Arkansas and Texas will square off on day two of the 2018 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The Razorbacks and Longhorns met twice during the regular season, with Arkansas winning, 13-4 and 7-5 on March 13-14 in Fayetteville.
Arkansas and Texas are both former members of the Southwest Conference. The teams will be meeting for the fifth time in history at the CWS. Arkansas defeated Texas 9-4 in 1979. Texas posted wins in 1985, 1987 and 2004.
Here is a look at the Arkansas Razorbacks.
#5 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS (44-19, 18-12 SEC)
Arkansas is the No. 5 National Seed
The No. 5 national seed has advanced to the CWS 10 times
The No. 5 national seed won the CWS in 2002 (Texas) and 2003 (Rice)
Arkansas is making its ninth College World Series appearance
The Razorbacks are 11-17 (.407) all-time in CWS play
Arkansas has one runner up finish and two third place finishes at the CWS
Arkansas made its CWS debut in 1979
Arkansas lost to Cal State Fullerton 2-1 in the 1979 CWS Championship game
Arkansas is making its fifth CWS appearance under head coach Dave Van Horn
Van Horn also made two CWS appearances with Nebraska in 2001 and 2002
Van Horn led Central Missouri State to the 1994 NCAA Division II National Championship
The Mules defeated Florida Southern 14-9 in the CWS championship in Montgomery, Alabama
Arkansas played in its seventh NCAA Super Regional this year
The Razorbacks defeated SEC foe South Carolina to reach the CWS
Arkansas and South Carolina met seven time this season; Arkansas 5-2
It was the first time in school history Arkansas has played a team seven times in one season
Arkansas won the 2018 Fayetteville Regional
Arkansas posted a win over all three regional opponents
Arkansas opened the tournament with a 10-2 win over Oral Roberts
Heston Kjerstad (3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI) led the offense with two home runs
Blaine Knight (8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) limited the Eagles to two runs and three hits
Arkansas defeated Southern Miss 10-2 to move into the championship game
Kacey Murphy (8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) hurled eight scoreless innings
Eric Cole (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) and Carson Shaddy (3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI) had three hits each
Arkansas defeated Dallas Baptist 4-3 to win the regional championship
Jake Reindl (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) tossed seven innings in relief for the win
Four different UA players had an RBI in the win over DBU
Arkansas and Ole Miss were SEC Western Division co-champions
Arkansas split their 10 SEC series this season
Arkansas won all five SEC home series (Kentucky Auburn, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas A&M)
Arkansas lost all five SEC road series (Florida, Ole Miss, Miss. State, LSU and Georgia)
Arkansas boasts the top home record in the nation this season
Arkansas sports a 35-4 (.897) home record this season
Arkansas was 14-1 (.933) in SEC home games; swept Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M
Arkansas only lost four home games; USC (March 3), Kent State (March 9) and S. Carolina (April 12 & June 10)
South Carolina was the only SEC team to win a game at Baum Stadium this year
South Carolina defeated Arkansas 3-2 on April 12
Arkansas was 4-11 (.268) in SEC road games; lost all five road series
Arkansas owns a 23-14 (.622) record against NCAA Tournament teams
Arkansas opened the season with a three-game sweep of Bucknell (Feb. 16-17)
The Razorbacks outscored the Bison 48-7
Arkansas posted a 32-4 win over Bucknell on Feb. 17
The 32 runs scored fell one short of UA single-game record (33 vs. Southwest Baptist, 1984)
Arkansas blanked Arizona 1-0 on Feb. 21 in San Diego (Heston Kjersted solo HR)
Arkansas dropped two of three games at Tony Gwynn Classic (Feb. 23-25)
Arkansas had home non-conference series win over USC (March 2-4)
Arkansas posted a 2-game midweek series win over Texas (March 13-14)
Arkansas hit 13 home runs in its three-game sweep of Kentucky to open SEC play (March 16-18)
Arkansas dropped back-to-back road series at Florida (March 23-25) and Ole Miss (March 29-31)
Arkansas posted back-to-back shutouts in a double header sweep of South Carolina (April 14)
Arkansas turned in back-to-back shutouts for the first time since April 22-23, 2016 (vs. Kentucky, 1-0 and 2-0)
Arkansas posted two shutouts on the same day for the first time since April 7, 1984 (Texas A&M, 1-0 and 4-0)
ARKANSAS NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
