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WATCH: Arkansas punches ticket to Super Regionals with Hagen Smith strikeout

by: Austin Brezina06/07/22AustinBrezina59
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Photo courtesy of Arkansas Razorbacks Athletics

The Arkansas Razorbacks advance to the Super Regional round with a 7-3 win over Oklahoma State after a pair of clutch innings by Hagen Smith. Smith took over pitching duties to close the game in the eighth inning with one runner on base and no outs. He hit the first batter he faced with a pitch and got one out on a fielder’s choice that advanced a runner to third base.

Smith then walked the next batter, loading the bases with just one out recorded. He then proceeded to completely dominate on the mound, striking out both batters the Cowboys sent up to finish the inning without giving up a run. In the ninth inning, Smith struck out another two batters — including a full-count strike three right over the plate as the Oklahoma State batter watched it fly by.

Arkansas advances to Super Regionals

Arkansas now advances to the Super Regional after a wild Stillwater Region that saw the last four games combine for well over 100 runs. The Cowboys were on the brink of elimination after Arkansas mounted an incredible comeback in their first matchup — including an eight-run inning to take the lead. Arkansas won their first meeting 20-12, pushing Oklahoma State into a game against Missouri State on Sunday.

Missouri State took a 12-run lead over Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys refused to give up and came back to win by an incredible 14 runs with a final score of 29-15. They defeated Arkansas on Sunday night in the rematch game despite another Razorbacks comeback, forcing the rubber match on Monday to decide the region. The Razorbacks will now play North Carolina for a trip to Omaha.

One of the biggest stars for Arkansas during their regional performance was catcher Michael Turner, who recently was the subject of a vicious rant from an area-based ESPN radio host. James McCann, a former Razorback turned MLB pro, shared his support for Turner after his performance this weekend while taking a subtle shot at his critics.

“Good for you, kid,” tweeted McCann. “Show ‘em what a Razorback looks like.”