Kjerstad Named Collegiate Baseball National Player Of The Week

Courtesy: Arkansas Razorbacks Athletics

Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.– Arkansas baseball’s Heston Kjerstad has been named one of Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s National Players of the Week for his opening weekend performance against Eastern Illinois.

Kjerstad, a junior outfielder from Amarillo, Texas, put together a 7-for-12 performance at the plate, recording five extra-base hits, including four home runs. He tallied 10 RBIs, scoring six times, walking twice, to finish with 20 total bases.

He began the year with a 3-for-4 performance on Feb. 14, including an RBI single and two solo home runs. It was the fifth time in his career he had hit multiple homers in a game. Kjerstad would accomplish the feat again in the series finale as part of a 3-for-5 day, launching a three-run dinger and a solo hot, as well as a two-RBI double.

All seven hits brought in at least one run during the weekend against the Panthers. Kjerstad finished the series with a .583/1.667/.643 line at the plate in 12 at-bats.

Kjerstad and the Razorbacks face a short week and an extended weekend as Arkansas welcomes Gonzaga to Baum-Walker Stadium for a four-game series on Feb. 20-23.

For more information on Arkansas Baseball, follow @RazorbackBSB on Twitter.

Kjerstad Belts Two More HR As Arkansas Sweeps Eastern Illinois

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) – Every publication that covers college baseball nationally had Heston Kjerstad listed as a preseason All-American.

The Arkansas junior did not disappoint on opening weekend.

Kjerstad belted a pair of home runs on Sunday, giving him four for the three games, as the Razorbacks pounded out a 12-3 win over Eastern Illinois and completed the series sweep. Kjerstad hit nearly .600 for the series and drove in ten runs, including a two run double to finish off his afternoon on Sunday.

Kjerstad finished the series finale with six RBI, three hits and scored twice to pace the Arkansas offense. Jacob Nesbit and Casey Opitz each drove in a pair of runs.

Freshman Blake Adams started the game on the mound for the Razorbacks as he threw three innings while allowing two runs on six hits and struck out two. An inning ending double play in the third helped limit any damage for the former Har-Ber standout’s debut for the Hogs.

Arkansas (3-0) is back on the field on Thursday (Feb. 20) as they host Gonzaga for a four game series.

 

Bats Come Alive As Arkansas Takes Second Straight From EIU

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Hitting and timely pitching is the name of the game when it comes to baseball and Arkansas had plenty of both Saturday afternoon.

Arkansas got a first inning home run from Breydon Webb and then plated six more in the fourth innings as the Razorbacks gave starting pitcher Patrick Wicklander more than enough run support as they coasted to a 10-1 win and clinched the series victory.

The Razorbacks will go for the three game sweep of Eastern Illinois on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

Wicklander had to work out of a pair of jams but he threw five scoreless innings while striking out seven, allowed three hits and walked two. In the first two games of the season, Arkansas starting pitchers have struck out 18 in 11 2/3 innings while not allowing an earned run.

Matt Goodheart gave Arkansas a 3-0 lead in the first as he skied a home run into the right field bullpen. Jacob Nesbit had a big day as he picked up three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Cole Austin capped the big six run fourth inning with a two run double to left.

Heston Kjerstad continued his hot start to the year as he added a RBI single in that sixth inning.

Noland Dazzles On Mound, Kjerstad Blasts Two HR As Hogs Take Opener

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) – Two names that were talked about all offseason long as players who needed to have a big year for Arkansas to get back to the College World Series for a third straight season were Connor Noland and Heston Kjerstad.

They did not disappoint on opening day.

Noland set a career high with 11 strikeouts while allowing one run in six and 2/3 innings pitched while Kjerstad belted a pair of solo home runs and drove in three runs as Arkansas took down Eastern Illinois 5-1 inside Baum-Walker Stadium.

Noland was in complete control for most of the afternoon as he had five strikeouts in the first two innings and allowed just two hits and walked one on 86 pitches.

Going Inside The Dugout With Dave Van Horn

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Dave Van Horn has filled out the lineup card and taken his perch atop the steps inside the home dugout for 17 straight seasons inside Baum-Walker Stadium.

On Friday, he’ll make it 18 years as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

On the eve of the 2020 season, one in which the expectations are the same as they always are (reaching the College World Series) in Omaha, 5NEWS sports director Bobby Swofford stepped into the dugout with the Hogs skipper to talk history, stadium upgrades, a dynamic duo and lofty goals as a new year has arrived.

Kjerstad, Martin Named To Preseason Golden Spikes Watch List

Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas baseball’s Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin have been named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, which is given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.

Arkansas has had 10 players land on the Preseason Watch List in the award’s history, as the duo was also named to last year’s opening watch list. One Razorback has won the accolade, as Andrew Benintendi took home the 2015 edition.

