commentary razorback baseball is a mystery

University of Arkansas Student-Run Newspaper Since 1906Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 Vol. 109, No. 20 Page B1

After being ousted by Virginia last year in the postseason, Arkansas is looking forward to making another postseason appearance as the baseball season approaches.

Baseball season begins Feb. 13, and the Razorbacks have some big shoes to fill. Last season, six Razorback players were selected to play in the MLB.

The Marlins selected Brian Anderson and Eric Fisher, the Red Sox selected Michael Gunn and Jalen Beeks, the Athletics selected Tyler Spoon and the Phillies selected Chris Oliver.

Spoon, however, decided to play another season for the Razorbacks.

Without Gunn, Beeks and Oliver, the Ra-zorbacks must find new starting pitchers.

Sophomores Zach Jackson and Dominic Taccolini remain on the team after coming out of the bullpen a couple times last season.

“They’re a lot better now. They’re bigger. They’re stronger. The’re a lot more mature,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “You could probably see those guys start the opening weekend.”

For the rest of the season, the pitchers will have to compete with each other to fill the starting roles.

Jackson can throw his fastball more than 90 mph, Van Horn said.

“I think the big question is: Can he give us five, six, seven innings when he gets in shape as a starter, or is he better off in the bullpen?” Van Horn said.

Coach Van Horn said the same applies to Taccolini.

As for freshman Keaton McKinney, Van Horn said he is more of a starting pitcher or long reliever.

Jacob Stone will begin the season at closer, Van Horn said.

“What he can really do is hold runners,” he said. “He’s got the best right-handed pick-off move I’ve seen in a long time.”

This year, Arkansas’ pitchers will face a new obstacle – the flat-seam ball.

Jackson said he likes the ball because it moves a lot more for him on breaking pitches. On the other hand, if hit, the new ball tends to travel a lot farther, he said.

When it comes to the offense, the Razor-backs will look to Clark Eagan, Andrew Ben-intendi, Chad Spanberger, Krisjon Wilkerson

and Luke Bonfield for production.Benintendi has hit several balls out of the

park during batting practice, Van Horn said.Early in the season, Van Horn said he plans

to rotate the designated hitter position and try both left-handed and right-handed hitters.

Wilkerson, Spanberger and Eagan were all mentioned as potential players to fill the spot.

“Spanberger has tremendous power,” Van Horn said. “He hits the ball out of the park pretty much when he wants to in practice.”

Eagan is a little roughed up after he hyper-extended his shoulder sliding into second, but he is the most improved hitter on the team and will definitely start, Van Horn said.

When it comes to defense, Arkansas has a lot of possibilities.

Fans can expect to see Spoon in right field, Benintendi in center field and Serrano in left field.

The Razorbacks have a tough schedule to play with Southeastern Conference opponents as defending champions. Arkansas must play No. 1 Vanderbilt, as well as No. 15 Louisiana State University and No. 28 Mississippi State.

Arkansas will open its season with a three-game series against the University of North Dakota at 3:05 p.m. Feb. 13 at Baum Stadium.

When anyone familiar with college baseball across the country hears about Arkansas, they likely think about strong pitching, small ball and NCAA tourna-ment appearances each season since 2002.

Of course the small-ball style hasn’t always been Arkansas’ forte. A� er being gorilla balled out of the super regionals by Arizona State, coach Dave Van Horn changed his philosophy and decided the way to break through was stout pitching and defense.

For the last few seasons, Arkansas has been the nation’s top pitching sta� , and the Razorbacks have sent more pitchers to the major leagues than any other program in the country.

� e dominant pitching sta� s of Van Horn and pitching coach Dave Jorn have sti� ed opposition, which has al-lowed the Razorbacks to win games with only a few runs. While it may not be the most entertaining brand of base-ball, the results have been positive with return trips to the postseason.

Van Horn has amassed a .641 win percentage at Arkansas in 12 seasons. His 484-270 record with the Razorbacks is among the best in the nation and shows Van Horn wins wherever he goes.

But this season, his Razorbacks are � ying under the radar and are some-what of a mystery as the season ap-proaches. Arkansas returns two of its starting pitchers from last season and � ve others with experience. However, the Razorbacks lost seven pitches from a year ago.

Mountain Home native Trey Killian is slated to be the No. 1 pitcher for Ar-kansas, and Zach Jackson is likely to join him as a weekend starter. � e third starter is a bit of a question mark at this point.

Van Horn may resort to plugging in a newcomer in the starting rotation as he has lots of arm talent to experiment with. Keaton McKinney and Kyle Pate are the two likeliest candidates for the role, and they may exchange time on the mound as starters.

Arkansas also lost a lot of talent in the � eld from last season’s 40-25 club. Catcher Jake Wise, � rst baseman Eric Fisher and second baseman Brian An-derson were all instrumental a season ago and must be replaced, likely with newcomers, as best as possible.

Bobby Wernes returns a� er playing a majority of last season at third base and hitting .250 in 50 games. Michael Bernal also returns to the in� eld a� er � lling in for an injured Brett McAfee. � e battle for shortstop will be one to keep an eye on.

Filling the roles le� vacant by Fisher and Anderson at � rst and second base, respectively, should be a high priority for Arkansas.

� e two held down the right side of the in� eld and provided sparks at the plate as they combined to hit 16 home runs. � ey also drove in 96 runs and were the only players to appear in all 65 games last season.

� e Razorbacks entered the last few seasons with extremely high expecta-tions and, ultimately, failed to live up to them because they did not advance deep into postseason play.

� is year could be di� erent. With a relatively unknown group of players, the Razorbacks could surprise some in the Southeastern Conference, or they could falter.

COMMENTARY

Scottie BordelonSports Editor

Razorback Baseball is a mystery

Tyler HartneySta� Writer

Courtesy of Razorback Yearbook

he Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page B2 Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015special issue

Last season, the Arkan-sas baseball team tallied a 40-25 record that allowed them to make an appear-ance in the postseason.

The team lost several players, such as Eric Fisher, Brian Anderson and Jalen Beeks, who started a major-ity of the games in the field.

Even with the aforemen-tioned players, the Razor-backs finished 10th in the Southeastern Conference in fielding percentage. They were also fourth worst in the conference in errors.

To improve from last year’s fielding mishaps, there are a few people who can be expected to step up this season in the field.

The first priority is to re-place Beeks and Chris Oli-ver in the starting pitching rotation. Trey Killian is ex-pected to be the ace pitcher. He had great performances last season that will give him confidence this season. He had a 4-9 record on the season, but he had a 2.30 ERA, which was second best on the team last season. He held opponents to a .222 batting average.

Zach Jackson and Domi-nic Taccolini are expected to get their shot in the start-ing pitching rotation as well.

“Jackson and Taccolini came out of the bullpen for the most part last year and were very good as fresh-men,” said head coach Dave Van Horn. “They’re a lot better now – bigger, stron-ger and more mature.”

