HawgBeat's coverage of the Razorbacks' Road to Redemption in Omaha is brought to you by Arkansas Oral Surgery, which has offices located in Conway and Russellville.
FAYETTEVILLE — When Casey Martin poked a single into center in his first at bat Sunday, the Baum-Walker Stadium crowd responded with a standing ovation.
They were already charged up because it was the first inning of the regional final, but they also recognized the significance of the hit. It snapped the sophomore’s 0-for-20 stretch that dated back to his final at bat of the Texas A&M series.
Feeding off that energy, Arkansas notched three more hits - including a two-run double by Dominic Fletcher and RBI double by Jack Kenley - on its way to a three-run inning. That sparked the Razorbacks’ 6-0 win over TCU and sent them into the super regionals.
“We kind of exploded after he got that hit and he’s that type of presence in the lineup,” Trevor Ezell said. “When he’s going, a lot of good things happen. … As good of a hitter as he is, it’s only a matter of time before he gets going real well again.”
Although he struck out in his next two plate appearances, Martin ended the Fayetteville Regional with a nine-pitch at bat in which he fell behind 0-2, fouled off three pitches while working the count full and eventually flied out to center.
It didn’t result in a hit, but head coach Dave Van Horn said it was still a “great at bat” and will hopefully carry over into next week’s matchup with Ole Miss.
However, even as he struggled over the previous five games, Martin kept a good attitude. That’s not something that could have been said a year ago as a freshman, when he would have “gone crazy” through a slump like this.
“I’m proud of him that he didn’t pout around,” Van Horn said. “He’s 0-for-18, 19, 20 - I don’t know what it was - and he just kept fighting and playing defense and helping us win. He didn’t slam his bat or throw his helmet and distract us in the dugout. He’s grown up a little bit.”
The good news is that Martin has already broken out of one slump this season. He was hitting an abysmal .241/.315/.455 through the Razorbacks’ first 26 games.
Around that time, the speedy shortstop was moved out of the leadoff spot and into the 2-hole, which seemed to reinvigorate him. Over the next 29 games, Martin looked like the All-American everyone expected him to be, hitting .373/.455/.738.
His current slump started at the end of that stretch, which marked the beginning of the postseason. At the SEC Tournament and in the Fayetteville Regional, he is just 1 for 23.
Those struggles are arguably the biggest concern for Arkansas as it tries to get back to the College World Series and make another run at the national title.
