Bombs Away! Plenty of Power for Hogs at Annual Fall Classic
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Fans flocked to Baum-Walker Stadium to catch the Diamond Hogs in action in the 2023 Fall Classic as a hors d'oeuvre before Saturday's football clash against BYU. The Gray team functioned as the road squad and the Cardinal as the home for the intrasquad scrimmage.
Returning junior right fielder Kendall Diggs didn't waste any time greeting junior Brady Tygart rather rudely and depositing a two-run homer two batters into the game for Gray team the in front of Mizzou graduate transfer outfielder Ty Wilmsmeyer's walk.
Fellow transfer junior lefty Mason Molina made quite the start, striking out the side in the bottom of the first. Freshman lefty Hunter Dietz impressed with a 1-2-3 inning of his own for the Cardinal team in the top of the second.
"The arms continue to impress me," head coach Dave Van Horn said. “We had some guys up to 97-98... A lot of guys threw the ball extremely well. I just really like what I'm seeing. We threw six lefties and they all got something."
Last year's starting catcher senior Parker Rowland is once again in a battle for the top job behind the dish with junior Texas Tech transfer Hudson White, senior Hudson Polk and freshman Ryder Helfrick. Rowland launched a solo shot in the bottom of the second to get the Cardinal on the board. A wild pitch error tied the game.
Polk would hit a 425-foot leadoff homer to dead center of his own in the top of the third, a booming shot off sophomore righty Ben Bybee and gave the Gray team the lead again.
Diggs would show off his glove as well, making a spectacular grab up against the right field wall to rob Sacramento State transfer infielder Wehiwa Aloy of a potential homer.
"Outfield is my position now," Diggs said. "It's nice to know that. It's nice to specialize in something and just keep getting better every single day. He (Van Horn) also says it doesn't always look pretty, but I've been catching them. I agree but the end goal is to catch the ball."
Last year's weekend starter senior Will McEntire faced the minimum thanks to a strong throw from Helfrick for a caught stealing. Sophomore Christian Foutch pitched a clean inning of his own for the Gray team.
JUCO transfer outfielder Will Edmunson joined the dinger parade in the top of the fifth with a 391-foot two-run homer to right-center and stretch the Gray advantage to 5-2.
Freshmen Tate McGuire and Colin Fisher traded scoreless innings in the sixth as both try to carve out a role in a pitching staff that will be without some key pieces from last year's SEC-winning bullpen to start the year, including redshirt junior Dylan Carter.
Two runs in the top of the seventh set up by an infield single from freshman infielder Nolan Souza and a double by graduate outfielder Jack Wagner made the final score 7-2.
The Razorbacks will continue their fall scrimmages on Sunday. The 2024 season starts on Feb. 16 against James Madison at Baum-Walker Stadium.
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