The next priority is re-

placing Fisher and Ander-son, both of whom play pro-fessionally. Clark Eagan, a sophomore from Appleton, Wisconsin, is expected to take over Fisher’s spot. He had 31 starts last season as a true freshman and hit .301

with a pair of home runs. As a sophomore, Eagan will look to improve on his .824 fielding percentage.

At second base, many players could fill the hole left by, but Michael Bernal may the spot, which would

allow Brett McAfee to man the shortstop position. Ber-nal had a .914 fielding per-centage while McAfee fin-ished with a .933 average. Both performed well on de-

Defense a top priority in 2015Leonce DeLochSta� Writer

Traveler Archivehird baseman Bobby Wernes returns to an Arkansas inield that struggled at times in 2014. he Razorbacks can compete in the SEC if defensive issues are resolved. he return of Michael Bernal could be beneicial for Arkansas as well.

he 2015 season of Razor-back men’s baseball starts in only two weeks, and all of the players are gearing up for a fantastic year. Of the players, one of the seasoned veterans on the Razorbacks is redshirt junior Tyler Spoon. his will be Spoon’s fourth year play-ing for the Razorbacks.

Spoon said that he was hesitant at irst about com-ing back to the Razorbacks, but he feels he made the right decision.

“I was in a position where I felt comfortable, you know, with wanting to play pro ball. And I felt comfortable with wanting to come back and play, so it was kind of a win-win situation,” Spoon said. “I felt good about either deci-sion. So I’m glad I’m back. I’ve got two more potential years to play if I don’t go pro.”

Spoon sufered an injury last year, which kept him benched for most of the 2014 ofseason. But he did not let his injury afect his inal deci-sion to return this year.

“It bothered me last year. I obviously didn’t have a great year last year, so I knew I’d have a better year this year – get a lot stronger, get my strength back. It was a thought that I had – I need to get better, I need to get stron-ger, because of that.”

Getting better and stron-ger are just a couple of goals that Spoon has for the up-coming season.

“I haven’t been to Omaha yet, and it’s my fourth year. So my main goal is to get to Omaha,” Spoon said, deter-mination in his eyes. “We have a really good team, so personally, I just want to do everything I can to help the team win, whatever that takes. My main goal though, I want to get to Omaha.”

Omaha, Nebraska is the home of the annual College World Series. he Razorbacks haven’t participated in the CWS since 2012.

Another veteran on the Razorbacks baseball team is Joe Serrano, who’ll be playing

his fourth year as well. Spoon and Serrano both have expe-rience that’ll be beneicial to the Razorbacks having a suc-cessful 2015 season, Spoon said.

“his is our fourth year together. We have experi-ence that maybe some of the younger guys don’t have. Hopefully I can help any guy that needs some help, wheth-er it’s for a game, or they’re nervous, and help them be-come not only better players, but better men as well.”

Spoon plans to graduate in May, and that will help his decision on whether or not to go pro, he said.

“If things don’t work out with the drat and I come back, I’ll start grad school probably. But I’m taking my time, enjoying where I’m at right now, and when that time comes, I’ll make a decision and we’ll go from there.”

But even if Spoon does not

decide to go pro, he said that baseball is his passion, and he still wants to be a part of it in some way.

“I’d love to be around baseball somehow. If I’m led one way or another, I’ll go wherever I’m led. I’d love to be around baseball, wherever

that takes me. But I’m open to other things as well.”

However, Spoon said his eyes are on this upcoming season, and it’s looking to be a pretty good one.

“I feel really good about this season. We have a really good team, a lot of good hit-

ters and a lot of good pitch-ers. I think we’re one of those teams that a lot of people don’t know about. hey don’t know about the young tal-ent we have, which is under-standable.”

Spoon expects great things this season, especially from

the younger players to whom he’s played as a mentor to, he said. All players have an im-portant role for a successful season, but it is important for the senior players to be leaders for the newer talent so that the whole team does well.

“I think the young guys are starting to mature a lot, and we’re going to need them a lot. Every freshman kind of gets shellshocked their irst year here. hey haven’t played in an SCC game or anything yet, but its natural. Me and Joe especially, we’re here to help them along, and do whatever we can to help them out. hey’ve matured so much, they don’t even act like freshmen anymore, which is a good thing.”

Leader, mentor, and one of the seasoned vets for the Razorbacks, Spoon is major-ing in recreation and sports management.

Seasoned veteran returns in hopes of trip to OmahaJustin LloydSta� Writer

Traveler ArchiveVeteran outielder Tyler Spoon’s decision to return to Fayetteville for another season gives the Razorbacks production in the lineup and a sure-handed glove in the outield alongside sophomore Andrew Benintendi and Joe Serrano. Spoon has driven in 86 runs the last two seasons.

UA baseball program brings loyal fan base

he UA baseball program is one of the most successful in the Southeastern Conference and has the second highest at-tendance rate in the country because of a loyal fan base, an impressive stadium and crazy traditions, the associate director of athletics said.

“For the second year, Ar-kansas inished second in the nation in home baseball game attendance, averaging close to 8,000 fans per game,” said Kevin Trainor, the associate director of athletics for public relations.

Part of what keeps fans com-ing year ater year is the leader-ship of coach Dave Van Horn, said Michael Gunn, a former Razorback who is now a Red Sox player.

“here’s a pride with being a Razorback because we do things the right way,” Gunn said. “We show up, do our job to the best of our ability and then go home.”

Van Horn has been head coach of the Razorback baseball team for 24 seasons, and he has led the team to regionals the past two years.

“We’ve had winning seasons for the longest time,” Gunn said. “Our program always has an ex-pectation to win with coach Van Horn.”

he stadium is incredible too, Gunn said.

In 1998, Baseball America named Baum Stadium as the nation’s No. 1 collegiate baseball stadium.

“I’ve heard many teams say what a pleasure it is to play at Baum Stadium,” Trainor said. “It’s a great game and family at-

mosphere. It feels like they’re playing in a Triple-A park.”

In 2007, Razorback fans set the SEC three-game series atten-dance record by buying 30,564 tickets for the series against the Louisiana State University Ti-gers.

“Playing in the Ozarks is in-credible,” Gunn said. “But really, the fans make it.”

What makes the crowd fun to watch is the diversity, senior Jacob McLemore said.

“It’s always fun watching our crowd,” McLemore said. “here’s central things they do, like wear-ing corncob hats when there are no balls or strikes let and seeing Hognoxious get upset.”

Bobby “Hognoxious” Smittel is a devout Diamond Hogs fan who can get vocal about the um-pires’ calls. He also encourages the crowd when the Hogs are up to bat. He does all this while car-rying an oversized baby bottle and bonnet.

“I know the umpires dread coming to the UofA because he’s so brutal,” McLemore said. “He’ll complain if there’s a bad call and call them a baby.”

He’s a crowd pleaser, but for the players, it can get distracting, Gunn said.

“We don’t try to pay attention to him,” Gunn said. “He has the right heart, but he needs to take the focus away from himself.”

Other traditions include a pregame ritual where someone does a backlip to get the team hyped up. Additionally, many fans said they enjoy bringing their own coolers into the out-ield.

