The 2009 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team represented the
University of Arkansas in baseball at the
Division I level in the
NCAA for the
2009 season.
Dave van Horn, a former Razorback player, is the coach in his fifth year. The team clinched a berth in the
2009 College World Series with a defeat of the
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivis ...
on June 6. The Razorbacks' run in
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
ended on June 19 when they were defeated by the
LSU Tigers, finishing tied for third nationally with the
Arizona State Sun Devils.
[Kleinpeter, Jim. "College World Series: LSU vs. Texas." June 20, 200]
Article.
The Times-Picayune. Retrieved on June 20, 2009
Archived
June 22, 2009.
Pre-Season

After a 34–24 record in 2008, Arkansas looked forward to 2009. On October 20, the White team defeated the Red team in the Hogs final fall practice. Despite being picked to finish fourth in the SEC West, the Hogs pulled a #22 ranking from
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
.
[Pierce, Phil. "Razorbacks crack Baseball America Preseason 25." 1/20/2009]
Article.
Retrieved on January 25, 2009. This was the first time Arkansas had ever been ranked in a pre-season poll since 2007, when the team was ranked No. 7 in the nation.
The Razorbacks 2009 schedule was ranked #1 hardest in the SEC by SEC baseball.com. Outfielder Chase Leavitt was named a Preseason All-SEC player by Rivals.com.
[Pierce, Phil. "Leavitt named preseason All-SEC by Rivals.com." 1/21/200]
Article.
Retrieved on January 25, 2009. The Razorbacks' recruiting class was ranked 4th best by Collegiate Baseball and 8th best by
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
.
["Arkansas Razorbacks Baseball Game Notes.]
Article.
Retrieved on March 3, 2009.
Coaches
''Source
Baseball - 2009 Coaches'
Todd Butler was named coach most ready for a head coaching job by SEC coaches when polled by College Baseball Insider.
Roster
Schedule
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
1, , 2/20/09 , ,
Washington State , ,
Baum Stadium , , 4–2 , , Keuchel (1–0) , , Way (0–1) , , Wells (1) , , rowspan=2, 8,297 , , 1–0 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
2, , 2/20/09 , , Washington State , , Baum Stadium , , 7–5 (10) , , Cox (1–0) , , Shellhorn (0–1) , , - , , 2–0 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
3, , 2/22/09 , , Washington State , , Baum Stadium , , 4–3 , , Wells (1–0) , , Johnson (0–1) , , Richards (1) , , 7,084 , , 3–0 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
4, , 2/24/09 , ,
Kansas , , Baum Stadium , , 3–9 , , Ridenhour (1–0) , , Eibner (0–1) , , - , , 1,804 , , 3–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
5, , 2/25/09 , , Kansas , , Baum Stadium , , 9–8 (10) , , Richards (1–0) , , Smyth (0–2) , , - , , 3,109 , , 4–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
6, , 2/27/09 , ,
Western Illinois
Forgottonia (), also spelled Forgotonia, is the name given to a 16-County (United States), county region in Western Illinois in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This geographic region forms the distinctive western bulge of Illinois (area west of ...
, , Baum Stadium , , 8–7 (10) , , Richards (2–0) , , Fuchs (0–2) , , - , , 2,241 , , 5–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"
7, , 2/28/09 , , Western Illinois , , Baum Stadium , , colspan=7, ''Cancelled (snow)''
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"
8, , 3/1/09 , , Western Illinois , , Baum Stadium , , colspan=7, ''Cancelled (cold)''
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
9, , 3/3/09 , ,
Valparaiso , , Baum Stadium , , 7–3 , , Smyly (1–0) , , Snelten (0–1) , , Davenport (1) , , 1,193 , , 6–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
10, , 3/4/09 , , Valparaiso , , Baum Stadium , , 9–6 , , Eibner (1–1) , , Berry (0–2) , , - , , 2,217 , , 7–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
11, , 3/6/09 , ,
Cal Cal or CAL may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty
* "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov
* ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
, , Baum Stadium , , 5–4 (10) , , Richards (3–0) , , Petrini (0–2) , , - , , 8,426 , , 8–1 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
12, , 3/7/09 , , Cal , , Baum Stadium , , 6–12 , , Diemer (1–0) , , Forrest (0–1) , , Bugary (1) , , 6,945 , , 8–2 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
13, , 3/8/09 , , Cal , , Baum Stadium , , 13–3 , , Bolsinger (1–0) , , Smith (0–1) , , - , , 6,058 , , 9–2 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
14, , 3/10/09 , , at
Centenary
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at ...
