Razorbacks are super regional bound

After four innings in game seven, the regional final of the Fayetteville Regional, Nebraska starter (and ace of their staff) Caleb Povich walked off the mound having retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced, just one hit and one walk, and a two run lead, you would have thought Nebraska cruises to a victory. Plus, Arkansas freshman starter Jaxon Wiggins only made it two innings but was replaced by the best pitcher in college baseball, Kevin Kopps. Many hog fans probably did not worry but he had never gone six innings, especially when Wiggins left him with two men on and no one out in the third. Though, the best pitcher in baseball showed why he was in this outing. But, in the top of the fifth, Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz finally got the bats going for the hogs with just his second home run of the season, a solo shot that made the score 2-1. It was his first home run since game two of the opening SEC series versus Alabama on March 20. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn explained that “We’ve seen Casey hit a bunch of balls out of here but I haven’t seen him go down and hit a line drive right handed that hard” about his star catcher. The swing energized not only the Razorback dugout but everyone at Baum-Walker Stadium too. An inning later, Robert Moore, the man many Razorback fans call “Big Hit Bob” launched a 2-1 pitch from reliever Cam Wynne to beyond right field to make it a whole new ball game. It was his fourteenth home run of the year. Offenses became quiet for an inning and a half before star center fielder Christian Franklin at bat in the bottom of the eighth, with a 2-2 count. Nebraska reliever Koty Frank got a quick two outs to open the eighth, so it looked like the game was going to go to the ninth inning tied. But, Franklin fouled off pitches and worked a walk to put the go-ahead baserunner on board. Before you knew it Razorback fans had beer hats on because the bases were loaded after back to back walks following Franklin’s. Replacing Cullen Smith, who went 0-3 batting on Monday, pinch hitter Charlie Welch came to potentially give the hogs their first lead of the game. Welch pinch hit to give Arkansas the outright SEC regular season title with a walk-off hit that looked like Welch would have made it to third base against Florida. Yet another pitcher was in the game for the Cornhuskers, Andrew Bunz, who threw a wild pitch that went behind home plate. That brought the speedy Franklin home. And on the very next pitch, Charlie Welch sent Baum-Walker stadium into a frenzy. Welch hit a no-doubter three run home run. Kevin Kopps only allowed one to reach in the top of the ninth, with two strikeouts in the half inning plus the final out being a popup to his star center fielder Christian Franklin. Arkansas moves on to the Super Regionals to face NC State, the winner of the Ruston Regional, in Fayetteville. My 2021 Super Regional Predictions and 2021 Fayetteville Super Regional Preview will both come out in the coming days.