“As long as all the traditions of the outield stay true, I think attendance from students won’t be a problem,” McLemore said. continued on page B7

Nathan OwensSta� Writer

he Arkansas Traveler Newspaper

Page B3Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 special issue

he Arkansas sotball team is coming of of a lack-luster 27-28 mark in 2014. Although the Razorbacks went 5-19 in the Southeastern Conference, it was also one of the best ofensive seasons in school history.

In 2015, Arkansas will look to continue its ofensive eforts while building up its defense.

“We’re really excited to get started,” head coach Mike Larabee said. “he players worked really, really hard during the break. hey came back in great shape, and we’ve been going at it since Jan. 12. I feel really good about our team.”

Last season’s team set a sin-gle-season record for batting average, slugging percent-age and on-base percentage, in addition to single-season records for runs, RBIs, walks and sacriice lies.

Arkansas will likely build on last year’s batting with nine starters returning. Se-niors Devon Wallace and Kasey Fagan and junior Stephanie Canield will be the the biggest threats at the plate because of their consistently high run, slugging and on-base percentages.

“We’ve got a little more speed in our lineup than

Kendyl DawsonSta� Writer

She was recruited by the coaching staf of Arkansas at a summer tourna-ment when she was in high school and had no doubts this was the school for her. Being from Washington, Parker Pocklington has come a long way from her home to play sotball for the UofA.

“I loved the coaching staf, the cam-pus and the people. I fell in love with this university as a whole,” Pockling-ton said.

“Not to mention being ofered a scholarship, I could not pass up the opportunity of a lifetime to play for the Hogs,” she said.

Being a sophomore studying com-munications and sports management, Pocklington has already made an im-pact on the sotball team. She views her role on the team as one of a vocal encourager.

“I have a loud voice during work-outs. I try to be a big encourager and a positive leader,” she said.

Sophomore teammate Loren Krzysko backs up Pocklington’s role.

“Parker brings a whole new level of positive energy to our team when we are on and of the ield. She is an over-all great person to be around and I’m beyond glad she is my teammate.”

Being on the sotball team takes some serious dedication.

“We have weights almost every morning. We’re up before 6 a.m.,” Pocklington said.

But, Pocklington said, it is not too bad.

“Waking up and working hard is an awesome way to start the day.”

One of her favorite things to do is behind the scenes work.

“It’s the little things that count, so I like to make sure people have what they need and be sure the small tasks are taken care of.”

he cohesiveness of the team has improved greatly this year, Pockling-ton said.

“I think the core values we set this year have really helped that,” she said.

he team’s core values are to love, serve and care.

hrough dedication in practice and in class, Pocklington hopes to improve her skillsets this year.

“I have personal goals as far as stats, and I also want to improve at batting,” she said.

he World Series this year is in Oklahoma City. It is incredibly tough to make it, but she said she believes the team has all the assets needed to get there this year.

“I think it’s deinitely doable this year. We have a lot more girls that can play. hat helps in case people get in-

jured or sick. Our attitude and chemis-try this year has improved so much in comparison to last year, and the season is just starting. We are in a good spot to make it,” she said.

Ater completing her undergradu-ate degree, Pocklington wants to go on and earn her master’s.

“I really want to coach,” she said. “Going to school and coaching would be awesome.”

Pocklington has a lot of experience when it comes to teaching others the art of sotball.

“I have taught lots of kids lessons back at home. I am interested in the youth. I love teaching little girls,” she said.

Small cofee shops are part of Centralia, Washington’s culture, Pocklington’s hometown.

“I really love cofee,” she said.In addition to drinking plenty of

cofee, Pocklington enjoys painting and crating up some Pinterest proj-ects in her spare time.

“I know it’s important to take time for myself every now and then,” she said.

Pocklington also has a puppy and she said she loves to take it to the dog park from time to time.

Encourager, leader, hard-worker and lover of cofee, this is Parker Pock-lington, sotball player and student of the UofA.

Softball Eager to Begin New Season

Softball star brings new energy to teamRebekah HarveySta� Writer

Traveler ArchiveSophomore Parker Pocklington, a native of Centralia, Washington, sees her role on the Razorback soft-ball team as a vocal leader. Pocklington says she could not pass up the opportunity to put on the Razor-back uniform and represent the school.

continued on page B5

Baseball fever is sweeping Fay-etteville as the Razorbacks kick of their season Feb. 13.

he Razorbacks return seven pitchers from last season’s team, including bullpen studs Jacob Stone, Zach Jackson and Dominic Taccolini.

However, because of graduation and early entries into the MLB, coach Dave Van Horn is moving Jackson and Taccolini into the starting rotation and leaving Stone as the only known commodity in the bullpen.

Stone posted a .94 ERA in 24 appearances last season and tal-lied a 4-0 record to go along with four saves. Stone will be the main

reliever for the team this season because he proved last season how dominant he could be in relief, Van Horn said.

“Runners are scared to go against him,” Van Horn said.

Stone is terriic and can be one of the better relievers in the South-eastern Conference this season. However, if teams want to win in the SEC, which has seven teams in the preseason top 25 poll, they must have depth in the bullpen.

Stone can’t be available every night, and coach Van Horn knows that. Here are a few guys who stand out as potential options in relief situations:

Keaton McKinneyVan Horn has raved about

the stud right-handed freshman. McKinney was a highly touted re-cruit coming out of Iowa. He was

the No. 37 prospect in the country and the 42nd best MLB prospect, according to Baseball America.

McKinney is 6-foot-5-inches, 220 pounds and throws a power-ful fastball to go with a deceptive change up. McKinney will most likely end up being a rotational starter for the Razorbacks this sea-son, but for now, he is an option out of the bullpen, Van Horn said.

Jackson Loweryhe senior right-hander is a

known, but overshadowed, talent for the Razorbacks. Lowery ap-peared in 20 games last season and posted 35 strikeouts in 35 innings. He held hitters to a .214 average.

Lowery has made strides this ofseason and will have to step up and be a consistent option in the bullpen for the Razorbacks, Van Horn said. If Lowery improves on

his 4.04 ERA, the Razorbacks will be in great shape.

Kyle PatePate is a lety who decided to

stay home and attend Arkansas ater a decorated career at Fay-etteville High School. Pate was the fourth best prospect in Arkansas ater posting a 10-2 record with a 1.03 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 73 innings.

Van Horn said he expects Pate to help in relief right away for the Razorbacks, and he isn’t worried about Arkansas’ inexperienced players.

“We’re a bit of an unknown this season,” he said. “We like it that way.”

While the the team may lack depth and be inexperienced, Ar-kansas has the talent to compete in the rigorous SEC this season.

he UA sotball team earned just un-der $28,000 in revenue during the 2013-14 academic year, and $17,000 of the total revenue was related to ticket sales.

Apart from ticket sales, the team earned revenue through concession sales, as well as game guarantees.

