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Published Mar 16, 2021
PREVIEW: Oklahoma comes to Baum for Hogs' 1st midweek
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Andrew Hutchinson  •  HawgBeat
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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.

How to Watch

First pitch: 5 p.m. CT

TV: SEC Network (Dari Nowkhah and Mike Rooney)

Stream: ESPN3.com or ESPN app (with cable provider's log-in credentials)

Listen: Razorback Sports Network (click here)

Pitching Matchup

Arkansas: Jr. LHP Patrick Wicklander (3 games/0 starts, 0-0, 3.68 ERA, 7 K/1 BB, 7 1/3 IP)

Oklahoma: R-So. LHP Braden Carmichael (3 games/2 starts, 2-0, 3.27 ERA, 11 K/5 BB, 11 IP)

It will be Wicklander's first start of the season after beginning the season in the bullpen despite being a weekend starter his first two years with the Razorbacks. Click here for head coach Dave Van Horn's reasoning behind the decision and what he's looking for from the lefty.

The Sooners are also starting a left-hander, as Carmichael is getting his third nod of the season. He started - and earned a no decision in - Oklahoma's 20-13 loss to Arizona at the Frisco College Classic, but has otherwise been a midweek guy.

The Opponent

Oklahoma

Record: 8-7

Head coach: Skip Johnson (4th season)

Series history: Arkansas leads 14-12 (streak: Oklahoma has won three straight)

Top Hitters

~Tyler Hardman: .492/.587/.695, 2 HR, 15 RBI

~Tanner Tredaway: .356/.435/.458, 1 HR, 13 RBI

~Conor McKenna: .322/.420/.593, 4 HR, 15 RBI

Notes and Tidbits

~Tuesday's game will be Oklahoma's fourth in three days, as weather pushed its series with Arkansas State back a couple of days and forced the Sooners to play a doubleheader Sunday and Game 3 on Monday.

~Van Horn said he plans to start at least seven or eight of his usual starters rather than give young players some action because he wants to get them going ahead of this weekend's SEC-opening series against Alabama.

~The one spot in the field that hasn't quite been settled is left field, as Braydon Webb is struggling at the plate (1 for 24) and Zack Gregory doesn't exactly have the power you'd expect from a corner outfielder. "Nobody’s really grabbed it," Van Horn said. "We just need somebody to be really consistent and hit the ball hard. Outfield is a position where you need to be a threat offensively. Right now, the left field spot is up for grabs."

~Speaking of Webb, this will be a fun matchup for his family, as it matches him up with his twin brother, Braxton Webb, who is a left-handed pitcher for the Sooners.

~Tuesday will be the first game at Baum-Walker Stadium this season since Arkansas announced it would expand capacity by 1,200. Attendance had been capped at just 4,218 for the Razorbacks' first two home series because of the pandemic. "I'm excited to just have more fans in the stadium," Van Horn said. "I'm looking forward to seeing the difference a little bit. ... I think we will have a full crowd, what we're allotted."

Quotable

Van Horn, on the scouting report of Oklahoma

"Oklahoma can really hit. You look at their numbers, they’re hitting over .300 and they seem to walk a little bit and don’t strike out a whole lot. They are scoring a lot of runs. ... They are an offensive team and they have good talent, so it will be a battle tomorrow."

Van Horn, on the Hogs' first loss of the season and whether it could be a "good loss" that refocuses the team ahead of SEC play

"I think time will tell on that. If we play well tomorrow and this weekend, then maybe it was. Obviously you want to win every game. It frustrates you when you lose a game like that because we had a chance to break it open and we just couldn’t get the big hit. ... It’s just kind of the breaks of the game sometimes. Hopefully they didn’t like that feeling of losing and they’ll get hooked up and ready to go this week."

Arkansas-Oklahoma Stat Comparison
StatOklahomaArkansas

Batting average

.306

.274

Slugging percentage

.443

.494

On-base percentage

.414

.400

Home runs

12

21

Runs/game

8.0

7.3

ERA

6.43

3.39

WHIP

1.50

1.23

Strikeouts/9 innings

9.54

10.82

Strikeout-to-walk ratio

2.01

2.45

Fielding percentage

.966

.985

Stolen bases/game

0.93

1.69

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