, , Sheehee Stadium , , 3–8 , , Whiting (1–0) , , Eibner (1–2) , , - , , 500 , , 9–3 , ,
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb"
15, , 3/11/09 , , at Centenary , , Sheehee Stadium , , colspan=7, ''Cancelled (rain)''
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
16, , 3/13/09 , , #17
Florida , , Baum Stadium , , 11–4 , , Keuchel (2–0) , , Bullock (0–1) , , - , , 6,511 , , 10–3 , , 1-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
17, , 3/14/09 , , #17 Florida , , Baum Stadium , , 8–4 , , Forrest (1–1) , , Panteliodis (2–2) , , - , , 6,840 , , 11–3 , , 2-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
18, , 3/15/09 , , #17 Florida , , Baum Stadium , , 4–2 , , Cox (2–0) , , Keating (2–3) , , Richards (2) , , 7,411 , , 12–3 , , 3-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
19, , 3/17/09 , ,
Nebraska , , Baum Stadium , , 7–3 , , Bolsinger (2–0) , , Bird (0–1) , , - , , 8,366 , , 13–3 , , 3-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
20, , 3/18/09 , , Nebraska , , Baum Stadium , , 4–7 , , Nesseth (3–1) , , Cox (2–1) , , - , , 7,553 , , 13–4 , , 3-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
21, , 3/20/09 , , at
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
, ,
Plainsman Park , , 3–2 , , Keuchel (3–0) , , Dayton (2–2) , , Richards (3) , , 2,407 , , 14–4 , , 4-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
22, , 3/21/09 , , at Auburn , , Plainsman Park , , 10–6 , , Richards (4–0) , , Hubbard (2–1) , , - , , 2,412 , , 15–4 , , 5-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
23, , 3/22/09 , , at Auburn , , Plainsman Park , , 12–6 , , Smyly (2–0) , , Burnside (0–2) , , - , , 2,312 , , 16–4 , , 6-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
24, , 3/25/09 , ,
Missouri State
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
, , Baum Stadium , , 10–0 , , Eibner (2–2) , , Casey (1–2) , , - , , 8,180 , , 17–4 , , 6-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
25, , 2/26/09 , ,
Mississippi State , , Baum Stadium , , 20–9 , , Keuchel (4–0) , , Jones (0–2) , , Wells (2) , , 7,331 , , 18–4 , , 7-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
26, , 2/28/09 , , Mississippi State , , Baum Stadium , , 5–1 , , Forrest (2–1) , , Whitney (2–2) , , Bolsinger (1) , , , , 19–4 , , 8-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb"
27, , 2/28/09 , , Mississippi State , , Baum Stadium , , 4–12 , , Routt (3–1) , , Smyly (2–1) , , - , , 7,475 , , 19–5 , , 8-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
28, , 3/31/09 , , at Missouri State , ,
Hammons Field , , 2–0 , , Eibner (3–2) , , Meade (4–2) , , Richards (4) , , 1,146 , , 20–5 , , 8-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
29, , 4/3/09 , , at #23
South Carolina , ,
Carolina Stadium
Founders Park, formerly known as Carolina Stadium, is a stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on the banks of the Congaree River. The facility was built for a cost of $35.6 million and is used for college baseball as home to the University of Sout ...
, , 6–4 , , Keuchel (5–0) , , Dyson (2–2) , , - , , 6,461 , , 21–5 , , 9-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
30, , 4/4/09 , , at #23 South Carolina , , Carolina Stadium , , 1–9 , , Belcher (1–1) , , Forrest (2–2) , , - , , 7,239 , , 21–6 , , 9-2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
31, , 4/5/09 , , at #23 South Carolina , , Carolina Stadium , , 7–4 , , Bolsinger (3–0) , , Farotto (3–2) , , - , , 6,727 , , 22–6 , , 10-2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
32, , 4/7/09 , , #1
Arizona State , , Baum Stadium , , 7–3 , , Murphy (1–0) , , Calhoun (0–1) , , Richards (5) , , 8,342 , , 23–6 , , 10-2
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
33, , 4/8/09 , , #1 Arizona State , , Baum Stadium , , 8–7 , , Cox (3–1) , , Franzblau (1–2) , , Richards (6) , , 11,434* , , 24–6 , , 10-2
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
34, , 4/10/09 , ,
Vanderbilt , , Baum Stadium , , 0–9 , , Minor (3–3) , , Keuchel (5–1) , , - , , 7,554 , , 24–7 , , 10-3
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
35, , 4/11/09 , , Vanderbilt , , Baum Stadium , , 6–13 , , Cotham (5–3) , , Forrest (2–3) , , - , , 9,782 , , 24–8 , , 10-4
, - align="center" bgcolor="bbbbbb"
36, , 4/12/09 , , Vanderbilt , , Baum Stadium , , colspan=7, ''Cancelled (rain)''
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
37, , 4/14/09 , ,
Louisiana-Monroe
The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a public university in Monroe, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System.