“We develop a budget every iscal year that allocates funding to each sport and operational department,” said By-ron Hatch, the associate director of ath-letics for business operations. “Revenues we earn are utilized to support our ath-letic department.”

Revenue is derived from ticket sales from all sports. Football and men’s bas-ketball account for the majority of ticket sales revenue.

Other signiicant revenue comes from concessions, merchandise sales, sponsorships, licensing and multimedia rights, Hatch said.

he athletic department also receives revenue from the Southeastern Confer-ence, as well as the NCAA.

Compared to the sotball team, the baseball team earns a signiicantly great-er amount of money each year.

Last year, the baseball team earned more than $2 million in total revenue. Of that $2 million, $1.8 million was re-lated to ticket sales.

Football and men’s basketball are generally the only sports with the po-tential to make more money than they spend, according to he Business of College Sports website.

“Here and there we see a women’s basketball program or another sport turn a proit for the year, but it’s a rarity,” said Kristi Dosh, a writer for he Busi-ness of College Sports.

he UA sotball team’s revenue is about average when compared to other women’s sports at the university. he women’s team that earned the most rev-enue during the 2013-14 academic year was the basketball team. he basketball team was followed by the gymnastics team, track team, sotball team, volley-ball team and soccer team.

Last year, the women’s basketball team earned $107,000 in total revenue while the women’s soccer team earned around $16,000 in total revenue.

he Razorback sotball team has its irst conference game at 4 p.m. March 7 against the Louisiana State University Tigers.

Softball ticket, food sales boost athletic revenue

Sarah EdwardsSta� Writer

Relievers, bullpen a concern after Stone

Chandler CarsonSta� Writer

Above: Freshman Kyle Pate, a Fayetteville native, is one of Arkansas top rated prospects entering 2015.

Top Right: Relief pitcher Jacob Stone is set to begin the season as closer for the Razorbacks. He was steady last season, inishing with a .94 earned run average.

Bottom Right: Jackson Lowery appeared in 20 games last season and will be key in the Arkansas bullpen.

Rhett J. Hutchins

Traveler Archive

Traveler Archive

� e Arkansas Traveler Newspaper


Cooperstown CocktailCooperstown is home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,

in New York, which is annually visited by nearly 300, 000 people, ac-cording to Baseball Hall. What more way than to celebrate the game of baseball with this colorful and fruity drink, for those martini lov-ers? It contains 1 1/2 ounces of Tanqueray, 3/4 ounce Martini & Ros-si Rosso Vermouth, 3/4 ounce Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth, 2 dashes h e Bitter Truth Orange Bitters, 2 to 3 mint leaves and ice. Ballpark Strawberry Lemonade:

h is is another fruity drink that gives you the summer feeling. If you love lemonade or Grey Goose vodka, this will be perfect for you, but be careful because drinks like these are the ones that sneak up on you, later in the hour. Just add 2 ounces of Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, 2 muddled strawberries, 2 ounces of Sweet & Sour, 1 ounce of simple syrup and i ll the rest of the glass with lemonade. Ice should be included in this drink.Baseball Sour Bourbon Cocktail:

If the martinis and other fruity drinks are not your thing, try this whisky-i lled drink that even contains a few grams of protein. It contains 2 ounces of bourbon, 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 ounce of honey syrup, 1/2 ounce of Aperol and 1 egg white (where the protein comes from).Absolute Boston Home Run:

If you are a fan of black tea, this one is for you because Abso-lut Boston actually has black tea infused in its drinks, according to About.com. h is one is great if you are looking for something sim-ple, light and on a budget. A� erall, we are in college. � is contains 1 ounce of Absolut Boston Vodka, 2 ounces of white grape juice and ginger ale. � is drink is served with ice .Golden Glove:

For those that go crazy over rum, this would be a great drink for you. It contains 2 ounces of white rum (Flor de Caña 4-Year-Old Ex-tra Dry), 1 teaspoon of Cointreau, 1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon of sugar. � is drink can also be garnished with a lemon wheel. Just make sure you do not forget the ice.

If these drinks are not your cup of tea, there is nothing wrong with some good ‘ol H2O, that will keep you hydrated throughout that game. Whatever it may be, the important thing is to enjoy the game!

Cooperstown Cocktail

in New York, which is annually visited by nearly 300, 000 people, ac-cording to Baseball Hall. What more way than to celebrate the game of baseball with this colorful and fruity drink, for those martini lov-ers? It contains 1 1/2 ounces of Tanqueray, 3/4 ounce Martini & Ros-si Rosso Vermouth, 3/4 ounce Noilly Prat Original Dry Vermouth, 2 dashes � e Bitter Truth Orange Bitters, 2 to 3 mint leaves and ice. Ballpark Strawberry Lemonade:

you love lemonade or Grey Goose vodka, this will be perfect for you, but be careful because drinks like these are the ones that sneak up on you, later in the hour. Just add 2 ounces of Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, 2 muddled strawberries, 2 ounces of Sweet & Sour, 1 ounce of simple syrup and � ll the rest of the glass with lemonade. Ice should be included in this drink.Baseball Sour Bourbon Cocktail:

this whisky-� lled drink that even contains a few grams of protein. It contains 2 ounces of bourbon, 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 ounce of honey syrup, 1/2 ounce of Aperol and 1 egg white (where the protein comes from).Absolute Boston Home Run:

lut Boston actually has black tea infused in its drinks, according to About.com. � is one is great if you are looking for something sim-ple, light and on a budget. A� erall, we are in college. � is contains 1 ounce of Absolut Boston Vodka, 2 ounces of white grape juice and ginger ale. � is drink is served with ice .Golden Glove:

you. It contains 2 ounces of white rum (Flor de Caña 4-Year-Old Ex-tra Dry), 1 teaspoon of Cointreau, 1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon of sugar. � is drink can also be garnished with a lemon wheel. Just make sure you do not forget the ice.

with some good ‘ol H2O, that will keep you hydrated throughout that game. Whatever it may be, the important thing is to enjoy the game!

Cocktail Hour at h e Ballpark

Some may say that the smell of fresh cut grass, salt-ed peanuts and the obnoxious baseball fan with the nice beer belly and nacho cheese on the corner of his mouth are a few of the great things you experience at a baseball game, and some would say otherwise.

In addition to these things are what you are having to drink. It is important to stay hydrated while chanting your favorite team’s name. With Major League Baseball starting Sunday, April 5 and Razorback Baseball starting Feb. 13, now is a good time to start experimenting with base-ball-themed drinks to smuggle in to games or to make at home for those baseball watch parties.

Here are six drinks to enjoy while watch-ing a ballgame and listening to the melody of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the background:

Pheben GebrehiwotSta� Writer Concession prices in Baum Sta-

dium will change this season, and rev-enue will be a� ected, according to the Arkansas athletics website.

Concession prices will be cheaper because of fan feedback last season, ac-cording to the Arkansas athletics web-site. Popular items, such as fountain drinks, Gatorade, hot dogs, bratwursts, nachos, pretzels, chips, Cracker Jack and popcorn, will be cut by $1. � is could save a family of four 25 percent on concessions, according to the web-site.

