Sensational pitching powers Arkansas baseball to weekend sweep of Missouri
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas baseball's scorching-hot start has carried over to life in the SEC.
The No. 1 Razorbacks (17-2, 3-0 SEC) swept Missouri (9-11, 0-3) in their first weekend series of the conference slate, giving up just one run over three games. Arkansas has now won 13 consecutive games, with its dominant pitching staff living up to the preseason hype.
Here are four observations from another winning weekend for Arkansas baseball.
Don't take Arkansas baseball's Hagen Smith for granted
It's been an absurdly impressive start to the season for Smith, who gave up a three-run homer in his first inning of the year and has yielded just one run and seven hits in the 22 innings since that blemish.
Entering Sunday, Smith led the entire country in strikeout percentage (58.8%) and was third overall in strikeouts (50). He's sporting a 3-0 record and a 1.57 ERA and pitched six scoreless innings in an 8-0 win over Missouri during the series opener. He's now fifth in program history with 249 career strikeouts.
More: Arkansas baseball live score updates vs. Missouri: Hogs go for series sweep over Tigers
More: Peyton Stovall is back, and the Arkansas baseball season is ready for liftoff
"I think maybe people don’t realize what they’re watching," head coach Dave Van Horn said. "I’ve watched a lot of baseball games, watched a lot of pitchers, had a lot of pitchers but Hagen is really good. And you know it’s just hard to come out and be good every outing. He’s become such a pitcher now."
Ross Lovich hurts his former team
Lovich, a Missouri transfer, started all three games against the Tigers, getting a pair of games in left field and one start in center.
The lefty hit a three-run home run Friday night and went 3-for-11 with 3 runs and 5 RBIs over the weekend. He is now hitting .342 on the season.
Van Horn will let the outfield competition continue, but it sure looks like Lovich has elevated himself from rotational piece to key cog in the Arkansas lineup.
Mason Molina bounces back
Molina was dominant in Sunday's series finale, striking out 10 batters and giving up just one hit over 5 1/3 innings as Arkansas won 9-1.
The Texas Tech transfer had his worst performance of the year last week against McNeese State, allowing four runs over four innings, but that might be the outlier of the season. Molina is now 3-0 with a 2.74 ERA and could be the best Sunday starter in America.
Offensive stars are heating up
Peyton Stovall's return from a broken foot has ignited the Arkansas offense. His presence at the top of the order makes the lineup feel deeper and more powerful. After hitting just 11 home runs in their first 13 games, the Razorbacks have crushed 14 in the last six outings.
Stovall, Wehiwa Aloy and Kendall Diggs hit three straight home runs as the 1-2-3 hitters in Saturday's 6-0 victory. On Sunday, Stovall and Diggs got things going by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first, and Ben McLaughlin hit a solo home run out of the cleanup spot.
"That was really something that you want to see because guys are hitting up there for a reason," Van Horn said. "Whether it’s on-base percentage, tough out, power guy, guys you want to get up a little bit more sometimes. For them to bust it open a little bit I thought was big."
Those top four hitters combined for 12 RBIs against the Tigers. They're starting to find their groove with SEC play about to get more difficult.
Up Next
Arkansas has no midweek game before the first true road trip of the season to face No. 19 Auburn. The Tigers (13-5) were swept by No. 10 Vanderbilt this weekend.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas baseball sweeps Missouri behind sensational pitching