History
ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it became the Northeast Ce ...
, , Baum Stadium , , 2–3 , , Christensen (3–2) , , Bolsinger (3–1) , , - , , 7,568 , , 24–9 , , 10-4
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
38, , 4/15/09 , , Louisiana-Monroe , , Baum Stadium , , 10–9 , , Cox (4–1) , , Brown (1–2) , , - , , 7,231 , , 25–9 , , 10-4
, - align="center" align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
39, , 4/17/09 , , at #1
Georgia , ,
Foley Field , , 3–4 , , Harvil (4–1) , , Bolsinger (3–2) , , - , , 3,460 , , 25–10 , , 10-5
, - align="center" align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
40, , 4/18/09 , , at #1 Georgia , , Foley Field , , 3–4 , , Weaver (1–0) , , Bolsinger (3–3) , , - , , 3,128 , , 25–11 , , 10-6
, - align="center" align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
41, , 4/19/09 , , at #1 Georgia , , Foley Field , , 2–0 , , Eibner (4–2) , , Grimm (2–2) , , - , , 2,858 , , 26–11 , , 11-6
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
42, , 4/21/09 , , at
Oral Roberts , , J. L. Johnson Stadium , , 9–6 , , Murphy (2–0) , , Griffin (0–1) , , Richards (7) , , 2,387 , , 27–11 , , 11-6
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
43, , 4/24/09 , , at
Tennessee , ,
Lindsey Nelson Stadium , , 9–3 , , Keuchel (6–1) , , Harris (4–3) , , Wells (3) , , 2,075 , , 28–11 , , 12-6
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
44, , 4/25/09 , , at Tennessee , , Lindsey Nelson Stadium , , 4–5 , , Morgado (2–1) , , Bolsinger (3–4) , , - , , 1,449 , , 28–12 , , 12-7
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
45, , 4/26/09 , , at Tennessee , , Lindsey Nelson Stadium , , 15–8 (8) , , Wells (2–0) , , Harris (4–4) , , Richards (8) , , 1,998 , , 29–12 , , 13-7
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
46, , 4/28/09 , , #9
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, , Baum Stadium , , 8–7 (10) , , Cox (5–1) , , Duke (2–1) , , - , , 8,529 , , 30–12 , , 13-7
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
47, , 5/2/09 , , #4
LSU , , Baum Stadium , , 11–4 , , Keuchel (7–1) , , Ranaudo (5–3) , , - , , 8,759 , , 31–12 , , 14-7
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
48, , 5/2/09 , , #4 LSU , , Baum Stadium , , 0–5 , , Coleman (9–2) , , Forrest (2–4) , , - , , 8,759 , , 31–13 , , 14-8
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
49, , 5/3/09 , , #4 LSU , , Baum Stadium , , 3–4 , , Ross (5–5) , , Eibner (4–3) , , Ott (11) , , 8,108† , , 31–14 , , 14-9
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
50, , 5/8/09 , , at #21
Alabama , ,
Sewell-Thomas Stadium , , 1–2 , , Hyatt (8–1) , , Keuchel (7–2) , , - , , 4,922 , , 31–15 , , 14-10
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
51, , 5/9/09 , , at #21 Alabama , , Sewell-Thomas Stadium , , 6–8 , , Kilcrease (4–2) , , Murphy (2–1) , , - , , 4,789 , , 31–16 , , 14-11
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
52, , 5/10/09 , , at #21 Alabama , , Sewell-Thomas Stadium , , 5–6 , , Scott (3–1) , , Eibner (4–4) , , Kilcrease (2) , , 3,835 , , 31–17 , , 14-12
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
53, , 5/12/09 , , Oral Roberts , , Baum Stadium , , 3–2 , , Richards (5–0) , , Bowen (2–1) , , - , , 7,015 , , 32–17 , , 14-12
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
54, , 5/14/09 , , #9
Ole Miss , , Baum Stadium , , 5–7 , , Pomeranz (6–3) , , Keuchel (7–3) , , Morgan (8) , , 7,280 , , 32–18 , , 14-13
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
55, , 5/15/09 , , #9 Ole Miss , , Baum Stadium , , 3–9 , , Bukvich (9–2) , , Forrest (2–5) , , Baker (1) , , 8,948 , , 32–19 , , 14-14
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
56, , 5/16/09 , , #9 Ole Miss , , Baum Stadium , , 3–16 , , Irwin (7–3) , , Wells (2–1) , , - , , 8,156 , , 32–20 , , 14-15
, -align="center"
, colspan="11", * denotes then-
Baum Stadium record for single-game attendance.
