Martha Swearingen
Arkansas baseball will continue post-season play next week in a NCAA Super Regional next week after defeating Sam Houston State (40-22) for the second time during the NCAA Houston Regional in a 5-1 victory to win the Tournament.
The Super Regional appearance will be the Razorbacks? (42-19) third time in four years.
Freshman designated hitter Joe Serrano led the Hogs with three hits and an RBI while sophomore catcher Jake Wise added one hit and an RBI. Junior third baseman Matt Reynolds, junior center fielder Matt Vinson and freshman right fielder Brian Anderson had two hits each.
?We did what we wanted to do and that was get the lead early,? Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. ?I kept telling our guys that we have to take the life out of them a little bit by jumping on them. I?m proud of our team for coming out and playing. They did a good job.?
Junior left-hander Randall Fant started on the mound for the Hogs and threw for 4.1 scoreless innings while allowing just four hits.
Out of the bullpen, right-handed sophomores Nolan Sanburn, Brandon Moore and Colby Suggs combined for just three hits and gave up one run.
Arkansas? 12 hits started early when the Hogs were on the board in the top of the first inning. Sophomore first baseman Dominic Ficociello singled to center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Reynolds grounded out to first to advance Ficociello to third. Freshman Brian Anderson hit to the short stop, who overthrew the ball to first. The error allowed Ficociello to score and give the Hogs a 1-0 lead.
Arkansas added more in the second inning. Vinson opened the inning with a single and made it to second after Wise?s sacrifice bunt. Serrano doubled to left field, which allowed Vinson to score and stretch Arkansas? lead to 3-0.
The Hogs? fourth run came in the top of the fourth when Derek Bleeker reached base due to a two-base throwing error by Sam Houston State. Vinson hit a single and then a sacrifice fly from Wise brought Bleeker home.
The Razorbacks scored their final run in the top of the sixth. It began when Wise hit a double to left-center field. A single by Serrano advanced Wise to third. Carver?s sacrifice fly to the left sent Wise in for the run.
Sam Houston State?s only run of the game was scored in the bottom of the eighth when Jordan Bunch scored on Redden?s single through the middle.
Following the game, Carver, Reynolds, and freshman Joe Serrano were named to the all-region team. Stanek is the fourth player named to the all-region team, and was also selected as the outstanding player of the regional.
The Razorbacks’ next opponent will be the winner of the NCAA Waco Regional. The winner has yet to be determined as Baylor and Dallas Baptist are still playing.