Kumar moved his record to 6-0 on Thursday Night leading his team to a 10-2 victory over Mizzou at Columbia.
Rocker pitched 6 innings, gave up 5 hits, 2 runs, with only 1 earned, walked 2 and K’d 5. Sam Hliboki pitched the final 3 innings, giving up 2 hits, 0 runs, with a walk and a strikeout. We put together 16 hits on the night. Sophomore catcher C.J. Rodriguez was 3 for 6 with 3 Ribeyes including his 2nd homer this season. Junior right fielder Isaiah Thomas was 2 for 5 with his 6th homer and a Ribbie as well. Senior third baseman Jayson Gonzalez hit his 3rd long one of the season. Carter Young, Dominic Keegan and Cooper Davis also had 2 hits apiece. Kumar is now 6-0 with an 0.73 ERA, 12 walks and 53 K’s. Stellar stuff from the man, one of our main leaders.
Jack Leiter put together another spectacular gem Friday Night in an 11-3 Dores’ victory. Jack went 7, gave up 0 hits, o runs, with 2 walks and 10 K’s. Jack, who was named SEC Pitcher of the week for the second week in a row, has now gone 16 innings without giving up s hit after his no hitter against South Carolina a week and a half ago. That’s astoundingly great pitching. Enrique Bradfield had 3 hits in 6 at bats and stole his 16th base in 17 attempts. Saturday, Enrique made it 17 of 18. I’m pretty sure that leads the country. I’ll find out and clarify tomorrow. Dominic posted 3 hits, including his 5th homer of the season, Freshman DH Jack Bulger also had 3 hits, with 2 doubles and 3 Ribhies. Carter Young had a pair of hits and 3 RBIs as well, with a pair of doubles. Carter now has 8, 2 baggers on the season.
Just as importantly, Thomas Shultz pitched well Saturday and helped us complete the sweep, going 5, giving up 5 hits, allowing 1 earned, with 2 walks and 2 K’s. We needed that from our sophomore right hander. Need to solidify our third starter on the weekend. Nick Maldonado came in and pitched 3, giving up 1 hit, 0 runs, with 0 walks and 4 K’s. So, excellent stuff from Nick. Luke Murphy closed it out in the 9th earning his 4th save of the season, allowing 0 hits, with a walk and 2 K’s. We’re getting terrific pitching right now.
Challenging week this week starting tonight versus Tennessee Tech at home, 6:30 PM CT on the SEC Network+. Tennessee Tech is 9-9 and 4-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference, and they’ll be gunning for us. I’m suspecting, and I feel pretty confident, that freshman Christian Little will get the start. Christian is 2-0 with a 4.61 ERA with 6 walks and 16 K’s. Christian, as a freshman, is reminding me a lot of how Kumer started in 2019. It took him a while to get it going, but once he did, he was lights out as we well remember in his late season and postseason heroics. I see Corbs having that kind of confidence in Christian, believing he’s going to really deliver the deeper we get into the season.
By the way, Jack “Leits Out” Leiter is now 6-0 with an 0.25 ERA, with 13 walks and 59 K’s. He leads the country along with Kumar in victories at 6 and leads the country in ERA. He’s putting together a historic season for his team, right there with his junior teammate.
This weekend will be very challenging as we head to LSU for a Thursday-Saturday series. We’ll be in Alex Box Stadium, and it’s a difficult place to play with rowdy 10,000+ crowds, probably less with COVID protocol, but still loud and raucous. Those Bayou people get amped up for baseball, everything really. LSU is struggling after getting swept by a resurgent Tennessee team last weekend. They are 1-5 and 16-8 overall. But they’ll be ready for us, so we need to tighten up our batting helmets and put on the hardhats and be ready to battle. Thursday Night’s game is at 6:30 PM CT on SEC Network+, Friday’s game is at 8 PM CT on ESPNU, and Saturday’s game is at 2 PM CT on SEC Network+. So gigantic week for the team.
We are now 19-3, and 5-1 in the SEC East. Ole Miss is leading the west at 6-0 and they are 20-4 overall. Arkansas is second in the west at 5-1 and they’re 19-3 overall. We are tied with the outlaws from the East and that team from the North with the underachieving basketball coach, at 5-1. That team from the East is 21-4 overall and those guys from the North are 17-4.
D-1 Baseball has us No.1, Arkansas 2, Ole Miss 3, State 8, Eastern Bloc guys 9, South Carolina 14, and those guys from the state on the Gulf Coast at 15. Texas Tech is 4 and Texas is 5.
Baseball America has Arkansas 1 and us 2. What a joke. We are No.1 in the Collegiate Baseball News Poll, and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. So 3 of 4 polls have it right.
More later in the week. Have a super week.