† denotes record for most tickets sold in a single season
Arkansas set season attendance records for tickets sold (269,216) and actual attendance (173,946).
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
1, , 5/20/09 , , #9 Florida , ,
Regions Park , , 8–5 , , Bolsinger (4–4) , , Locke (4–2) , , Richards (9) , , 33–20 , , 1-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
2, , 5/21/09 , , #21 Georgia , , Regions Park , , 1–2 (10) , , Weaver (4–2) , , Richards (5–1) , , - , , 33–21 , , 1-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
3, , 5/22/09 , , #9 Florida , , Regions Park , , 10–7 , , Murphy (3–1) , , Larson (3–2) , , Cox (1) , , 34–21 , , 2-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
4, , 5/23/09 , , Vanderbilt , , Regions Park , , 1–11 (7) , , Cotham (6–5) , , Forrest (2–6) , , - , , 34–22 , , 2-2
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
1, , 5/29/09 , , #24
Washington St. , ,
L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park , , 10–3 , , Bolsinger (5–4) , , Johnson (6–2) , , - , , 1,636 , , 35–22 , , 1-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
2, , 5/30/09 , , #9
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, , L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park , , 17–6 , , Eibner (5–4) , , Rocha (5–3) , , - , , 3,064 , , 36–22 , , 2-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
3, , 5/31/09 , , #9 Oklahoma , , L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park , , 11–0 , , Smyly (3–1) , , Hubbard , , - , , 2,333 , , 37–22 , , 3-0
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
4, , 6/7/09 , , #5
Florida State , ,
Dick Howser Stadium , , 7–2 , , Bolsinger (6–4) , , Parker (6–2) , , - , , 3,784 , , 38–22 , , 4-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
5, , 6/8/09 , , #5 Florida State , , Dick Howser Stadium , , 9–8 , , Richards (6–1) , , Posey (0–1) , , - , , 4,581 , , 39–22 , , 5-0
, -
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
6, , 6/13/09 , , #3
Cal State Fullerton , ,
Rosenblatt Stadium , , 10–6 , , Keuchel (8–3) , , Ramirez (9–2) , , Bolsinger (2) , , 23,549 , , 40–22 , , 6-0
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
7, , 6/15/09 , , #1 LSU , , Rosenblatt Stadium , , 1–9 , , Coleman (14–2) , , Eibner (5–5) , , - , , 23,417 , , 40–23 , , 6-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb"
8, , 6/17/09 , , #6 Virginia , , Rosenblatt Stadium , , 4–3 (12), , Keuchel (9–3) , , Carraway (9–2) , , - , , 21,383 , , 41–23 , , 7-1
, - align="center" bgcolor="FFBBBB"
9, , 6/19/09 , , #1 LSU , , Rosenblatt Stadium , , 4–15 , , Ranaudo (11–3) , , Richards (6–2) , , - , , 19,734 , , 41–24 , , 7-2
, -
February
Washington State

The Razorbacks began the season with three games against
Washington State. The schedule was changed to a
doubleheader on February 20 due to cold weather. Ben Tschepikow, a senior infielder, hit a 2-run
home run in the fourth inning that provided the winning margin. The second game was ended Andrew Darr's
walk-off home run. The next game took place on February 22, and Darr was again the hero, this time in the form of a
squeeze. Arkansas was ranked 22nd in most polls for the series.
Kansas

Kansas came to
Fayetteville for a two-game series with the Diamond Hogs from February 24–27. After dropping the opener pitched by Brett Eibner, the Hogs won the next contest on a Jacob House walk-off home run.
[Pierce, Phil. "Jacob's house, delivers walk-off home run." 2/25/09]
Article.
Retrieved on March 8, 2009. House, an occasional starter at
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
, entered the game as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
in the eighth and delivered a
liner that got past the Jayhawk first baseman.
The Sophomore delivered again, a walk-off home run in the 10th inning which gave the Razorbacks the win.
Western Illinois
The Razorbacks began a three-game series against the
Leathernecks of
Western Illinois University, a game that was won on a Brett Eibner
triple
Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a "treble":
Sports
* Triple (baseball), a three-base hit
* A basketball three-point field goal
* A figure skating jump with three rotations
* In bowling terms, three strikes in a row
* In ...
in the tenth inning.
[Pierce, Phil. "Eibner's triple wins it in 10th." 2/27/09]
Article.
Retrieved on March 8, 2009. Stephen Richards, a junior pitcher, earned his second consecutive win in the game.
The remaining two games were cancelled due to a snowstorm.