Arkansas is making its ninth College World Series appearance
The nine trips to Omaha took place in 1979, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018
The Razorbacks are 11-16 (.407) all-time in CWS play
Arkansas has one runner up finish and two third place finishes at the CWS
Arkansas made its CWS debut in 1979
Arkansas lost to Cal State Fullerton 2-1 in the 1979 CWS Championship game
Arkansas and Texas are meeting for the fifth time at the College World Series
Arkansas defeated Texas 9-4 in the 1979 CWS
Texas has won the last three meetings in Omaha (1985, 1987 and 2004)
Arkansas had made 30 NCAA Tournament appearances
Arkansas has played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times in the last 17 years
Arkansas made 14 straight NCAA Regional appearances from 2002-15
The 14 straight appearances are the third most in SEC history
Arkansas has compiled a 57-41 (.582) all-time NCAA Regional record
Arkansas made its first NCAA Regional appearance in 1973 (Arlington, Texas)
Arkansas is the No. 4 national seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament
Arkansas was also a national seed in 2004 (No. 8) and 2007 (No. 7)
Arkansas owns a 66-47 (.584) all-time NCAA Regional and Super Regional record
Arkansas made its seventh NCAA Super Regional appearance
Arkansas reached the Super Regionals in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2018
Arkansas is hosting its third NCAA Super Regional
Arkansas hosted Florida State in 2004 and Missouri State in 2015
Arkansas has an 11-7 (.611) record in NCAA Super Regional play
Arkansas captured Super Regional championships in 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018
2018 OFFENSE:
Arkansas leads the SEC (2nd NCAA) with 42 sacrifice flies (Morehead State; 45)
Arkansas leads the SEC (7th NCAA) with 7.2 runs per game
Arkansas leads the SEC (13th NCAA) with a .301 batting average
Arkansas ranks second in SEC (4th NCAA) with 94 home runs (school record)
Arkansas ranks second in the SEC (10th NCAA) with 643 hits
Arkansas ranks second in SEC (11th NCAA) with 452 runs scored
Arkansas ranks second in SEC (16th NCAA) with .397 on-base percentage
Arkansas ranks second in SEC (19th NCAA) with 304 walks
Arkansas ranks fifth in SEC with 65 HBPs
Arkansas ranks eighth in the SEC with 108 doubles
Casey Martin ranks eighth in SEC with .344 batting average
Carson Shaddy ranks fourth in SEC with .653 slugging percentage
Shaddy ninth in SEC with .341 batting average
Shaddy ranks ninth in SEC with 52 RBIs
Heston Kjerstad ranks 10th in SEC with .340 batting average
Kjerstad leads the SEC with 19 HBPs
Kjerstad ranks fourth in SEC with 61 runs scored
Kjerstad ranks sixth in SEC with 54 RBIs
Kjerstad ranks seventh in SEC with 81 hits (UA single-season freshman record)
Kjerstad ranks ninth in SEC with 14 home runs (UA single-season freshman record)
Kjerstad ranks ninth in SEC with .576 slugging percentage
Eric Cole ranks fourth in SEC with 85 hits
Cole ranks fourth in SEC with 61 runs scored
Cole ranks ninth in SEC with 14 home runs
Luke Bonfield ranks sixth in SEC with 41 walks
2018 PITCHING:
Arkansas ranks second in SEC (20th NCAA) with 1.26 WHIP
Arkansas ranks third in SEC with 3.55 ERA
Arkansas ranks third in SEC with 7.92 hits allowed per nine innings
Arkansas leads the SEC (20th NCAA) with six shutouts
Arkansas blanked Arizona, Dayton, USC, UL Monroe and South Carolina (twice)
Arkansas ranks fourth in the SEC with 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio
Arkansas ranks fourth in the SEC with 3.42 walks per nine innings
Arkansas ranks seventh in the SEC with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings
Blaine Knight is the only Division I pitcher with 12 wins and no losses
Knight leads SEC (3rd NCAA) with 12 wins
Knight leads SEC (3rd NCAA) with 17 games started
Knight ranks fourth in SEC with 4.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio
Knight ranks fifth in the SEC with 2.84 ERA
Knight ranks fifth in the SEC with 1.07 WHIP
Knight ranks eighth in the SEC with 2.04 walks per nine innings
Knight ranks 12th in SEC with 92 strikeouts
Kacey Murphy ranks fourth in the SEC with 1.05 WHIP
Murphy ranks sixth in the SEC with 1.95 walks per nine innings
Murphy ranks eighth in the SEC with eight wins
Murphy ranks ninth in the SEC with 3.12 ERA
Matt Cronin ranks third in SEC with 12 saves
2018 FIELDING:
Arkansas ranks 11th in the SEC with .972 fielding percentage
Arkansas leads the in SEC (7th NCAA) with 58 double plays
Arkansas leads the SEC with 0.92 double plays per game
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