While revenue may be a� ected, attendance is expected to remain the same.

� e baseball team earned $1.9 million in ticket sales last season and nearly $3.2 million total, according to the PointA� er website. A� er team spending, the baseball team earned a net pro� t of about $14,000.

� e baseball team averaged 330 students a game last season, said Byron Hatch, the associate director of athlet-ics for business operations. Students can get into the games free with a stu-dent ID.

� e UA baseball team had one of the best attendance rates among Divi-sion I schools for the past two years.

“I feel we are most likely at the top of the charts when it comes to revenue generated by baseball,” Hatch said.

Sophomore Catherine Vogt said she enjoys going to baseball games.

“I go to baseball games because it’s one of my favorite sports,” Vogt said. “I mean, it’s America’s pastime.”

Athletic department o� cials allow students to sit on the lawn surround-ing Baum Stadium, which is a unique part of UA baseball.

“My favorite part of baseball games is bringing a cooler and having food while watching out on the lawn,” Vogt said. “Just being with friends and the Arkansas sports atmosphere is always fun.”

Vogt did not know about the change in concession stand prices, but said it would not make her more likely to buy food.

Junior Dillon Self, who has never attended a baseball game, said the the change in concession stand prices would not prompt him to go to base-ball games.

“I don’t know for sure if that alone will motivate me to go,” Self said. “I’ve always been a soccer guy, but it’s de� -nitely something I will take positively into consideration.”

Food prices in Baum to fall this seasonAutumn SehySta� Writer

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Hit a home run with these ballpark hits

Sports and music have always gone hand-in-hand, whether the athlete listens to music beforehand to help them focus or if the audi-ence bands together through exciting music during the game. Baseball is loved in America and the music that surrounds it only enhances that admiration.

Sports fans love going to games because it helps them connect with their school, and they have fun showing o� their spirit. Razor-back fans are the essence of this spirit and they will go to great lengths to cheer on those Hogs.

Athletes at the UofA can almost seem like celebrities and when they take the � eld, all eyes are on them. A great song to start the game as the team goes toward the diamond is “Bring Em Out” by T.I. � is hip hop song will get the crowd excited and make the players feel like royalty.

With such a classical game, the great hits that our parents loved and that newer gen-

erations still appreciate is the way to unite a community around a team. “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses is the perfect way to keep the energy high during the second in-ning.

� e third inning may cause some stress but by singing and stomping along to the sports classic “We Will Rock You” by Queen, the fans can give the players some support. � e wonderfully cra� ed “Seven Nation Army” by � e White Stripes is a more modern spin on rock. With a strong bass and steady beat, the talented Jack White uses his guitar to get the crowd to their feet.

“Center� eld” by John Fogerty is all about baseball with lyrics such as “Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat and a brand new pair of shoes.” � is will feel nostalgic to anyone who enjoyed going to baseball games as a kid. Sitting in the out� eld of Baum Stadium during the � � h inning and listening to this classical baseball song will bring back great memories.

“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor will bring out the competitor in anyone. Using that pas-

sion to cheer on the Hogs will only help them � nd the courage to win.

Time for the seventh inning stretch. Every-one can join in singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Stand up, stretch those legs and come together to sway and sing, and don’t for-get to root, root, root for the Hogs.

� e game is getting into crunch time and it can make people very superstitious. Stevie Wonder can understand that feeling, which is portrayed through the song “Superstition”. Whether people are turning their hats upside down for rally caps or they simply can’t watch, all fans can agree that the eighth inning is very stressful.

When it comes to the end, however there is one thing that Journey always wanted us to remember: “Don’t Stop Believin’.” As a school and as a team, we have to have faith that our Razorbacks can � nish the job, and as a bonus song for those sunny baseball days is “All I do Is Win” by DJ Khaled.

So grab a lawn chair, a hog nose and some speakers and cheer on the Razorbacks with some classic baseball songs.

Leigha Van SickleSta� Writer

Illustration b Elysa Barsotti



The SEC in Preseason RankingsD1baseball.com

1)Vanderbilt2) Florida

5) South Carolina9) LSU

17) Texas A&M18) Ole Miss20) Alabama

25) Tennessee

USA Today Coaches’ Poll1) Vanderbilt

4) LSU5) Florida

10) South Carolina18) Ole Miss

23) Texas A&M25) Mississippi State

Collegiate Baseball1) Vanderbilt

4) LSU6) Florida

20) Mississippi State21) South Carolina

33) Tennessee36) Arkansas

Baseball America1) Vanderbilt

2) LSU6) Florida

13) South Carolina14) Mississippi State

h e Southeastern Conference has al-ways been dominant in college baseball, and not only does it have the highest at-tended games, it also has the most talent.

Teams, such as South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State Univer-sity, have been successful in the past, and most other SEC teams have made the trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series. h e SEC is one of the deep-est conferences in the nation.

h e Razorbacks, however, will be � y-ing under the radar a� er losing several key players.

� e Favorites:Vanderbilt, the defending national

champion, will have a loaded pitching sta� like last season. � eir entire weekend rotation, led by Carson Fulmer, could end up being � rst round dra� picks.

� e Commodores have an embar-rassingly rich batting order as well. Rhett Wiseman and Zander Wiel will produce in the middle of the order.

� e College World Series Contenders:Florida and LSU will be near the top

again this season in the SEC. � e Bayou Bengals bring back National Player of the Year candidate Alex Bregman, who hit .316 last year. He will lead a Tiger team that is looking to rebound.

For the Gators, Logan Shore estab-lished himself as a freshman last season, and he will be joined by preseason All-American A.J. Puk. Puk will be the best two-way player in the SEC this season. Last season, he had a 3.19 ERA and a .319 on-base percentage.

Others in the Top 25:Familiar names, such as South Caro-

lina, Arkansas and Mississippi State, � ll this slot. � e Gamecocks will be led by their utility freshman Alex Destino, who dominated on the mound and at the plate in high school.

Arkansas will have plenty of veteran leadership this season. � e out� eld com-bination of Joe Serrano, Andrew Benin-tendi and Tyler Spoon will be one of the best defensive groups in the country.

� e Bulldogs have plenty to work with as well. Preston Brown will lead a solid pitching sta� in Starkville, Mississippi.

One Sleeper:Don’t count out Alabama, which has

plenty of returning talent to go along with its No. 4 recruiting class. Players, such as Mikey White and Kyle Overstreet, return to the Crimson Tide lineup.

Expectations will be high for sopho-more pitchers � omas Burrows and Nick Eicholtz.

Talent is everywhere in the SEC. Eight teams have a good shot at making it to Omaha, and the others have the talent necessary to play the role of spoilers.

Razorbacks � ying under the radar in loaded SECEric HarrisSta� Writer

Players with God-given tal-ent o� en declare their abilities to the world without thinking twice about it. Many are pride-ful in what they can do in their respective sport.

� ere are a few players who stand out with their humble atti-tude. Former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson was a class act and set himself apart with his humility.

