STILLWATER, Okla. -- University of Arkansas pitcher Connor Noland showed in Friday's NCAA Stillwater Regional game against Grand Canyon why SEC coaches voted him to the conference's all-defensive team.
Twice in the seventh inning, Noland was hit by line drives. In each case he fielded the ball and threw out the runner at first base.
Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr. hit Noland in the span of four at-bats and 12 pitches.
"It was pretty unbelievable," Noland said after the Razorbacks beat the Antelopes 7-1. "I've never seen that before in baseball."
Noland, a senior right-hander, said Wilson hit the ball off his right foreman and Bush hit him in the hip.
Both times Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs and trainer Corey Webb checked on Connor, and he stayed in the game after throwing some practice e pitches.
"He's an older guy," Grand Canyon Coach Andy Stankiewicz said of Noland's poise. "He's been through it, obviously.
"That takes some fortitude. That takes some mental toughness to get hit like that [and keep pitching]."
Noland credited catcher Michael Turner with helping him locate the balls that hit him.
"I had no clue," Noland said. "When it's hit that hard, I don't know if it's bouncing off me, going front or back side. So getting help locating that was big-time."
Noland managed to avoid having his throw to first baseman Peyton Stovall hit Wilson.
"One of the best plays I've ever seen a pitcher make," Turner said. "Especially because [Wilson] was almost on the baseline. To avoid the base runner with that throw, he couldn't have put it in a better spot. That was cool to see."
Twice as nice
Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace hit two home runs against Grand Canyon, off Daniel Avitia in the first inning and Blake Reilly in the fourth inning.
Wallace, a sophomore from Greenbrier, hit two home runs in the same game for the second time as a Razorback. He also did it last season in Arkansas' 6-1 victory over Florida.
"It looked like it was knee high -- and he crushed it," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said Wallace's first home run Friday. "I mean, I don't know if you can hit a ball harder than that.
"It was a no-doubter right when it left the bat. I'm going to say it was about 450 feet.
"It gave us a little bit of a chance to go, 'Wow, we got a lead. Haven't had one of those in a while.' "
Wallace has 13 home runs this season to tie Brady Slavens for second on the team. Zack Gregory leads the Razorbacks with 14 home runs.
No damage vs. Ramage
Arkansas senior right-hander Kole Ramage finished against Grand Canyon by pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
"I thought Kole came in and did a great job," Razorbacks Coach Dave Horn said. "He didn't come in there like, 'Oh, we've got a six-run lead.'
"He came in there and he pitched, now. And he knew that if they got a big hit here and walk here and an error there and a home run, all of the sudden, we've got us a real game.
"I liked the maturity he showed out there."
It was the 89th career appearance for Ramage, which is second on Arkansas' all-time list behind Kevin Kopps' 92.
De-fense! De-fense
Defense has been an Arkansas strength this season as evidenced by the team's .981 fielding percentage that ranked ninth nationally going into Friday's game.
But the Razorbacks combined to commit six errors in the previous four games -- all losses.
Arkansas didn't commit an error against Grand Canyon and made several impressive plays, including catcher Michael Turner throwing out Jacob Wilson at second base to complete a double play that ended the top of the second inning after Jonny Weaver struck out swinging.
"The dugout erupted on it," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said of Turner's play. "And the throw was incredible.
"Not only was it on the money, it looked like the batter was almost in his way in my opinion.
"If he hadn't thrown him out, I would've asked for interference or a review on that if possible. But he threw on the money with some velocity."
Another key defensive play was left fielder Zack Gregory throwing out Juan Colato at second base in the fifth inning when he tried to stretch a single into a double.
"I mean, we didn't give them anything," Van Horn said. "Walked them [three] times. But other than that, we didn't kick it around.
Home feeling
About 600 Arkansas fans were in attendance to far outnumber fans for Grand Canyon, which is located in Phoenix. Hog calls frequently broke out.
"I noticed it," Razorbacks catcher Michael Turner said. "It almost, in a way, felt like a home game in that we had a lot more fans here than they did.
"It's cool to play in front of a bunch of our people."
The Razorbacks gave their fans plenty to cheer about, especially pitcher Connor Noland, who held the Antelopes to one run in seven innings.
"They were loud," Noland said. "That's the biggest thing. It might have been a smaller group than we're used to [at home], but they're passionate, and they showed out today."
Make it 93
Arkansas improved to 93-72 in 33 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Razorbacks are 61-40 under Coach Dave Van Horn in 18 appearances.
Grand Canyon fell to 0-3 in its two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Vs. Grand Canyon
The Razorbacks are 5-0 against the Antelopes. They swept two-games series at home in 2017 and 2020.
Heartbreak hotel
Some of Missouri State's players had a 50-minute drive from their hotel in Ponca City, Okla., to Stillwater for the Bears' game against Oklahoma State on Friday night.
Missouri State originally checked into a hotel in Stillwater -- selected by the NCAA -- on Wednesday but moved after players complained of bites from bed bugs, hairs on pillows and women's underwear left behind in their rooms.
The team moved to a nearby hotel late Wednesday, then on Thursday the Bears were relocated to new hotels in Stillwater and Ponca City.
"Not a problem," Missouri State Coach Keith Guttin said. "We had a problem, we solved it, and we moved on. It's over now.
"Our athletic administration along with Oklahoma State found us new rooms."
Missouri State catcher Drake Baldwin smiled when asked about the hotel situation.
"It is what it is," Baldwin said. "Probably be a pretty good story to tell when we get older."
Video was posted of the Bears walking to their new hotel -- which was across the street from where they initially were going to stay -- late Wednesday night.
"They were out after curfew," Guttin said. "I had to chase them down."
An Arkansas fan holds a sign Friday during the Razorbacks’ victory over Grand Canyon at the NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional. About 600 Arkansas fans helped comprise an announced crowd of 5,448. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)