March
Valparaiso

Redshirt freshman Drew Smyly quieted the
Crusader's bats, while Bo Bigham ignited the Razorback sticks, ending in a 7–3 Hog win on March 3. The two teams met in Baum Stadium met again on March 4, with Andy Wilkins swatting his fourth home run of the year. Valpo began to claw back into the game late, but Stephen Richards pitched a scoreless ninth, giving the Hogs a 9–6 win. Arkansas was ranked #21 in most polls throughout the series with Valpo.
California
The Razorbacks met their second
Pac-10
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
team, the
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
, in Baum Stadium. Game 1 was packed with excitement, including a tying home run by Ben Tschepikow in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and a game winning squeeze by Collin Kuhn. Game two was marred by Razorback errors, giving the 12–6 decision to Cal despite Chase Leavitt going 3 for 3 with two walks. Drew Smyly delivered a strong outing against the Bears in game three, with Leavitt producing a four hit game. Eibner and Darr hit home runs and Zack Cox hit a triple, giving the Hogs the game and series.
Arkansas broke their previous attendance record for a non-conference series with the three game set against Cal, when a total of 21,429 fans attended the three game series.
Centenary
Arkansas hit the road for the first time in 2009 for a midweek series with
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a private liberal arts college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi Rive ...
. The Hogs had won 25 straight games against the Gentlemen before a 5–1 defeat in 2008. Game 1 ended in an 8–3 Razorback defeat, and the second game was rained out.
#17 Florida

The
Gators came to Fayetteville for a three-game
SEC series. This was the conference opener for both squads. The first game was a decisive Razorbacks victory, with Dallas Keuchel earning the 11–4 win. On the following day, Arkansas defeated the Gators 8–4 thanks to a six run second inning. The Sunday game was tied 2–2 until the eighth inning, when Brian McKinney cut and missed on a 3–2 pitch that went into the dirt.
The runner advanced to first, when he unintentionally kicked the ball out of UF catcher Buddy Munroe's range. This allowed Ben Tschepikow to score from third base giving the Hogs the lead. Munroe argued that the kick was intentional, a case also argued by Florida coach
Kevin O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan was ejected and the Razorbacks tacked on an extra run, giving the Hogs a 4–2 win, 3–0 SEC record, and sweep of Florida.
Nebraska

The Razorbacks were 7–7 against
Nebraska entering the two-game series. In the first game, the Hogs wore green hats for
Saint Patrick's Day, and seven different Razorbacks got a hit on the way to a 7–3 Arkansas victory. The second game was led 4–1 by Arkansas until a six-run ninth inning. Andy Wilkins hit two home runs in the contest.
Auburn
Arkansas entered
Plainsman Park on March 20 for a three-game series with
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
. The first game was a 3–2 Arkansas victory decided by a Ryan Cisterna ninth-inning home run. The next day, Chase Leavitt, Scott Lyons, Jacob House and Collin Kuhn each had two hits in a 10–6 defeat of the Tigers, giving Arkansas a 5–0 start in the SEC for the first time in Razorbacks history. The third game was decided by a four-run first inning, with Ben Tschepikow collecting four hits in the game.
Missouri State
The
Missouri State Bears
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University). Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Divi ...
came to Fayetteville for a single game, a 10–0 Razorbacks win. The Hogs recorded 18 strikeouts, a school record, with Brett Eibner striking out seven.
Mississippi State
Mississippi State traveled to Arkansas to meet the Razorbacks, who were 3–0 in SEC play. The first game was suspended by rain, but ended a 20–9 Razorbacks win. Dallas Keuchel's outing was ended prematurely when rain poured, suspending the game in the fifth inning. After game 1 was completed, the two teams decided to play a doubleheader of seven innings games on Sunday. T. J. Forrest started the afternoon on the mound for the Razorbacks, winning a 5–1 decision.
[Pierce, Phil. "Hogs take game 1 of twin bill, 5-1.]
Article.
Retrieved on April 1, 2009. The second game of the day was dropped to the Bulldogs, 12-4.
MSU leadoff man Grant Hogue went 4 for 4, scoring 4 runs.
Missouri State
The Bears entered the contest winning nine of ten, but again met Brett Eibner, whose two solo home runs thrust the Hogs to a 2–0 victory. The win pushed the Razorbacks' March record to 15-4.
April
#23 South Carolina
Dallas Keuchel earned the win as Zack Cox hit a three-run home run to give the Razorbacks the first game of a three-game series, played in brand-new
Carolina Stadium
Founders Park, formerly known as Carolina Stadium, is a stadium in Columbia, South Carolina on the banks of the Congaree River. The facility was built for a cost of $35.6 million and is used for college baseball as home to the University of Sout ...
. The Gamecocks returned the following day and issued the Hogs a 9–1 thumping, with Scott Lyons driving in the only Razorbacks run. Arkansas would pull out the rubber game, however, a 7–4 victory for Mike Bolsinger.