He had a load of talent, yet he didn’t come across as cocky.

Redshirt sophomore in� eld-er Josh Alberius may not have the talent of Robinson, but he brings the same mentality and humble nature.

Even as a young boy, Alberi-us excelled on the baseball � eld. In high school, he excelled on the mound as the ace of Little Rock Christian’s rotation.

“He was always like a coach and willing to help you out,” said high school teammate Colin Carrone. “Most of the time, Josh was very reserved, but when the team needed his leadership and presence, we knew we could al-ways count on him.”

Alberius earned a number of high school accolades. He also played quarterback and was a member of the golf team. � e Little Rock native isn’t short on talent.

Alberius’ stellar play caught Arkansas’ attention, and he was invited to walk on to the base-ball team. Head coach Dave Van Horn chose to redshirt him his freshman season, but Alberius earned some playing time last season and didn’t disappoint.

� e spotlight followed him on the � eld at Baum Stadium as well. Last season, Alberius hit a walk-o� home run against Auburn and earned a place on SportsCenter’s Top 10 while diving into the stands along the third base line to make the � nal out.

� e Razorbacks will enter the season No. 36, which is a low ranking for a Van Horn club.

“I like � ying under the ra-

dar,” Alberius said. “We are go-ing to shock some people.”

Alberius played in the in� eld last season, but in the o� season, he transitioned back to pitcher.

“It was easier to transition since I was a pitcher in high school,” he said.

Van Horn always seems to have good pitchers at his dis-posal. � e Razorbacks lost a lot of talent to the MLB, but young

players, including Alberius, said they are eager to add to Arkan-sas’ pitching legacy.

“We are taking the season one pitch at a time,” Alberius said.

Alberius said he doesn’t care where he plays or how much he plays. He just wants to help Ar-kansas win in any way he can.

“I’m just here to � ll a spot,” he said.

Look for Alberius to con-tribute to the team’s success this season. His teammates said they have noticed how hard he has worked.

“He has gotten better at � nd-ing his spots on the plate,” fellow pitcher Jackson Lowery said.

Alberius and the Razorbacks open their season Friday against the University of North Dakota at Baum Stadium.

Josh Alberius: A man of few words

continued from page B3

Softball newcomers may have big impact

we’ve ever had before, and that’s something that’s really important,” Larabee said. “You want to have players who can hit the ball out of the yard, but you also want that speed factor in there. You’re go-ing to o� en win some games with your short game as well.”

Twelve new freshmen could add depth and competition on defense, which needs the most improvement. Freshman right-handed pitcher Al-lison Stewart has shown promise in the preseason.

“I think the le� side of our in� eld is going to be fantastic,” Larabee said. “Parker Pocklington is playing great defense right now, and it’s de� nitely the fastest out� eld we’ve ever had.”

� e Razorbacks’ pitching corp is one of the most versatile in college so� ball with third base-man Fagan and out� elder Claire Clark in on the rotation. However, sophomore Grace Moll is the pitcher to watch out for this season. Her 2014 de-but was promising, and her work in the o� season will surely pay o� .

“I expect us to go out and play excellent so� -ball,” Larabee said. “I think the pitching sta� , as far as mentally, emotionally and physically, are ready to go. I think it’s the most athletic team we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Fagan and Wallace are the two most impact-ful seniors on the team and will no doubt provide excellent leadership to the underclassmen in their farewell season.

“� ey’ve been fantastic, and they’ve really stepped up this year as seniors and really led by example,” Larabee said. “� ey’ve got great atti-tudes, and they’re not only great so� ball players, but great human beings. � ey’ve shown great lead-ership.”

� e team is focusing on preparation and disci-pline, and the players said they hope they will reap the bene� ts of their hard work.

“We talk about being excellent,” Larabee said. “We haven’t really talked much about winning, but our preparation has been really, really good, and I think when you prepare in all facets of the game, winning takes care of itself.”

Tye RichardsonSta� Writer

Traveler ArchiveJosh Alberius will make the transition from in� elder to pitcher for the 2015 season.

�e Arkansas Traveler Newspaper


It may be America’s favor-ite sport, but those who were not raised on baseball may be lost when watching the play-ers on the field. Avoid the game day at Baum Stadium no longer. Consider this ar-ticle a cheat sheet to baseball – a concise set of notes to consult when friends ask why a certain player did what.

How Hitters Get OutLet’s start with one of the

most basic parts of base-ball – outs. Outs are one of the most fundamental ele-ments of the game. It is how the game keeps time. Each team only gets 27 outs in a game spread over nine in-nings. The offense (the ones up to bat) try to avoid them at all costs while the defend-ing team (the ones out on the field) strives to create them. It is the hitter’s job to not make an out.

There are several ways an out can occur. The most well known way is when the um-pire calls three strikes while the hitter is at bat, whether the hitter swings or not. However this is just one of the many ways.

A fielder can catch the ball before it touches the ground. The hitter can hit a “foul tip” – a ball caught by the catcher off the bat for strike three. After hitting the ball, the player is out if he or first base is tagged before he can touch the base or if the player is running outside the foul lines and obstructs a fielder’s throw. The hitter will also be out if he hits the ball with one or both feet outside the bat-ter’s box or steps from one batter’s box to another while the pitcher winds up. While these are not all the ways to get out, they account for most calls.

How Hitters Get to BasesThe primary task of the

defense is to get the offen-sive hitter out, but the hitter’s goal is getting on base. This is the first step to scoring

runs, which is the way to win games. Sometimes it is dif-ficult to figure out why and how players are occupying bases that were empty a mo-ment earlier. There are sev-eral ways hitters can get on a base, both by swinging or not swinging.

They can hit a fair ball that is not caught by a fielder before it touches the ground and make it safely to base. If the umpire calls four pitches out of the strike zone while a player is at bat, he can walk to first. He can also walk if a pitch in the strike zone hits him without first touching his bat or if the catcher ob-structs his swing. Most fa-mously, a hitter can run the bases if he hits a fair ball be-yond the playing field, which is also known as a home run. After a Player Gets to Base

After a player gets to base a thousand things can hap-pen to him, including getting out. There are several com-mon ways a base runner can succomb to this fate.

If a player is on the same base with a teammate or passes a preceding runner when the ball is still in play, the second runner is out. If the defense notices an offen-sive player miss a base and tags that with the ball, that player is out. However, if the defense does not notice, it is fair game. A fielder can tag a runner with a ball that is live if he is off the base. A player can also be out if a batted ball forces him to advance to another base and the fielder possessing the ball tags the base before he can reach it.

Positions in BaseballPitcher, hitter and fielder

are all positions in base-ball, but there are nine po-sitions on a team. These are the pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder and right fielder. The game is similar to chess because knowing the position and the way they relate to each other can help tremendously while watching a play unfold.

�e Arkansas baseball team opens its season Feb. 13 against the University of North Dakota at Baum Sta-dium.

Baum Stadium will be full all season long because base-ball is one of the more popu-lar sports with students and fans. �e outield experience is like none other on campus.

