2008 Woodie Awards
Diamond Hogs continue SEC play at Vanderbilt
Matt Watson
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports
The Razorback baseball team will travel to Nashville this weekend for a rematch of the 2007 SEC Championship, in which the top-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores knocked off the Hogs 7-4.
Vanderbilt got its revenge on Arkansas after the Hogs won the regular series last March.
The Commodores' top pitcher, David Price, was selected first overall in the '07 Major League Baseball draft, and fellow Vandy pitcher Casey Weathers was drafted seven picks later.
A handful of Hogs left for the draft as well, including former Arkansas ace Nick Schmidt, taken by the San Diego Padres at 23rd overall.
The lineups for this weekend's matchup at Hawkins Field might look a little different from last year's epic series in Baum Stadium, but the competitive atmosphere is the same.
Arkansas is the underdog again-Vanderbilt comes in ranked No. 9 in the Baseball America poll and No. 13 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, while the Razorbacks are 18th among "Others receiving votes" in the same coaches' poll.
The Hogs were projected to finish in their division last by most publications before the season start, but got off to a hot 11-1 record before traveling to top-ranked Arizona State.
Since then Arkansas (15-9) hasn't won a series in its last five, going a combined 4-8 against Arizona State, Georgia, Nebraska, LSU and Centenary the last two and a half weeks.
Arkansas' latest blunder came Wednesday at Baum Stadium in a disappointing 5-1 loss to Centenary, who had last recorded a win over the Razorbacks in 1965.
"You have to make plays in (close) games like this and we don't have the guys in the lineup that we need to make those plays because of injuries," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said.
Arkansas was without the services in the midweek of All-American third baseman Logan Forsythe, who continues to battle the injury bug. Forsythe is questionable for the weekend series with the Commodores.
Both teams will start talented southpaws Friday in Arkansas junior Cliff Springston (4-0, 2.73 ERA) and Vanderbilt sophomore Mike Minor (3-1, 1.60 ERA).
One key for Arkansas to get back on track might be outfielder Casey Coon. Coon has been a bright spot, with 10 hits in the Hogs' last five outings.
Coon said he saw a silver lining in Wednesday's disappointing loss.
"We hit the ball and didn't strike out a lot," Coon said.
"We're all upset that we lost and upset we didn't hit the ball the way we should. But there's nothing we can do about it now. We just have to look forward to this weekend and get after it."
A free webcast of the series will be broadcast live on the Vanderbilt Web site, vucommodores.cstv.com, under the baseball tab.
Sports editor Matt Jones contributed to this story.
Vanderbilt got its revenge on Arkansas after the Hogs won the regular series last March.
The Commodores' top pitcher, David Price, was selected first overall in the '07 Major League Baseball draft, and fellow Vandy pitcher Casey Weathers was drafted seven picks later.
A handful of Hogs left for the draft as well, including former Arkansas ace Nick Schmidt, taken by the San Diego Padres at 23rd overall.
The lineups for this weekend's matchup at Hawkins Field might look a little different from last year's epic series in Baum Stadium, but the competitive atmosphere is the same.
Arkansas is the underdog again-Vanderbilt comes in ranked No. 9 in the Baseball America poll and No. 13 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, while the Razorbacks are 18th among "Others receiving votes" in the same coaches' poll.
The Hogs were projected to finish in their division last by most publications before the season start, but got off to a hot 11-1 record before traveling to top-ranked Arizona State.
Since then Arkansas (15-9) hasn't won a series in its last five, going a combined 4-8 against Arizona State, Georgia, Nebraska, LSU and Centenary the last two and a half weeks.
Arkansas' latest blunder came Wednesday at Baum Stadium in a disappointing 5-1 loss to Centenary, who had last recorded a win over the Razorbacks in 1965.
"You have to make plays in (close) games like this and we don't have the guys in the lineup that we need to make those plays because of injuries," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said.
Arkansas was without the services in the midweek of All-American third baseman Logan Forsythe, who continues to battle the injury bug. Forsythe is questionable for the weekend series with the Commodores.
Both teams will start talented southpaws Friday in Arkansas junior Cliff Springston (4-0, 2.73 ERA) and Vanderbilt sophomore Mike Minor (3-1, 1.60 ERA).
One key for Arkansas to get back on track might be outfielder Casey Coon. Coon has been a bright spot, with 10 hits in the Hogs' last five outings.
Coon said he saw a silver lining in Wednesday's disappointing loss.
"We hit the ball and didn't strike out a lot," Coon said.
"We're all upset that we lost and upset we didn't hit the ball the way we should. But there's nothing we can do about it now. We just have to look forward to this weekend and get after it."
A free webcast of the series will be broadcast live on the Vanderbilt Web site, vucommodores.cstv.com, under the baseball tab.
Sports editor Matt Jones contributed to this story.
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