Arkansas vs. ORU Preview in the Fayetteville Morning News

[vcboy2000]

Pretty good article. Good quotes from both coaches. This should really be a good game.

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/06/02/razorback_central/sections/top_stories/02uabbadv.txt

[praetorfenix86]

Good article. Were Van Horn and Walton just repeating each other?

Here is the Fayetteville Regional breakdown from today's Tulsa World.

Fayetteville Regional

By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

6/2/2006

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Tournament bid: At-large, Big 12

Record: 39-18, 18-9 (second in Big 12)

Ranking, RPI: 20th, 17th.

Coach: Frank Anderson (Emporia St., '83)

Record at school: 111-67, 3 years

Overall record: Same

Team offense: .320 BA, 7.5 R/G, 78 HR, .529 SLG, .389 OBP, 59/75 SB

Team pitching: 4.66 ERA, 502.0 IP, 9.6 H/G, 153 BB, 336 K

Top hitters: 3B Tyler Mach (.378 BA/16 HR/66 RBI/17 2b), DH Deik Scram (.370/6/34/7 3b), RF Corey Brown (.359/11/37/6 3b 14-17 SB), 1B Rebel Ridling (.350/2/21/13 2b), CF Keanon Simon (.348/6/25 15/19 SB), 2B Shelby Ford (.328/12/59)

Top pitchers: RH Jeff Breedlove (2-1, 3.38, 42.2 IP, 44 H, 17 BB, 26K), LH Brae Wright (8-3, 3.82, 92.0 IP, 99 H, 17 BB, 55 K), RH Jordy Mercer (5-0, 3.86, 16.1 IP, 10 H, 7 BB, 13 K, 4 Sv), RH Oliver Odle (4-4, 4.18, 75.1 IP, 91 H, 10 BB, 35 K), LH Charles Benoit (5-4, 4.56, 51.1 IP, 50 H, 25 BB, 45 K), RH Matt Gardner (6-3, 4.84, 74.1 IP, 81 H, 21 BB, 45 K)

Last time in tournament: 2004 (1-2 at Tallahassee Regional)

Notes: Mach and Mercer were first-team All-Big 12; Brown, Simon, Wright, Ford and Scram were second team. Wright is projected to start OSU's second game. If that's against Arkansas, he has some history: in 2003 while at Ole Miss, Wright gave up one run on three hits and two walks in six innings. In '05 at OSU, he went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits. . . . Oklahoma State is 2-0 against Arkansas in regional play ('96, '88), 5-1 against ORU (the only loss in '78). . . . OSU is 0-3 against the regional field this year, losing 3-0 to Arkansas on Feb. 11 (OSU was no-hit for the second time in school history) and 5-2 to ORU on April 4 and 13-2 on May 16. The Cowboys are 4-0 all-time vs. Princeton.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

Tournament bid: At-large bid from Southeastern Conference

Record: 38-19, 18-12 (second in SEC West)

Ranking, RPI: 21st,15th

Coach: Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1988)

Record at school: 157-87, 4 years

Overall record: 742-327, 16 years

Team offense: .286 BA, 6.4 R/G, 63 HR, .451 SLG, .382 OBP, 79/110 SB

Team pitching: 3.66 ERA, 507.0 IP, 8.6 H/G, 161 BB, 426 K

Top hitters: CF Craig Gentry (.329/3/21/16 SB), OF Jake Dugger (.323/12/43), OF Chris Hollensworth (.319/2/16/17 2b), 1B Danny Hamblin (.296/16/67/15 SB), SS Matt Willard (.288/2/20), C Brian Walker (.260/8/36)

Top pitchers: LH Nick Schmidt (9-3, 2.98, 108.2 IP, 80 H, 48 BB, 135 K), LH Devin Collils (7-3, 2.47, 40 IP, 29 H, 11 BB, 26 K, 9 Sv), RH Daryl Maday (2-2, 2.51, 43 IP, 36 H, 12 BB, 31 K, 5 Sv), RH Shaun Seibert (4-0, 2.77, 55.1 IP, 52 H, 14 BB, 56 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2005 (2-2 at Austin Regional)

Notes: ORU beat Arkansas 5-4 in Tulsa on May 2. . . . Arkansas no-hit OSU on Feb. 11, 3-0. . . . Schmidt was SEC pitcher of the year and a College Baseball Foundation All-American. . . . . Arkansas is 2-1 in regional play against ORU and 0-2 against Oklahoma State. The Hogs have never played Princeton.

3. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Tournament berth: Automatic bid from Mid-Continent Conference

Record: 38-14, 17-2 (first in Mid-Con)

Ranking: NR, RPI 49th

Coach: Rob Walton (Okla. State, 1986)

Record at school: 130-45, 3 years

Team offense: .329 BA, 8.1 R/G, 55 HR, .501 SLG, .421 OBP, 39/55 SB

Team pitching: 3.54 ERA, 447.2 IP, 7.8 H/G, 179 BB, 388 K

Top hitters: C Andy Bouchie (.375/12/51/16 2b), RF Brendan Duffy (.356/1/38/14-16 SB), 1B Chad Rothford (.333/10/51), C Brian Aguailar (.329/3/36), 2B Jake Kahaulelio (.329/4/47/19 2b), CF Kelly Minissale (.320/3/36), SS Tim Torres (.316/10/38/14 2b/11-12 SB), 3B Carter McQuigg (.315/7/31).

Top pitchers: RH Chris Ashman (10-1, 1.77, 86.1 IP, 69 H, 23 BB, 64 K), RH Sean Jarrett (6-1, 2.21, 53.0 IP, 42 H, 9 BB, 66 K, 6 Sv), RH Daniel Greenwalt (6-2, 3.41, 71.1 IP, 71 H, 27 BB, 39 K), RH Nick Jones (7-4, 3.67, 83.1 IP, 81 H, 27 BB, 83 K), RH Chance Chapman (5-1, 1.28, 42.1 IP, 29 H, 19 BB, 32 K), RH Erik Crichton (3-0, 4.94, 38.1 IP, 37 H, 14 BB, 34)

Last NCAA appearance: 2005 (2-2 at Clemson Regional)

Notes: ORU is 3-0 vs. the regional field this year, with a 5-2 win over OSU on April 4, a 5-4 win over Arkansas on May 2 and a 13-2 win at OSU on May 16. . . . Ashman was Mid-Con pitcher of the year, Rothford was player of the year and Rothford and Bouchie were co-newcomers of the year. . . . Kahaulelio, Torres, Duffy, Jones and Chapman were first-team All-Mid-Con. . . . .ORU is 1-2 in regional play against Arkansas, 1-5 against OSU. ORU and Princeton have never played.

4. Princeton Tigers

Tournament berth: Automatic bid from Ivy League

Record: 19-24-1, 11-9 (first in Ivy)

Ranking: NR, RPI 223rd

Coach: Scott Bradley (N. Carolina, '82)

Record at school: 210-192, 9 years

Team offense: .280 BA, 5.5 R/G, 27 HR, .404 SLG, .342 OBP, 38/48 SB

Team pitching: 4.37 ERA, 373.0 IP, 9.3 H/G, 164 BB, 283 K

Top hitters: C Zack Wendkos (.348/8/39), 2B Aaron Prince (.333/1/19), RF Andrew Salini (.329/6/37), OF Spencer Lucian (.293/4/23), 3B Sal Iacono (.280/3/25)

Top pitchers: RH Christian Staehley (5-1, 2.30, 66.2 IP, 53 H, 29 BB, 46 K), RH Erik Stiller (4-3, 3.46, 65.0 IP, 67 H, 16 BB, 60 K), RH Eric Walz (2-2, 3.78, 66.2 IP, 61 H, 29 BB, 45 K), RH Brad Gemberling (2-2, 4.54, 41.2 IP, 49 H, 17 BB, 36 K).

Last NCAA appearance: 2004 (1-2 in Charlottesville Regional)

Notes: The Tigers started Ivy League play 0-7, but won 11 of their last 13, then beat Harvard in a best-of-3 championship. . . . This is PU's seventh NCAA regional appearance.