By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arkansas starter Drew Smyly had done a remarkable job of avoiding the home run ball during his sophomore season.
In 17 appearances, and 98 1/3 innings pitched, the left-hander had surrendered eight home runs. But that changed against Arizona State on Sunday night in Arkansas’ 7-5 loss in 12 innings.
Smyly was shelled by the Sun Devils’ in the first three innings, allowing three home runs. The big blasts allowed Arizona State to take a commanding 4-0 lead and led to his early departure.
“Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “But he’s given us some great outings. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. … He didn’t have his best stuff by far.”
Arizona State designated hitter Zach Wilson, who wasn’t in the lineup against right-hander Mike Bolsinger on Saturday night, hit the first home run off Smyly on the first pitch he saw in the second inning. First baseman Riccio Torrez hit a two-run shot in the third inning and then Wilson, the next batter, followed with his second home run to give Arizona State a 4-0 lead.
The three home runs were the most Smyly had allowed in a single outing this season. The previous high came last week, when Washington State hit two in the regional. He allowed six in the regular season.
In the end, Arkansas pulled Smyly when his pitch count closed in on 100 after just 4 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits, turning the game over to freshman DJ Baxendale.
“Just give credit to Arizona State,” Van Horn said. “They just fouled off pitch after pitch. They took pitches. They had a good gameplan. They tried to get his pitch count up and they did.”
Record-Setting Season
Arkansas sophomore Zack Cox extended his single-season record for hits in a season with a 3-for-6 performance Sunday night. And, in the process, he wrapped up the school’s single-season batting title.
Cox finished the year batting .429 (102-for-238), which bested the mark set by Jeremy Jackson in 1997 (.425). It was one of three school batting records Cox — who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft last week — set.
Cox’s Arkansas career likely ends with single-season records for batting (.429), hits (102) and singles (78).
Van Horn Impressed
Van Horn left the super regional impressed with Arizona State coach Tim Esmay’s bunch. In fact, he said the Sun Devils have a great chance to win the national title in Omaha later this month.
“They’re extremely solid,” Van Horn said. “You just start with the little things. Catcher blocks everything. He’s got a quick arm. The pitches are quick to the plate. They’re hard to run on.
“They don’t make too many mistakes. What did they make? One error in two games against us? They don’t strike out a whole lot for the most part. They can run. They play good defense and pitch.”
Arizona State handed Van Horn his first loss in a super regional since arriving at Arkansas. The Razorbacks had been 4-0 in super regional games, sweeping Florida State in 2004 and 2009.
Extra, Extra
The super regional was the first time the Razorbacks have played two extra inning games during the same postseason, let along on back-to-back nights. Arkansas had gone to extra innings in the postseason five other times in school history (2009, 2006, 1999, 1998 and 1985).
The 12-inning games were tied with the win against Virginia in last year’s College World Series for the second-longest in Arkansas’ postseason history. The longest: The Razorbacks’ 14-inning win against South Carolina in the 1985 CWS.
TV Confusion
Game Two of the Arkansas-Arizona State series was scheduled for an ESPN2 broadcast Sunday night. But it proved to be a little more complicated than that.
The network did broadcast the game on ESPN2 for in-state cable subscribers, according to Arkansas. But it was on ESPNU for satellite providers and viewers out of state.
