By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau
OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas third baseman Matt Reynolds hit into three double plays Saturday and went 0-for-3 in his College World Series debut.
First baseman Dominic Ficociello didn’t fair much better, going 0-for-3 right behind Reynolds in the batting order.
The combined 0-for-6 performance normally would signal trouble for an Arkansas lineup which had problems scoring runs throughout much of the 2012 season. It proved to be just an afterthought in an Arkansas rout Saturday.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
While their top two hitters struggled, the rest of the lineup helped the Razorbacks roll to an 8-1 win against Kent State in the CWS opener for both teams in TD Ameritrade Park. Catcher Jake Wise led the Hogs at the plate by 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, while designated hitter Joe Serrano went 3-for-3 with an RBI and outfielder Matt Vinson added a two-run double.
The eight runs were more than Arkansas (45-20) had scored in a postseason game this season. The 10 hits were the second-best effort. Together, it helped the Razorbacks jump into the winner’s bracket, where it will play either Florida or South Carolina at 8 p.m. Monday.
“Somebody got it going,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “It was two-hole and then Vinson and Wise.
“Those guys down there produced. That’s a good sign.”
Arkansas came to Omaha hitting .211 in the postseason and averaging three runs in six games. Its philosophy in regionals and super regionals was clear: Lean on a deep pitching staff, play solid defense, then find a way to scratch enough runs across the plate to survive.
It didn’t have any trouble against Kent State (46-19) and pitcher David Starn, enjoying a big day at the plate.
Arkansas took advantage of the left-hander’s control issues in the first inning to score a run. Starn (11-4) walked three of the first four batters he faced, then allowed an RBI single to outfielder Brian Anderson.
Van Horn was concerned when his team left the bases loaded in the inning, but watched the Hogs extend the lead in the second when Wise hit a home run over the left-field fence.
The sophomore’s second home run of the year also was Arkansas’ first of the postseason. Outfielder Brian Anderson was the last Razorback to hit a home run, clubbing one in the regular season finale at Tennessee on May 19.
“I thought it was a double when I hit it,” said Wise, who also had the series-winning hit at Baylor last Sunday. “I thought I hit it well, but thought it was a line drive.”
The two-run advantage was coupled with Arkansas junior DJ Baxendale’s strong start.
A week after being shelled in a loss at Baylor, Baxendale (8-5) baffled Kent State in 6 1/3 innings. He didn’t allow a hit through 4 2/3 innings and didn’t surrender a run until Jimmy Rider’s solo home run in the sixth.
It cut Arkansas’ lead to 3-1, but the Razorbacks gained a big cushion when Vinson hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1.
“David Starn is an All-American and he’s given people fits all year,” Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. “They had a really good approach. They got on base. They worked counts. They got ahead in the count and got clutch hits.”
Said Starn: “Arkansas is a great hitting team and they took advantage of the pitches I made mistakes on.”
Van Horn wasn’t completely surprised by the offensive outpouring, which was capped by a three-run eighth inning.
The Razorbacks faced what he described as two other “crafty” left-handers in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas enjoyed reasonable success against both and it continued.
“Every now and then you’re going to have to score six, seven runs,” Van Horn said. “There’s not going to be a bunch of 2-1 games here, I don’t think. It just doesn’t seem like it. The hitting will start getting it going as the tournament gets going. But I feel confident about our team whatever the situation is just because of the games we’ve been in have been so close. But when we score runs like this it definitely boosts our confidence.”
The win equaled the 1979 team’s 10-3 win against Arizona as Arkansas’ largest margin of victory in the CWS. The Razorbacks hadn’t scored eight runs in an NCAA Tournament game since June 5, 2011, when they beat Charlotte 11-3.
It took some pressure off of the Razorbacks, too, guaranteeing Arkansas at least two more games in Omaha with the next one providing an opportunity to take a big step toward reaching the championship series.
“If they play like that, they have a chance to win a national championship,” Strickland said.
It’s a little premature to look that far ahead with a big test coming Monday. But there’s no doubt Arkansas, with its newfound success at the plate, is confident.
“If we pitch good again, obviously, and we swing the bats a little bit we feel like we can handle this bracket,” Van Horn said. “But we’ve got a long way to go.”