#1 Arizona State
The #1
Arizona State Sun Devils came to Fayetteville for the back end of a two-year home-and-home midweek series, with Arkansas also ranked #1 entering the game.
["2009 Arkansas Razorbacks Baseball." 4/7/09]
Game Program.
Retrieved on April 9, 2009 The Hogs dropped both games to ASU in 2008, but returned the favor in 2009. Game 1 marked the first #1 vs #1 matchup in
Baum Stadium, and Game 2 set the then-Baum record for highest attendance, with 11,434 patrons witnessing the Hogs 8–7 victory.
The first game featured a five-run Razorback seventh inning, sparked by a leadoff walk to Chase Leavitt followed by Tom Hauskey, Ben Tschepikow, Andrew Darr, and Scott Lyons all recording hits in the inning. Stephen Richards recorded his fifth save as the game ended a 7–3 Razorbacks win. Arkansas then defeated ASU a second time on April 8, an 8–7 win. The game was decided by Tim Carver single in the fifth inning, completing the transformation from a 6–1 deficit in the third inning.
Vanderbilt
Arkansas and
Vanderbilt met in Baum Stadium for a three-game SEC series. The Razorbacks, fresh off two victories over number 1 Arizona State, dropped both games, with the third being cancelled due to rain. In the two games, Arkansas committed eight
errors and gave up a nine-run inning. The offense was also inept, being
shut out in game 1 and
no-hit
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
through the fifth inning in game 2.
Mike Minor of Vanderbilt
struck out eleven Razorback batters, only to be one-upped by Caleb Cotham's striking out twelve the following day.
[Malashock, Ryan. "Hogs Suffer Another Blowout." 4/12 2009. 1C. ''The Morning News''.] The two losses marked the first time Arkansas dropped consecutive games in 2009 as well as the first lost series for the Hogs. The two wins gave Vanderbilt their first series win in Baum Stadium.
Louisiana-Monroe
The Hogs and
Warhawks met for a midweek series on April 14 and 15. The series was split, with the Warhaks taking the first game 3-2.
West Covina, California native Scott Lyons won game two in the tenth inning for the Razorbacks, launching a
walk-off home run into the Hogs'
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
.
#1 Georgia

Arkansas dropped to #5 after dropping three of four games, and traveled to
Athens to play the new #1. Dallas Keuchel threw a strong seven innings, but the Hogs lost 3–4 in game 1. The second game would also be dropped 3-4, this time on a Matt Cerione single in the ninth inning. Razorback sophomore Brett Eibner tossed a gem in game three, preventing the sweep.
The Woodlands, Texas, native Eibner threw a
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
one-hit
shutout, striking out twelve Bulldogs. The feat garnered Eibner SEC and National Player of the Week honors.
Oral Roberts
The
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles hosted the Hogs for one game at J. L. Johnson Stadium in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Hogs prevailed from a 9–6 contest with Zack Cox collecting four hits. The Razorbacks met Oral Roberts again, this time in Baum Stadium, on May 12.
Tennessee
Arkansas and Tennessee met for an SEC series in
Knoxville, Tennessee. The Razorbacks took game 1, 9-3, behind a strong outing by Dallas Keuchel and Jacob House's 4
RBI
RBI most often refers to:
*Reserve Bank of India
*Run batted in
RBI may also refer to:
Organisations
*Radio Berlin International
*Raiffeisen Bank International
*Reed Business Information
*Restaurant Brands International
*Ruđer Bošković In ...
. The subsequent game was lost on a failed pickoff attempt by Razorback Stephen Richards, who leads the team in
saves. The
Plano, Texas, native made an errant throw attempting to pickoff Volunteer P.J. Polk, who was on first base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Hogs would take the game three slugfest, 15-8, behind Scott Lyons' two home runs.
#9 Oklahoma
Arkansas met the #9
Oklahoma Sooners once in Baum Stadium. Brett Eibner took over the game, hitting a tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth (his second long ball of the day) and drawing a walk-off walk in the tenth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Eibner was down
0-2 and fouled off six pitches during the twelve-pitch
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
before drawing ball four.
May
#4 L. S. U.
The
LSU Fighting Tigers held a one-game lead over the Razorbacks entering this series, which is a heated
rivalry. A rain delay caused Game 1 and Game 2 to become a doubleheader on May 2. Dallas Keuchel was outstanding on the mound in game 1, throwing 8.1 innings, allowing only four runs. The Razorbacks scored four runs in the fourth inning, but the fans held their breath when catcher Ryan Cisterna was hit in the face by an Anthony Raunado fastball. Raunado would hit Eibner later, causing umpires to issue warnings, and an LSU relief pitcher would also hit Zack Cox in the contest. Game 2 would have another outstanding pitching performance, this time by LSU's Louis Coleman. He delivered a two-hit shutout, splitting the series' first two games. The Sunday contest ended when a Razorback's rally fell one run short, 4-3.