Coach Dave Van Horn and company open the sea-son ranked No. 36 in the country, which is low for the team’s standards under his tenure.

“he team lost a lot of pitchers,” redshirt sopho-more Josh Alberius said.

Alberius shi�ed from an inielder to a pitcher in the o�season and looks to ill the void. he Razorbacks are young, but they are looded with talent across the board.

“Spring practice has gone great so far,” Van Horn said.

he Southeastern Confer-ence might be the best con-ference in college baseball, so the Razorbacks need to continue to have productive o�seasons.

Not all of the positions are set in stone, Van Horn said.

“At second base, there’s three or four kids that could go there,” he said.

�e veteran coach con-tinues to have Arkansas as one of the most competitive teams in the country year af-ter year.

Eight teams from the SEC are in the top 25 to begin the season, and they could end the season there as well.

Tyler Spoon stepped up this o�season for the Razor-backs, and his coaches have taken notice.

“I complimented him on his leadership yesterday, but I just think he has a totally di�erent mindset and has a bigger presence,” hitting coach Tony Vitello said.

�e Razorbacks lost a lot of players last season, but the team should reload with top recruits from the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.

“We have a lot of holes to ill from last year, but we have a lot of new talent that came in as the No. 1 recruit-ing class,” pitcher Jacob Stone

said. “I think we’re going to have a lot of people step up this year, and it’s going to be an exciting year for us.”

Despite the team’s gruel-ing schedule and loss of tal-ent, the team’s conidence has not faltered.

“We have a few tricks up our sleeve,” Alberius said.

his Razorbacks have the potential to knock o� those ranked ahead of them. �e key for Arkansas, like most teams across the country, is pitching.

�e Razorbacks have the talent to compete, and expe-rience will come with time. Arkansas may experience a few bumps along the way, but there is no reason to believe Van Horn won’t have yet an-other team in the postseason.


Better hop on the Razorback baseball bandwagon right now

Photo Courtesy of Rhett J. HutchinsPitcher Zach Jackson and outielder Tyler Spoon look on from the top step of the dugout during spring prac-tice. Jackson is expected to be a weekend starter on the mound, and Spoon will occupy an outield position.

Ashton EleySta� Writer



Roster turnover is always a challenge in college baseball, but this season, the Razor-backs recruited from the top recruiting class in the coun-try.

With players like Brian

Anderson and Eric Fisher now playing professionally, new faces will be expected to contribute right away. Last season, Andrew Benintendi was one of the di� erence makers all season for Arkan-sas in the out� eld.

� is year, three guys who could make the same impact are Luke Bon� eld, Keaton McKinney and Ryan Fant.

Luke Bon� eldOF – Skillman, New Jersey

Bon� eld was one of the top recruits in the country who did not leave for the MLB. Rated as the No. 57 prospect in the country by Perfect Game USA, an amateur base-ball scouting service, Bon� eld will bring some much needed power to the Arkansas lineup.

� e out� eld is crowded

with experienced players like Benintendi, Tyler Spoon and Joe Serrano, but expect Bon-� eld to � nd some time as a designated hitter.

Keaton McKinneyRHP – Ankeny, Iowa

McKinney is the top pitch-ing prospect for the Razor-backs. � e 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound right hander was one of the best in the country.

He posted an 8-0 record with a .58 ERA in his senior season. McKinney could slide into a mid-week spot or start on the back end of some weekend series.

Ryan FantLHP – Texarkana, Texas� e � nal name should be

familiar to Diamond Hog fans. Fant is the younger brother of Randall Fant, a

former Razorback pitcher on the 2012 College World Series team.

He is another long and lanky le� -handed pitcher and was one of the best pitching prospects from Texas. Dave Van Horn’s teams have al-ways had exceptional pitching depth, and having Fant out of the bullpen this season will continue that trend.

Eric HarrisSta� Writer

Top freshmen to make impact for Razorbacks

fense last year, but they still have room for improvement.

Developing returning players could also lead to im-provement in the field for the Razorbacks. A key player to watch on defense this year is Bobby Wernes at third base.

“Another player that’s im-proved, and I think you’ll see this right out of the gate, is Bobby Wernes,” Van Horn said. “Athletically, he’s prob-ably one of the hardest work-ing kids I’ve been around. He can play third, short or sec-ond. He’s our best fielder.”

Wernes performed at a high level last year with a .948 fielding percentage.

He made large strides in his game during the offseason, and he will be the focal point of the Razorback defense this season.

Other unexpected players could make a huge impact on the team this season. Can-didates include experienced players, such as juniors Cul-len Gassaway, Max Hogan, Matt Campbell and Rick No-mura.

All four athletes trans-ferred from junior colleges this season and will attempt to continue their high levels of play in Razorback uni-forms and help improve the defense.

continued from page B2

Razorbacks look to sure up � elding issues from 2014

Traveler ArchiveMichael Bernal and Brett McAfee will likely man the left side of the ini eld in 2015. With the departure of Brian Anderson and Eric Fisher to the major leagues Arkansas has some defensive questions this year.

Arkansas senior Devon Wallace’s so� ball journey is nothing short of amazing. A� er overcoming extreme challenges, Wallace pushed forward to become one of the best so� ball players in Razorback history.

A� er three extremely successful sea-sons with Arkansas, Wallace’s collegiate career is nearing a close. However, if history is any indicator, 2015 will be her best year yet.

“I’m really excited for this year,” Wallace said. “We’ve got a great team. � e team chemistry has been awesome, and we’re just ready to get out there and play.”

Wallace has been a consistently hard worker throughout her career, and this season, her work ethic is no di� erent.

“I get as much extra work as I can and make every practice the best I can,” she said. “It’s my last year, and I really just want to go out there and play hard for my team.”

Wallace has been a standout ever since she stepped foot in Bogle Park. As a freshman, she was named the

Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and a � rst-team All-SEC selection, which made her the � rst Razorback to receive either honor.

“We don’t really look at batting av-erage at all,” head coach Mike Larabee said. “I think it’s very, very misleading. What we focus on is OPS, on-base per-centage, and slugging percentage. � at’s what we believe in. � ose are the most important stats.”

� ough Wallace tends to always have an impressive batting average, she leads the NCAA with an on-base percent-age of .627. In addition, she now sits in eighth place in NCAA history with 198 career walks, although she doesn’t seem to be particularly proud of that feat.

“I feel like I’m kind of a really picky hitter,” Wallace said. “I could prob-ably a� ord to be more aggressive, and I know that’s something coach Larabee has been trying to work with me on. Walks are great, and getting on base is great, but there are times you want to be looking to hit.”

Patience has been a feat in itself for Wallace. A natural le� y, Wallace woke up one morning in eighth grade un-able to throw the so� ball. � ere was no injury to blame and no explanation for

the disability except the possibility that it may be linked to Wallace’s epilepsy.

As time went by with no change, Wallace accepted her loss and decided it was time to learn how to throw right handed if she wanted to continue to play the sport she loved. However, she realized she she could still bat as a le� y.

