turner was in the midst of his first and only season in Fayetteville, he didn’t have a right to voice his concerns.

Three days after the Stillwater Regional and three days before Arkansas is back in action, Turner is the new owner of an NIL from Castle Rental and Pawn.

Turner has played in 57 games for Arkansas this season after transferring from the MAC school in Ohio. He’s slashed .310/.382/.504 for the Diamond Hogs, who are one of just five of the 16 teams remaining who beat the host school in the Regional round.

The Chapel Hill Supers begin Saturday at 10 a.m.

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Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. Tennessee

The Irish are gonna need all the luck they can get.

They say you’ve got to beat the best to be the best. Notre Dame has that opportunity in the Super Regionals. The Irish will have to beat top-ranked Tennessee twice in three games to earn that coveted trip to Omaha for the College World Series. But hey, they haven’t gotten this far for no reason, so how tough of an opponent can the Volunteers be?

Oh mercy. The Volunteers aren’t the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing for no reason. Look how good they are at both hitting and pitching. Do I even need to describe what makes them so good?

So yeah, the Irish have their work cut out for them. Their pitching should at least keep them in each game if it’s on, but that might be a tall order. We can see why the Volunteers are where they are, and anyone who can knock them off will become college baseball legends. Hopefully, that’s the Irish.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Michael Turner named Stillwater Regional MVP

Arkansas catcher Michael Turner named MVP of Stillwater Regional as Diamond Hogs advance to Super Regionals.

As if the weekend weren’t already crazy enough, Arkansas’ Stillwater Regional win Monday night was capped in perhaps the best way possible.

Razorbacks catcher Michael Turner, who made national sports news the previous week for…other reasons…was named the Regional’s Most Valuable Player at the conclusion of Arkansas’ 7-3 win.

The graduate transfer from Kent State had a two-run double in the ninth to help insure the Hogs victory. For the Regional, Turner went 8-18 with two walks, two home runs and a double and knocked in nine runs while scoring seven more.

Arkansas will play North Carolina in the Super Regionals in Chapel Hill on the weekend. The Tar Heels, the No. 10 seed, advanced after beating Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday.

Arkansas first baseman Peyton Stovall, third baseman Cayden Wallace, shortstop Jalen Battles and pitcher Connor Noland were named to the All-Regional team, as well.

The trip is Arkansas’ fourth straight to the Super Regionals. The Diamond Hogs lost in the Supers last year to North Carolina State, but the previous two times in the round they advanced to the College World Series.

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Razorbacks win shootout with Cowboys to win Stillwater Regional

Arkansas stood tall once the dust settled in Stillwater. They will now travel to North Carolina to meet the Tar Heels in the Super Regionals.

In a weekend fueled by long balls, marathon games, and a plethora of runs scored, the eventful Stillwater Regional has now come to an end.

Arkansas and Oklahoma State provided offensive fireworks in their previous two meetings in the Stillwater Regional, but when it came down to one final battle in the war, it was the mighty Razorbacks who stood tall when the dust settled.

All Arkansas needed was an early lead and a shutdown effort by a freshman on the mound to move on to their 4th straight Super Regional by defeating Oklahoma State, 7-3, on Monday night at O’Brate Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.

Monday’s winner-take-all game did not begin as swiftly as the previous two meetings between the Razorbacks and Cowboys, with neither team scoring a run through the first three innings.

Trailing 5-3 in the 8th inning, Oklahoma State threatened to take the lead before ending the frame with the bases loaded.

Freshman [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag], who lasted just 1.1 innings in Saturday’s win over the Cowboys, entered the game in relief of [autotag]Zebulon Vermillion[/autotag]. Smith struggled to find command early on, as he allowed the first three runners of his outing to reach base. However, with the bases loaded, Smith struck out the final two batters of the inning, including the thorn in the Razorbacks side this regional, Roc Riggio.

Smith would gain momentum in the top of the 9th as Michael Turner doubled home two runners to extend the lead to 7-3, and to give him a four-run cushion. Smith would use that confidence to sit down Oklahoma State in order, ending the game with two strikeouts.

In two innings of work, Smith struck out four batters while allowing one walk and hitting a batter. The outing was a breath of fresh air for Smith, as the usual Saturday starter has seen his role change over the last month.

Arkansas found its’ groove in the 4th inning by plating four runs to jump out to a comfortable lead. [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag] led off the inning by hitting his 15th home run of the season to put Arkansas on the board, 1-0.

Arkansas would then get two baserunners on with two outs for [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag], who then delivered a single that would be deep enough to score those runners, and to give the Razorbacks the 3-0 lead.

Battles would score one at-bat later on an RBI single by [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag].

The Stovall-Battles connection teamed up again in the 6th inning to add one more to Arkansas’ total. Stovall singled up the middle to score Battles from 2nd base to move the Arkansas lead to 5-0.

The Cowboys began chipping away at Arkansas’ lead, by scoring three runs over the next two innings. Oklahoma State’s David Mendham hit a solo home run in the 6th inning to erase the shutout. Then, in the 7th inning, Roc Riggio and Zach Ehrhard each grabbed an RBI to cut the Razorbacks lead to 5-3.

Battles and Stovall would lead the Arkansas offense with two hits and two RBI each. Turner also grabbed two RBI on his 9th inning double. [autotag]Kole Ramage[/autotag] earned the win out of the bullpen for Arkansas, where he allowed three earned runs on four hits while striking out five batters in 2.2 innings of work.

Arkansas’ season will continue next weekend in the Super Regionals. Their next stop on the road to Omaha is Chapel Hill, N.C., where they will face the North Carolina Tar Heels. North Carolina went 4-1 in the Chapel Hill Regional, defeating Virginia Commonwealth, 7-3 in Monday’s championship game.

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Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State: How to stream and listen to Monday’s game

The winner of Arkansas and Oklahoma State on Monday will clinch a spot in the Super Regionals.

Arkansas and Oklahoma State will play for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals on Monday evening from Stillwater.

The seventh-seeded Cowboys forced the winner-take-all game with a 14-10 win in 10 innings on Sunday.

Pitching will be at a premium on Monday. Oklahoma State gave up five runs on Friday, 20 on Saturday and then 15 and 10 on Sunday. Arkansas allowed one, then 12, then 14 in its three games. Starters for the game Monday are to-be-determined.

An Oklahoma State win would clinch the Pokes first Super Regional appearance since 2019. An Arkansas win would mark the Hogs’ fourth straight trip to the round.

First pitch from O’Brate Stadium is at 6 p.m.