HawgBeat Preview: Arkansas, NC State meet with trip to Omaha at stake

Not a subscriber? Get a FREE trial through the summer w/code VISITS2021
DETAILS: click here

HawgBeat's coverage of the Diamond Hogs' Road to Omaha is brought to you by CJ's Butcher Boy Burgers, which has locations in Fayetteville and Russellville.

Arkansas is hosting North Carolina State at Baum-Walker Stadium with a spot in the College World Series on the line. Here’s everything you need to know about the best-of-three Fayetteville Super Regional…

Schedule (TV)

Friday, June 11 - 5 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

Saturday, June 12 - 2 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

*Sunday, June 13 - 5 p.m. CT (ESPNU or ESPN2)

*if necessary

All three games this weekend will be on national television. The only uncertainty is with Game 3, which will be on either ESPNU or ESPN2 if Arkansas and North Carolina split the first two games.

Weather Report

It’s going to be a very hot weekend in Fayetteville. The high each day is right around 90 degrees, according to The Weather Channel, and the head index will likely soar into the triple digits.

There is a slight chance of rain Saturday, but other than that, fans and players will just have to deal with the heat.

Arkansas’ Starting Rotation (2021 stats)

Friday - Jr. LHP Patrick Wicklander (16 games/12 starts, 6-1, 2.17 ERA, 79 K/22 BB, 70 2/3 IP)

Saturday - TBA

Sunday - TBA

The only starter head coach Dave Van Horn announced ahead of the series is Wicklander for Game 1, which isn’t a surprise considering he is the Razorbacks’ ace.

He left the next two days open. Although he didn’t specifically name any possibilities, left-hander Lael Lockhart (3-3, 4.50 ERA) is likely to get the nod in one of the games if it goes a full three games.

The other spot could be any one of several right-handers - Caleb Bolden (2-0, 4.50 ERA), Jaxon Wiggins (3-1, 5.09 ERA) or even Connor Noland (1-0, 6.75 ERA) - but it’s unclear exactly who it’ll be and which game they’d start.

In the Polls

Arkansas entered the postseason as the unanimous No. 1 team in college baseball, while North Carolina State used a hot finish to get back inside the top 25 of all six major polls. The Wolfpack were ranked as high as No. 16 by Baseball America and D1Baseball.

Scouting the Opponent

Record: 33-17 (19-14 ACC)

RPI: No. 35

Head coach: Elliott Avent (25th season)

Series history: first meeting

N.C. State’s starting rotation (2021 stats)

Friday - Jr. RHP Reid Johnston (14 games/10 starts, 8-2, 3.90 ERA, 86 K/21 BB, 87 2/3 IP)

Saturday - Fr. RHP Sam Highfill (14 games/14 starts, 7-2, 3.95 ERA, 72 K/22 BB, 79 2/3 IP)

Sunday - Fr. RHP Matt Willadsen (17 games/12 starts, 5-3, 4.97 ERA, 68 K/25 BB, 79 2/3 IP)

N.C. State’s top hitters (2021 stats)

~LF Jonny Butler: .389/.463/.678, 12 HR, 46 RBI, 15-16 SB

~CF Tyler McDonough: .351/.439/.664, 15 HR, 43 RBI, 13-17 SB

~1B Austin Murr: .329/.379/.524, 7 HR, 31 RBI

~DH Terrell Tatum: .321/.431/.554, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 15-17 SB

Super Regional History

The current format of the NCAA Tournament, which includes a regional and super regional round before the College World Series, was introduced in 1999. This is the ninth time Arkansas has reached the super regional since then and the fifth time for North Carolina State.

Of their previous eight appearances, the Razorbacks have won and advanced to the College World Series six times. That includes winning four straight (over Baylor in 2012, Missouri State in 2015, South Carolina in 2018 and Ole Miss in 2019), but each of those went a full three games.

The Wolfpack have won only one super regional, making it to Omaha by sweeping the Raleigh Super Regional against Rice in 2013. Their only other College World Series appearance came in 1968, before the current format.

HR Tracker

It didn’t take long for Arkansas to catch and then break its single-season home run record last week. Five home runs against NJIT got the Razorbacks to 98 long balls for the season, matching the 2018 team, and then Matt Goodheart hit a leadoff home run against Nebraska the next day to break the record.

Strikeout Tracker

Although it hasn’t received as much attention as the home run chase, Arkansas has also blown past the single-season school record for strikeouts. The Razorbacks set the record of 619 during the 2017 season and then matched that total in 2018.

With 10 more strikeouts in Monday’s win over Nebraska, Arkansas pitchers now have 628 this season. It is averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings this year, which ranks 15th nationally heading into the super regionals.