#21 Alabama

Arkansas and Alabama squared off in
Tuscaloosa for a critical SEC series. The Hogs would be swept by the Crimson Tide.
Dallas Keuchel turned in a great performance, but had no run support and lost a 2–1 decision. The Hogs lost game two 8-6, with freshman outfielder Collin Kuhn homering twice. Alabama homered four times in game three, taking a 5–6 decision from Brett Eibner.
Arkansas clinched a berth in the
2009 SEC baseball tournament
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the Brahmi numerals, beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshat ...
when Auburn defeated Kentucky on May 9.
Oral Roberts
Arkansas snapped a season-long five game losing skid with a victory over Oral Roberts. The offense continued to struggle, but managed to eke three runs across, the third by Scott Lyons in the bottom of the ninth.
#9 Ole Miss
Arkansas committed four errors in the opener with Ole Miss, resulting in a 7–5 loss. The Razorbacks also dropped game two due to a six run seventh inning for the Rebels. The Rebels also won game three on the Razorbacks' senior night. The Razorbacks entered the SEC Tournament as the #7 seed.
SEC tournament
Arkansas played the first game of the tournament, an 8–5 defeat of #9 Florida. The Hogs next matched up with the #21 Georgia Bulldogs. The game entered the tenth inning tied 1–1 when a Georgia batter hit a bases loaded liner to Zack Cox. Cox delivered home but catcher Ryan Cisterna could not keep his foot on home plate, allowing Matt Ceronie to score the winning run. Arkansas played Florida again in an elimination game on May 22. Arkansas again defeated the Gators, the fifth time this season. The win marked the first time Arkansas beat the same SEC opponent five times in one year since joining the league. Zack Cox hit a home run that crushed the scoreboard, described by announcers as the "longest home run they had seen in Hoover". Vanderbilt would crush the Razorbacks in the semifinal game, 11-1. The game was ended prematurely due to the
mercy rule, ending the Razorbacks run in the SEC Tournament.
NCAA Tournament: Norman Regional

Arkansas received an invitation to play in the
Norman regional as a #2 seed. The games are hosted by the
Oklahoma Sooners, with
L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park hosting all games played in the regional among #21 Arkansas, #9
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, #23
Washington State, and
Wichita State. Arkansas defeated Washington State on May 29 by the score of 10-3. The Hogs took advantage of a great catch by Jarrod McKinney and a nine run eight inning to beat the Cougars for the fourth time this year.
Arkansas would play #9 Oklahoma next due to the Sooner's win over Wichita State. The game would be a 17–6 Arkansas victory, with Scott Lyons, James McCann, Ben Tschepikow, and Andy Wilkins all collecting at least three hits. The team collected 20 hits in the contest, a season high.
The Razorbacks played Oklahoma again on May 31, an elimination game for the Sooners. Razorbacks freshman pitcher Drew Smyly threw fell two outs short of a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
, with the offense scoring eleven runs.
[Fires, Rick. "Stormin' Norman : Hogs blow through Sooners to capture Norman regional." 6/1/2009]
Article.
Retrieved on June 1, 2009. Andy Wilkins (a
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma native) went 5–5 at the plate with two
doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and five
RBI
RBI most often refers to:
*Reserve Bank of India
*Run batted in
RBI may also refer to:
Organisations
*Radio Berlin International
*Raiffeisen Bank International
*Reed Business Information
*Restaurant Brands International
*Ruđer Bošković In ...
.
The win pushed Arkansas into its third super regional, played at
Dick Howser Stadium in
Tallahassee, Florida, against the
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivis ...
.
Oklahoma was the #7 national seed.
NCAA Tournament: Tallahassee Super Regional
Arkansas and Florida State met previously in the
2004 Fayetteville Super Regional, with the Hogs emerging victorious.
Arkansas took Game 1 from the Seminoles thanks to a three-run seventh and two-run eighth inning. The game took over nine hours real-time to complete due to multiple rain delays. Arkansas center fielder Brett Eibner was featured on
SportsCenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...
's Top 10 plays for a catch he made in the third inning.
Arkansas entered Game 2 with Brett Eibner on the mound and Florida State one loss away from elimination.
Second baseman Bo Bigham gave the Hogs a 6–5 lead in the seventh inning of Game 2, but senior platoon outfielder Andrew Darr gave the Hogs the biggest hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth when he hit a two-run double off the wall. The two runs batted in gave the Hogs a 9–8 lead they would not relinquish, giving the Razorbacks their first College World Series appearance since 2004.