A junior from Amarillo, Texas, Kjerstad put together a .327 batting average last year over 65 starts, leading the team in hits (87) and home runs (17). It was the second consecutive season he’s tallied 87 knocks, as he drove in 51 RBIs and scored 53 runs in 2019.

With his 58 RBIs in 2018, the feat made him the first Razorback to have 50 or more in his first two seasons since Rodney Nye in 1988 & 1999. He finished the year with 24 multi-hit performances, good for third on the team, with half of his multi-hit games consisting of three or more. Kjerstad finished the 2019 season as a Second Team All-SEC honoree.

Martin, a junior from Lonoke, Arkansas, finished his sophomore season with a .286/.548/.364 line at the plate, starting all 66 games. He tallied 81 hits, 40 for extra bases with 21 doubles, four triples and 15 homers. Martin also recorded 57 RBIs and scored 67 runs, both figures ranking second on the squad last season.

He earned All-SEC Second Team honors as a sophomore after hitting .295 in conference play with 38 hits, 28 runs and a team-high nine homers and 22 RBIs. Martin tied for the team lead in multi-hit performances with 26 and was second in multi-RBI games with 16. Overall, his 155 total bases were good enough for 15^th in the NCAA last season.

Both Kjerstad and Martin were picked to the SEC Coaches Preseason All-SEC First Team and were slotted as Preseason All-Americans by all five outlets.

The 2020 slate kicks off with Eastern Illinois for the second-straight season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.

First Pitch For Razorback Baseball Opening Day Moved Up To 2 p.m.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KFSM) — Arkansas Baseball’s opening day matchup with Eastern Illinois has been moved up one hour to 2 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 14) at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The first game of the year between the Razorbacks and Panthers was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. but due to forecasted decreasing temperatures and predicted wind chill, the decision has been made to begin the game an hour earlier to provide fans and teams with the optimal weather conditions throughout the game.

Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday’s (1 p.m.) games are still scheduled for their original start times.

For more information on Arkansas Baseball, follow @RazorbackBSB on Twitter.

Razorbacks 2020 Baseball Schedule & Results

	Overall: 3-0	SEC: 0-0
Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
Feb. 14	Eastern Illinois	Baum-Walker Stadium	W, 5-1
Feb. 15	Eastern Illinois	Baum-Walker Stadium	W, 10-1
Feb. 16	Eastern Illinois	Baum-Walker Stadium	W, 12-3
Feb. 20	Gonzaga	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Feb. 21	Gonzaga	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Feb. 22	Gonzaga	Baum-Walker Stadium	2:00 pm
Feb. 23	Gonzaga	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Feb. 28	Oklahoma	Houston, TX	3:00 pm
Feb. 29	Texas	Houston, TX	7:00 pm
Mar. 1	Baylor	Houston, TX	7:00 pm
Mar. 3	Illinois State	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Mar. 6	South Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Mar. 7	South Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	2:00 pm
Mar. 8	South Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	1:00 pm
Mar. 10	Grand Canyon	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Mar. 11	Grand Canyon	Baum-Walker Stadium	3:00 pm
Mar. 13	Mississippi State	Starkville, MS	6:30 pm
Mar. 14	Mississippi State	Starkville, MS	1:00 pm
Mar. 15	Mississippi State	Starkville, MS	1:00 pm
Mar. 17	Oklahoma	Oklahoma City, OK	6:00 pm
Mar. 20	Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Mar. 21	Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Mar. 22	Alabama	Baum-Walker Stadium	1:00 pm
Mar. 24	Troy	Troy, AL	6:00 pm
Mar. 25	Troy	Troy, AL	1:00 pm
Mar. 27	Ole Miss	Oxford, MS	8:00 pm
Mar. 28	Ole Miss	Oxford, MS	7:00 pm
Mar. 29	Ole Miss	Oxford, MS	2:00 pm
Mar. 31	Oral Roberts	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 2	Florida	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 3	Florida	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 4	Florida	Baum-Walker Stadium	2:00 pm
Apr. 7	Little Rock	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 9	Texas A&M	Baum-Walker Stadium	7:00 pm
Apr. 10	Texas A&M	Baum-Walker Stadium	7:00 pm
Apr. 11	Texas A&M	Baum-Walker Stadium	2:00 pm
Apr. 14	Missouri State	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 17	LSU	Baton Rouge, LA	7:00 pm
Apr. 18	LSU	Baton Rouge, LA	8:00 pm
Apr. 19	LSU	Baton Rouge, LA	2:00 pm
Apr. 21	Michigan State	East Lansing, MI	5:35 pm
Apr. 22	Michigan State	East Lansing, MI	2:05 pm
Apr. 24	Auburn	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 25	Auburn	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 26	Auburn	Baum-Walker Stadium	1:30 pm
Apr. 28	UAPB	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
Apr. 29	UAPB	North Little Rock	6:30 pm
May 1	South Carolina	Columbia, SC	6:00 pm
May 2	South Carolina	Columbia, SC	1:00 pm
May 3	South Carolina	Columbia, SC	2:30 pm
May 8	Georgia	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
May 9	Georgia	Baum-Walker Stadium	6:30 pm
May 10	Georgia	Baum-Walker Stadium	12:00 pm
May 14	Tennessee	Knoxville, TN	5:30 pm
May 15	Tennessee	Knoxville, TN	5:30 pm
May 16	Tennessee	Knoxville, TN	1:00 pm
May 19	SEC Tournament	Hoover, AL	TBA
May 29	NCAA Regionals	TBA	TBA
Jun. 5	NCAA Super Regionals	TBA	TBA
Jun. 13	College World Series	Omaha, NE	TBA

