By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn had a feeling the Razorbacks just needed a break.
To him, there was no better remedy for a slumping lineup than eight days without a game. So after bowing out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the Razorbacks practiced, worked on little things and rested their injured starters.
The result: A record-setting afternoon.
Arkansas opened the Fayetteville Regional with an impressive offensive performance, clubbing a school-record nine home runs during a 19-7 win against Grambling. The pro-Arkansas crowd of 6,305 watched center fielder Brett Eibner tie a school record with three home runs and three other Razorbacks — first baseman Andy Wilkins, catcher James McCann and outfielder Collin Kuhn — hit two apiece.
The powerful performance pushed Arkansas (41-18) into the winner’s bracket of the regional.
The Razorbacks will play No. 2 seed Washington State in Baum Stadium tonight at 7:05. Grambling State (22-31) will play No. 3 seed Kansas State in an elimination game today at 2:05.
“Us coaches, we used to play and we know how these guys feel,” Van Horn said. “You can get tired. We can relate to it. We tried to keep (practices) short, to the point, let them get off the field, get away from the game a little bit and heal up. … I think they came out (Friday) and showed that they’re glad to be out here.”
Arkansas didn’t waste any time jumping on a Grambling State pitching staff that entered the regional with an 8.51 earned run average.
Left-handed starter Odingo Davila absorbed the brunt of the blow. Kuhn led off the first with a home run, but it was just the beginning. Eibner and McCann also homered in the six-run inning.
Arkansas’ six runs in the first were more than it scored in nine of the previous 10 games.
“The starting pitching got off to a bad start,” Grambling State coach James Cooper said. “He couldn’t keep the ball down in the zone. He stayed behind in the count also. They were able to put good swings on good pitches.
“We couldn’t keep the ball in the park.”
It helped that Arkansas’ lineup was intact for the first time in nearly two weeks. Eibner (hand) and third baseman Zack Cox (back) returned after being slowed by late-season injuries.
Cox went 1-for-2 before being pulled out of the game after the second inning for precautionary reasons with Arkansas leading 8-0. Eibner played all afternoon. He also hit home runs in the third and eighth innings and finished with seven RBIs.
“It’s great being in the record books,” said Eibner, who is one of nine players in school history to hit three home runs in a game. “But I’d rather be in Omaha and winning a national championship. That’s definitely what I came to school to do. Hopefully we can keep winning.”
Arkansas’ 19 runs were its second most scored in an NCAA Tournament game. The school record came in a 20-13 win against Eastern Kentucky in 1985.
The Razorbacks hit homers in five different innings. The nine home runs broke the school record of eight, which Arkansas set in a win against Oral Roberts during the 2005 season.
“Hitting nine home runs in one game is pretty unbelievable,” said Wilkins, whose two home runs were his first since May 9. “I’ve never seen that before. It was unbelievable by the offense.”
The breakout was important, considering Grambling State turned in a solid offensive outing Friday.
Arkansas opted to rest top starters Drew Smyly and Mike Bolsinger, opening the game with No. 3 starter TJ Forrest. The Tigers collected 13 hits and scored seven runs off four Arkansas pitchers, getting to a staff that hadn’t surrendered more than five runs in 13 games.
Grambling State had opportunities to notch even more, leaving 11 men on base Friday.
“It wasn’t like we were over there just giggling and hanging out,” Van Horn said. “We were on edge. We were getting ready to get into the bullpen a little more and get some guys going. They battled. I was impressed with the way they played.”
But Arkansas’ offensive performance to open the 2010 NCAA Tournament was even more impressive.
“Those guys swing the bat and they swing the bat well,” Cooper said. “All or nothing swings.”
FAYETTEVILLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday
Game 1 – Arkansas 19, Grambling State 7
Game 2 – Washington State 8, Kansas State 6
Saturday
Game 3 – Grambling State vs. Kansas State – 2:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Arkansas vs. Washington State – 7:05 p.m.
Sunday
Game 5 – Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 – 2:05 p.m.
Game 6 – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 – 7:05 p.m.
Monday, June 7 (if necessary)
Game 7 – Same teams as in Game 6 – 7:05 p.m.