College World Series
Arkansas became the first team to punch its ticket to Omaha. The Razorbacks played the
Cal State Fullerton Titans, winners of the Fullerton Super Regional first. LSU beat Arkansas on June 15 after defeating
Virginia. Arkansas next played the Cavaliers in a College World Series classic, a twelve-inning affair that resulted in Virginia's elimination.
Game 1: Cal State Fullerton
The Razorbacks had met the Titans three times previous to this, twice in the
1979 College World Series. The Razorbacks dropped all three contests.
Arkansas began the scoring on a Zack Cox single, scoring Chase Leavitt and Ben Tschepikow. Cox would hit a two-run home run in the subsequent inning, making it a 4–0 Arkansas advantage. Fullerton would respond with two runs, but a spectacular play by Bo Bigham would be the highlight of the inning. Scott Lyons hit a two-run single in the fifth inning to make it a 6–2 Hog lead, followed by a three-run home run by Andy Wilkins. The final would be a 10–6 Razorbacks win, with Dallas Keuchel earning the win by pitching six innings and Mike Bolsinger earning the three-inning save.
Game 6: L. S. U.
Arkansas and LSU had met previously this season, with the Bayou Bengals taking two of three games.
The Razorbacks bats could not touch Louis Coleman, but LSU got to Hog starter Brett Eibner. Mikie Mahtook gave the Tigers a 3–0 lead in the first with a home run to left field, followed by an Andy Wilkins
sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d):
"Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
. Ryan Schimpf doubled to score DJ LeMahieu in the fourth, giving the Tigers a 4–1 lead. A five-run sixth inning gave LSU the final margin of 9-1.
Game 9: Virginia
Arkansas and Virginia played on June 17 in an elimination game. The Cavaliers took a two-run lead in the fifth inning off Razorbacks pitcher Drew Smyly. Arkansas was down to their final strike in the top of the ninth inning when Brett Eibner homered to tie the game at three. The game would remain scoreless until the twelfth inning, when Andrew Darr doubled to score Jarrod McKinney. Dallas Keuchel, the Game 1 starter, would close out the game from the tenth inning to keep the Hogs' hopes alive.
Game 11: L. S. U.
Arkansas used eight pitchers, including closer Stephen Richards starting the game in an effort to keep their Omaha hopes alive. LSU jumped out to a 1–0 lead in the top of the first inning when Micah Gibbs scored Blake Dean. The Tigers would push the advantage to 4–0 in the third inning, which included an error and a wild pitch by the Razorbacks. LSU hit solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings, making the score 6-0. The seventh inning would produce five LSU runs, with the Hogs using four pitchers to record three outs. Arkansas center fielder Brett Eibner hit a two-run home run, scoring Jacob House to make the score 11-2, but the Tigers would get those two runs back in the bottom of the seventh. Chase Leavitt hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Thomas Hauskey and Andrew Darr, but the game ended a 15–4 final. Arkansas was eliminated from the
College World Series tied for third place with the
Arizona State Sun Devils.
Awards and honors

* Ryan Cisterna
:
Coleman Company-
Johnny Bench
John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
Award delivered by
Papa John’s
Papa John's International, Inc., d/b/a Papa Johns, is an American pizza restaurant chain. It is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States, with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia metropolita ...
Watch List
* Zack Cox
: #4 MLB prospect to attend college -
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
: #4 SEC newcomer - Baseball America
: #5 freshmen prospect - Baseball America
: Top Ten impact Freshmen - Rivals.com
* Brett Eibner
: Freshman
All-American, First team - Baseball America
: #5 SEC prospect - Baseball America
: #28 sophomore prospect - Baseball America
:
Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, April 12–19
: SEC Pitcher of the Week, April 12–19
: College Baseball Foundation's All-Star Lineup, April 12–19
["Eibner named to All-Star Lineup." 4/22/2009]
Article.
Retrieved on April 27, 2009.
: College Baseball Insider's Southeast Region Player of the Week, April 12–19
* Collin Kuhn
:SEC Freshman of the Week - March 8–15
* Chase Leavitt
:SEC Player of the Week - March 1–8
["This Week in SEC Baseball - March 9." 3/9/2009]
Article.
Retrieved on March 16, 2009.
:Preseason All-SEC - Rivals.com
:Co-Captain
:College Baseball Foundation's All-Star Lineup, March 1–8
* Ben Tschepikow
:Co-Captain
* Andy Wilkins
:Norman Regional Most Outstanding Player
Rankings
Razorbacks in the 2009 MLB Draft
References
External links
Razorback Athletics
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Arkansas Razorbacks Baseball Team
Arkansas Razorbacks Baseball Team, 2009
Arkansas Razorbacks baseball seasons
College World Series seasons
Arkansas
Razor