FAYETTEVILLE — UA ties record for HRs.
Arkansas became the second team in NCAA Tournament history to hit nine home runs in one game.
The Razorbacks, who hit a school-record nine home runs in their 19-7 victory over Grambling State on Friday, tied an NCAA Tournament mark set by Southern Illinois 41 years ago. The Salukis hitnine home runs in their 15-6 victory over Ball State in 1969.
Arkansas junior center fielder Brett Eibner led the Razorbacks against GramblingState with three home runs, which wasn’t an NCAA Tournament individual record.
Two players - Maine’s Bill Reynolds and Florida State’s Matt Diaz - each hit four home runs in an NCAA Tournament game. Reynolds hit four against St. John’s in 1986, and Diaz hit four against Oklahoma in 1998.
Arkansas’ power display Friday also featured junior Andy Wilkins and sophomores Collin Kuhn and James McCann, who each hit two home runs.
Finale for Kelly
Grambling State right fielder Justin Kelly, a senior from West Memphis, played in his final college game Saturday in the Tigers’ 9-8 loss to Kansas State.
Kelly went 1 for 4 with 1 triple, 2 runs scored and 1 stolen base. He finished this season batting .270 in 30 games with 2 home runs, 17 RBI and 21 stolen bases to help Grambling State win its first SWAC Tournament title since 1985.
“Justin is by far the fastest player in our conference,” Tigers Coach James Coopersaid. “I tip my hat to Justin Kelly. He gets to go out a champion this year.” Wooo Tigers?
With Grambling State in the midst of a four-run rally in the seventh inning against Kansas State, the small number of Tigers fans teamed up with red-clad Razorbacks fans to do the “Wooo Pig Sooie!” call to the tune of “Wooo Grambling Tigers!”
Arkansas fans also paired with their southern neighbors before the start of the eighth inning in a “G-SU! G-S-U!” chant.
The Tigers appreciated the support.
“Everybody loves an underdog, and we know we were the underdog coming into this regional,” Grambling State Coach James Cooper said. “We thank the Arkansas fans for rooting us on.”NCAA foots bill
Arkansas is the host school for this weekend’s NCAA regional, but Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn is housing the team at a hotel to help promote togetherness.
The money for a hotel stay isn’t coming out of Arkansas’ budget, but is being paid by the NCAA.
As Van Horn noted, the NCAA pays housing costs for all of the teams involved in postseason play and would be providing funds no matter where Arkansas’ players were staying this weekend.
“You get a certain amount of money for food and lodging for each player every day,” Van Horn said. “So we’ve taken that and used it at a hotel.”
Arkansas’ players said this week they like the idea of staying at a hotel.
“We’ll keep everybody together and from going their separate ways,” junior infielder Andy Wilkins said.
“That will help build the chemistry even a little bit more.”
Sophomore second baseman Bo Bigham said creating the same atmosphere the Razorbacks would have on the road - where they won a regional at Norman, Okla., last season - is a good idea.
“You’re keeping everybody focused and together and ready to go,” Bigham said. “You have a game plan, and everybody knows what to expect.”
Cody likes Rudy
Rudy is about a college football player, but Washington State baseball player Cody Bartlett said it’s his favorite movie.
That’s because Bartlett, 5-8 and 170 pounds, can identify with an undersized athlete overcoming the odds to get on the field.
“Ever since I was little, my dad said, ‘Play big,’ ” said Bartlett, a redshirt junior second baseman from Kent, Wash. “My favorite movie has always been Rudy.
“I just kind of have that mentality that size isn’t going to bring me down, and nobody’s going to tell me that I can’t.
“Homers come with that, I guess.”
Bartlett’s two-run home run in the eighth inning Friday night lifted Washington State to an 8-6 victory over Kansas State.
It was Bartlett’s sixth home run this season and 10th in his three seasons with Washington State.
“I was looking for my pitch ... I wasn’t looking for a home run,” Bartlett said. “I think you’re always taught that home runs are accidental line drives that you get under and they go out.
“I don’t think you can explain homers. You get homers when you get homers.”
Keeping Cooper
James Cooper officially is Grambling State’s interim coach, but center fielder Jeremy Shelby revealed at Saturday’s postgame news conference that Cooper is keeping the job.
“It’s been a secret for a while but theAD already told us he has the head job,” Shelby said.
Cooper, 28, was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach in July after Barret Rey left to become Alcorn State’s coach.
The Tigers beat Rey’s Braves’ 15-2 in the SWAC Tournament championship game.
Sports, Pages 28 on 06/06/2010