Oregon State Will Test Razorbacks' Patience, Focus
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Arkansas Razorbacks are known for throwing haymakers, but if No. 4 Oregon State's 10-4 win over No. 14 Texas Tech at Globe Life Field Wednesday night is any indicator, the Hogs will not only find themselves in a battle of contrasting styles this Friday, but in need of extreme patience.
The Beavers' coaching staff decided to put their team in as good of a position as possible when facing Arkansas. That meant getting to Arlington a couple of days earlier to play the Red Raiders at the end of their own three-game stretch at the home of the World Champion Texas Rangers.
By catching Texas Tech with what would be its normal Sunday rotation, Oregon State could be more creative with its own pitching choices, preserving its typical Friday rotation while getting acclimated to the ballpark and hotel life in North Texas. In addition, the team would get nearly a full two days' rest before a showdown with Arkansas to kick off a three-game series in the Kubota College Baseball Series.
What went down in that game was a masterclass of how to string together big innings with patience at the plate. Twice the Beavers put together four-run innings, both occurring in similar fashion.
Just look at the play-by-play sequence for both big innings:
3rd Inning
Caraway double down third base line.
Bazzana walk on four straight pitches.
McDowell double down right field line on 2-2 pitch. Scores Caraway.
Gurerra hit by pitch on five pitches where he saw four strikes, fouling off three.
[New Texas Tech pitcher]
Kasper walks on four straight pitches. Bazzana scores.
Hainline lines out to right field on full count. McDowell scores.
Turley walks on six pitches. Loads bases.
Macias flies out to right field on 2-0 pitch. Guerra scores.
Smith walks on four pitches.
Wild pitch scores Kasper. All runners advance.
[New Texas Tech pitcher]
Caraway strikes out swinging on seven pitches. Saw five strikes, fouled off three.
Inning total: 5 runs, 2 hits, 5 walks, 2 sac flies, 3 pitchers, 48 pitches
6th Inning
Peterson strikes out swinging on four pitches.
Smith walks in five pitches.
Caraway hit by pitch on full count after seeing seven pitches. Three were strikes. Fouled off two.
[New Texas Tech pitcher]
Bazzana grounds out to third on three pitches.
McDowell walks on five pitches to load bases.
[New Texas Tech pitcher]
McDowell doubles down left field line on 1-1 pitch. Three runs score.
Kasper singles through right side on 1-1 count. Run scores.
Kasper steals second to get in scoring position.
Hainline flies out to center field on four pitches.
Inning total: 4 runs, 2 hits, 3 walks, 2 pitchers, 33 pitches
The lesson here is simple. Hagan Smith is going to have to shake off the tough start last week and be the pitcher everyone knows he can be. Then, when he's done, Will McEntire is going to have to be the man he was in relief of Smith against James Madison.
These are veterans who aren't likely to let patient hitters get under their skin. Oregon State has an order that from top to bottom can find ways to stay at the plate long enough to draw social security.
If a pitch is close, but not the one they want, they will foul it off. They are looking for the right pitch and are difficult to strike out. All they need is a mistake. That can either be letting too many balls drift out of the zone, or grooving one down the middle. They really don't care either way.
While the Razorbacks will get a run here or a couple of runs there across several innings off home runs, the Beavers are playing the long game. They're looking to wear out a pitching staff to get to guys with less mental toughness who can't handle the constant pressure.
The thought process is eventually every team has a breaking point, and that's when they rack up big numbers on the score board. Against Cal State Bakersfield, Oregon State found itself tied 2-2 going into its last two at-bats. The Beavers won 15-2 after finally wearing down the Roadrunners pitching staff to take advantage late with six runs and seven runs to close the game.
Against Minnesota, a five-run third was enough to take down the Golden Gophers, 6-4. Seven runs in the fourth and three in the sixth sank New Mexico.
Let's not get it twisted. On the right day, the Beavers can show power. That seven-run fourth came off three home runs. Oregon State hit seven that day in Surprise, Arizona. All but one was hit by a different batter.
The big inning is going to happen on most nights against the Beavers. Arkansas might be the only team in the country that has a pitching staff that can hold up to such an approach and even that is going to prove difficult.
Oregon State is built to make a deep run this year. The coaching staff is willing to play the long game. The Beavers will be competitive in ace on ace match-ups, taking more than they lose. Then it's downhill from there as they work deeper into opposing rotations.
Because of this, Friday night could very well be a preview of what college baseball fans can anticipate in Omaha. Both of these teams have very good chances of being there and the odds of a possible 2018 national championship rematch should they end up on opposite sides of the bracket will be among the most likely pairings in college baseball.
It should be an interesting game. One thing is for sure. Hog fans will learn a lot about the mental make-up of this team by 11 p.m. Friday night.
HOGS FEED:
TRANSFER TRACKER SEASON OFFICIALLY BEGINS FOR ARKANSAS BASKETBALL
BLOCKER BRINGS SOMETHING TO HOGS LATE IN SEASON THAT CAN'T BE MEASURED IN STATS
LOOKS LIKE RAZORBACK BASKETBALL CONVINCED FANS TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE ONCE AGAIN
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