Life in the Valley

Murray State Takes on Arkansas Monday to Stay Alive in Omaha

No one said this was going to be easy.

After a 6-4 loss to UCLA in their opening game at the College World Series, the Murray State Racers now face the tough road through the loser’s bracket if they are going to significantly extend their Omaha stay.

That trek begins Monday afternoon when the Racers take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in an elimination game. The Hogs fell to LSU Saturday night, 4-1, to end up in this game. LSU plays UCLA in a winner’s bracket game Monday evening.

Saturday, the Racers fell into a 6-0 hole before rallying to get within 2 runs late. But the deficit proved too much. UCLA got to starter Nic Schutte for 6 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings, with 4 walks and 3 strikeouts on 90 pitches. Despite the loss, however, a strong bullpen effort by Dylan Zentko kept Murray State within striking distance and limited the use on the relievers going into the Arkansas game.

Zentko pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit with 0 walks. He also managed to get 8 outs on just 30 pitches, an impressive 3.75 pitches per out, and a number that, with the day off on Sunday, could mean he’s available for an inning or two Monday. Reese Oakley got the last out of the UCLA 8th with just 1 pitch. Graham Kelham is fresh for Monday’s game, having not pitched since last Monday’s Super Regional clincher over Duke.

Much like the first game in that Duke series, which the Blue Devils won 7-4, Murray State struggled to get anything beyond singles against 6 Bruin pitchers. The Racers’ lone extra-base hit was Dan Tauken’s double. Both teams had 9 hits, and UCLA’s only hits beyond singles were a pair of doubles. But the Racers left 9 men on base, which down 6-0, didn’t seem like it would matter much, but in the 2-run game that it became, it’s a big deal.

UCLA won despite an 0-for-3 day from its star SS Roch Cholowsky, though he did pick up an RBI and had a sac bunt. But Roman Martin and A.J. Salgado picked up their teammate with 2-RBI performances.

The top 3 in the Murray State order were pretty strong, going 6-for-13 with 2 walks – but that combo of Jonathan Hogart, Dustin Mercer, and Carson Garner only scored 1 run.

Murray State will need more offensive production to take down an Arkansas club Monday that can hit and field with the best of them. It tells you how strong LSU’s pitching is that the Razorbacks were held to just 1 run Saturday.

But there’s no mistaking the threat Arkansas presents. If you can find a weakness with this Razorbacks club, you’re a more dedicated college baseball fan than me.

Offensively, Arkansas is a 100/100 team, with 113 doubles and 125 homers – a school record. Seven regulars have at last 13 homers, and Justin Thomas Jr., is knocking on the door of double-digit bombs with 9. Six Razorbacks hit .313 or better, Arkansas bats .310 as a team. If you work them inside, they’ll gladly take a base – the Razorbacks have been plunked 84 times this season. Work away or off the plate? Arkansas has got you there, too, drawing 327 walks in 63 games. With all that traffic on base, they’ve only hit into 32 double plays. And they’ll steal a base if they have to, with a modest 49 swipes on the season, led by 9 from Charles Davalan, who leads the Hogs in hitting at .353.

Wehiwa Aloy won Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors and his numbers are no joke. Aloy is hitting .348 with 20 homers and 64 driven. The homers lead the club, while he’s second in RBIs to his brother, Kuhio Aloy, who has driven in 70. Five Razorbacks have at least 57 RBIs this season. Wehiwa Aloy has scored 78 runs – 10th in the country (Hogart has 80).

Arkansas (48-14) has a .974 OPS, which would be insane enough, until you see that their pitching staff has a 3.92 team ERA, which is almost absurd given 1) the current era of offense in college baseball, and 2) the fact they play in the SEC and all the good hitters and offenses in that league.

East Carolina transfer Zach Root, who Valley fans will remember from the Greenville Regional last season that Evansville won, started the LSU game and found himself down 3-0 early. Gabe Gaeckle worked 6 innings in relief, eliminating him from the starting nod vs. Murray State. That likely means Landon Beidelschies draws the assignment. A menacing lefty and Ohio State transfer, Beidelschies has made 12 starts and is 4-0 with a 4.92 ERA. But he only averages a little more than 4 innings per start. He’s only gone 8 innings combined in his last 3 starts.

With the starter not likely to last long, and Gaeckle throwing 90 pitches vs. LSU, Dylan Carter (6-0, 2.18), Christian Fetch (1-0, 4.09, 4 saves), Will McEntire (1-0, 2.59) and Parker Coil (3-0, 1.27) are all potential names to watch, but the Razorbacks’ reliever corps is very deep. They’re well-equipped if they have to go long innings again Monday.

If all that wasn’t enough, don’t expect the Razorbacks to make any mistakes. Their .984 fielding percentage is best in the country.

Arkansas’ head coach is Dave Van Horn, a legend in the sport who has everything a college baseball man could possibly ask for – except a Division I College World Series championship. This is Arkansas’ 8th CWS appearance under Van Horn, who also took Nebraska to the event twice prior to arriving at Arkansas. He won a D-II CWS as head coach at Central Missouri State.

If you’ve concluded from all this that Murray State must play its best game of the season to win this game – well, you’re right. Arkansas will jump on any mistake and likely won’t make any themselves.

But if Murray State has taught us anything this postseason – never say never. The Racers are 3-0 when facing elimination in this NCAA Tournament. They’ll need to draw on that experience to succeed Monday.

Ed Morgans is the founder of MVCBaseball.com. An Evansville graduate, Ed has written about and broadcast college baseball, while following the sport for 40 years