“If I’m not going to be able to throw, I might as well focus all of my attention on this,” Wallace said. “If I become a re-ally good hitter, then maybe that will kind of overshadow the weakness that I do have on the � eld.”

Wallace has become an excellent hit-ter and has adapted to defense as well. She is competent at just about every po-sition, but has found a home for herself at � rst base.

Wallace has her eyes on the future, and that future includes a champion-ship in her senior season.

“We’ve got all the aspects that we need to have a championship-level team,” she said. “We’ve got the chemis-try, we’ve got the talent and we’ve got the coaching sta� , so I’m really excited. I’ll hopefully be going to the World Se-ries with my team. � at’s the ultimate goal, and that’s what we’re all working hard for.”

Wallace walking toward history

Eric HarrisSta� Writer

Traveler ArchiveSenior Devon Wallace was the i rst Razorback softball player to ever receive SEC Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC honors, doing so as a freshman. She is also in the top 10 in NCAA history in career walks.

Photos Courtesy of Rhett J. Hutchins



A� er a long o� season, the Razorbacks will open their season Friday against the Uni-versity of North Dakota at Baum Stadium.

Coach Dave Van Horn might mix it up with fresh faces in di� erent positions as he tries to � nd his best lineup early in the season.

Highly touted freshman pitcher Keaton McKinney is expected to pitch in a starting role or in relief appearances. He will most likely join Jacob Stone and James Teague in the bullpen.

Coach Van Horn will be looking to have Dominic Tac-colini and Zach Jackson join Trey Killian in the starting pitching rotation this season, and they will be thrown into the mix right away.

� e in� eld will be di� er-ent each night as Van Horn has a lot of depth and will try

to experiment with the talent he has. He will feature Clark Eagan at � rst base, Michael Bernal and Rick Nomura at second base, Bernal and Brett McAfee at shortstop and Bob-by Wernes and Max Hogan at third base.

Van Horn will also split reps at catcher with Tucker Pennell and Alex Gosser as they battle for the starting job behind the plate. � e out� eld will be more set in stone with Tyler Spoon, Andrew Benin-tendi and Joe Serrano � lling those positions.

North Dakota � nished 10-29 last season and does not have the talent to compete with Arkansas. Expect Van Horn to have the Razorbacks ready to put on a show and get fans excited for the new sea-son.

Expect Arkansas to sweep the series in preparation for the di� cult schedule ahead against the University of Cen-tral Florida, Maryland and South Alabama.

Chandler CarsonSta� Writer

North Dakota � rst on Arkansas schedule

NCAA o� cials decided to change the type of baseball used in the college game this season to increase hitting, home runs and the overall excitement level of the game.

NCAA o� cials said they hope to make games more exciting so fans aren’t stuck watching low-scoring games with no o� ense. In last year’s College World Series, only three home runs were hit in TD Ameritrade Park.

� e vote to change the baseball from a raised seam to a � at seam received no op-position.

� e idea has been in place for a while, but action was � -nally taken a� er poor hitting in the CWS and low approval ratings across college base-ball.

� e ball will increase the number of runs scored this season throughout college baseball. Pitchers across the country call the ball a “hit-ter’s ball” because, when hit squarely, it will travel farther than the old ball with higher seams.

“� e lead of a game won’t be sure,” pitcher Josh Alberi-us said.

No pitcher will feel com-fortable this season, even with a large lead, because one hit could change the outcome of a game. What were deep doubles last year could be-come home runs this season.

Some pitchers said they enjoy the feel of the new ball, but it might a� ect the velocity and curve of some pitches.

“I like my fastball better with the new ball, but my breaking ball is di� erent,” Al-berius said.

� is season, every pitcher must make every pitch count, or the results could be costly.

Van Horn will stick to what he has always done, Al-berius said. Van Horn prefers the � nesse, small-ball style over the power game, and his success has shown it works.

Regardless of the new ball, Alberius and pitching coach Dave Jorn said they think Ar-kansas’ pitchers will be suc-cessful this season.

“� e pitchers seem to like the ball,” Jorn said. “� ey don’t like the extra distance that it carries, but they like the feel of it and the ability to spin the ball. We don’t have quite the depth that we’ve had in the past, so we’re going to have to put some pieces to-gether and see how it works out.”


Last season, pitching was a strong point for the Arkan-sas baseball team. Both Jalen Beeks and Chris Oliver, two of the top three pitchers Ar-kansas had last year, depart-ed for the MLB.

However, there are a number of athletes who are prepared to take over the reigns on the mound this year for the Hogs.

� e No.1 pitcher this sea-son is junior Trey Killian. � e right-handed pitcher from Mountain Home was second on the team last year with a 2.30 ERA.

He made 14 starts and has 94 innings under his belt. He held his opponents’ batting average to .222 for the year. Killian led the Southeast-

ern Conference in complete games last year with four. All of them were against SEC opponents who advanced to the postseason.

Killian recorded a sea-son-high nine strikeouts in his last start of the season against the Missouri Tigers. � e junior also only al-lowed a season-best two hits against No. 20 Texas A&M. During that game, he lasted eight innings and recorded seven strikeouts.

Killian should be the Ra-zorbacks’ ace this season, and he should improve with yet another year under his belt. Look for him to be a big factor for the Razorbacks.

A� er Killian, Arkansas has a few other good pitchers who made appearances last year and helped out on the mound.

Fort Worth, Texas, na-

tive and senior Jacob Stone evolved into a dominant relief pitcher in 2014. He posted a 4-0 record with four saves in 24 appearances. He recorded 31 strikeouts and allowed only four extra base hits in more than 38 innings of work.

Stone did not allow an earned run in his � rst nine appearances last season. With the departure of Beeks and Oliver, Stone may be making the move from relief pitcher to starting pitcher this upcoming season.

Another premiere relief pitcher who could make the move to the starting ro-tation is sophomore Zach Jackson. � e 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound Berryhill, Okla-homa, native had a 2-3 re-cord last season with a 2.53 ERA.

Last season, he tallied 42

strikeouts, the most of any reliever. Jackson earned two saves while holding his op-ponents to a mere .184 bat-ting average. Like teammate Stone, Jackson had the type of year that made coaches and fans want to see what he would look like in a starting role.

Don’t expect a poor per-formance from him this sea-son if head coach Dave Van Horn decides to move him to a weekend starter.

Losing a pitcher who posted a 1.98 ERA in Beeks and a pitcher who won nine games last season in Oliver, could make pitching a little uncertain on the mound this year.

Coach Van Horn will be looking for answers in the rotation, and he will likely � nd them in both Jackson and Stone.

Killian, Jackson to man pitching staf following departures to MLBLeonce DeLochSta� Writer

Newly issued balls to make game exciting

Traveler ArchiveMountain Home native Trey Killian is expected to be one of Arkansas’ top pitchers as the 2015 season begins once he returns from an injury to his throwing arm. Killian turned in an earned run average of 2.30 in 2014.

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