 

Full Interview: Eric Musselman Disappointed After Loss To Auburn

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman speaks after the Razorbacks fell to Auburn Tuesday night.

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Martin, Kjerstad Pick Up More Preseason Honors

Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas baseball landed three on Baseball America’s 2020 Preseason All-America squads, which is tied for the most of any program among this year’s lists.

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad and infielder Casey Martin were selected to the outlet’s first team, making Arkansas the only team in the country with multiple first-teamers. Catcher Casey Opitz was also voted to the third team, his first preseason All-America honor this winter. Kjerstad and Martin have been recognized four times heading into the 2020 campaign.

Martin was also recognized as the “fastest runner” among Preseason All-America honorees, while Opitz garnered “best catcher arm” accolades among the group. The Baseball America All-American teams are voted on by Major League Baseball’s scouting departments.

A junior from Amarillo, Texas, Kjerstad put together a .327 batting average last year over 65 starts, leading the team in hits (87) and home runs (17). It was the second consecutive season he’s tallied 87 knocks, as he drove in 51 RBIs and scored 53 runs in 2019.

With his 58 RBIs in 2018, the feat made him the first Razorback to have 50 or more in his first two seasons since Rodney Nye in 1988 & 1999. He finished the year with 24 multi-hit performances, good for third on the team, with half of his multi-hit games consisting of three or more. Kjerstad finished the 2019 season as a Second Team All-SEC honoree.

Martin, a junior from Lonoke, Arkansas, finished his sophomore season with a .286/.548/.364 line at the plate, starting all 66 games. He tallied 81 hits, 40 for extra bases with 21 doubles, four triples and 15 homers. Martin also recorded 57 RBIs and scored 67 runs, both figures ranking second on the squad last season.

He earned All-SEC Second Team honors as a sophomore after hitting .295 in conference play with 38 hits, 28 runs and a team-high nine homers and 22 RBIs. Martin tied for the team lead in multi-hit performances with 26 and was second in multi-RBI games with 16. Overall, his 155 total bases were good enough for 15^th in the NCAA last season.

Opitz, from Centennial, Colorado, recorded 43 hits, three doubles and three homers, to go with 33 RBIs and 31 runs scored over 50 starts as he moved into the starting catching role last season. He had a memorable Super Regional in Fayetteville, tallying four hits in nine at-bats, with one homer, five RBIs and two runs scored as the Razorbacks advanced to the College World Series for the 10th time in program history.

He put together a strong year behind the plate, throwing out 22-of-24 runners attempting to steal a base, while committing only four errors in 531 chances. The Hogs were 36-14 in 2019 when Opitz was part of the starting battery.

The 2020 slate kicks off with Eastern Illinois for the second-straight season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Full Interview: Van Horn Previews Lineup, Rotation As Season Is 21 Days Away

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas is again a favorite to make a run to the College World Series but coach Dave Van Horn is treating the preseason like every other season.

He met with the media on Friday to talk about a potential starting lineup, rotation and depth of his club.

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Martin Picks Up Preseason All-American Honors

Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – Arkansas baseball’s Casey Martin has been named a Preseason Third Team All-America honoree by D1 Baseball.

It is the third preseason accolade for Martin, who has also been recognized on Perfect Game’s first team and Collegiate Baseball’s second team. Earlier today, outfielder Heston Kjerstad was named to D1 Baseball’s first team, which was also his third All-America honor heading into the 2020 season.

Martin, a junior from Lonoke, Arkansas, finished his sophomore season with a .286/.548/.364 line at the plate, starting all 66 games. He tallied 81 hits, 40 for extra bases with 21 doubles, four triples and 15 homers. Martin also recorded 57 RBIs and scored 67 runs, both figures ranking second on the squad last season.

He earned All-SEC Second Team honors as a sophomore after hitting .295 in conference play with 38 hits, 28 runs and a team-high nine homers and 22 RBIs. Martin tied for the team lead in multi-hit performances with 26 and was second in multi-RBI games with 16. Overall, his 155 total bases was good enough for 15^th in the NCAA last season.

The 2020 slate kicks off with Eastern Illinois for the second-straight season, beginning on Friday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.