How many bullets did we dodge?  It was hard to keep track…

• The 9th through the 12th innings all saw the UVA leadoff man reach base.
• Before slapping a single to center, Zack Cox was down to the Hogs last strike of the season.
• Dallas Keuchel goes to a 3-0 count with the bases loaded, winning run on third, and battles back to record the out.
• A double play, turned by two freshmen, to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.

Erasing a season full of frustration at the plate (.227 batting average), Brett Eibner’s blast to tie the game in the ninth is a highlight for the ages.  Late subs Andrew Darr (GW double in the 12th) and Tim Carver (started the double play in the ninth off a hard hit ball) all came up big, and Keuchel did the rest.  “Fear the Jaw!!!”

Brett Eibner’s CWS home run

(Thanks to RazorVision for the video and to CharlieHog and HogNation — the best Hogs baseball message board around — for uploading it to YouTube.)

A thrilling night, and an incredible team victory by a team that has fought, clawed and scratched their way to the CWS final four.  That kind of effort and resolve has brought out a level of excitement not seen in a while for Razorback Baseball.  The grinding nature of this overachieving team will make this one a “team to remember”…win or lose against LSU.

ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Hogs win CWS Classic in 12 innings

Andrew Darr came up with yet another clutch double to break a 3-3 tie in the top of the 12th inning to lift Arkansas to a 4-3 win over Virginia on Wednesday night in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score, Hogs rally to eliminate Virigina, advance at CWS (Video)
• ESPN.com: Darr, Arkansas knock out Virginia in 12 at CWS, Albright: Hogs survive, but big challenge awaits, SportsCenter Highlight (Video)
• Ryan Malashock: What A Relief, Hultzen Does It All
• Rick Fires: Houdini Hogs
• Chris Cocoles: Keuchel refuses to give in to Cavs, College World Series report
• Brandon Marcello: Extra Special

Updated 6/18/09 7:20 a.m.

Junior Dallas Keuchel allowed just two runs on eight hits and freshman Collin Kuhn hit his first career home run, but the effort was not enough for the No. 11 Arkansas Razorback baseball team as it falls to No. 21 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., 2-1, on Friday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score
• Ryan Malashock: Hogs Drop Pitchers’ Duel, First Kuhn Homer
• Rick Fires: Bats take night off at Alabama

Updated 5/9/09 10:30 a.m.

Dallas Keuchel was brilliant in game one as the No. 7 Arkansas baseball team split a double header with No. 4 LSU on Saturday night at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, taking game one by a score of 11-4, and dropping the second, 5-0.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score (Game 1), Box Score (Game 2)
• Ryan Malashock: Keuchel Nearly Goes Distance, Shuts Down Tigers In Game 1 Win, Ranaudo Involved In Controversial Moments, LSU’s Coleman Shines In Game Two
• Rick Fires: Razorbacks split two with Tigers

Updated 5/3/09 10:30 a.m.

Jacob House had four RBI and Dallas Keuchel pitched six solid innings to lead the No. 7 Arkansas Razorback baseball team to a 9-3 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Friday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score
• Alex Abrams: Hogs Get Help From Tennessee Pitcher, Inside Pitch
• Rick Fires: Hogs’ quick lead stuns Volunteers

Updated 4/25/09 9:30 a.m.

Junior Dallas Keuchel was on top of his game on Friday night at Foley Field in Athens, Ga., as the southpaw tossed seven innings but a ninth-inning rally by the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs led to a 4-3 loss for the No. 5 Arkansas Razorback baseball team.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score
• Vernon Tarver: Razorbacks Fall Just Short, Inside Pitch
• Democrat-Gazette: Georgia slips past Arkansas in ninth

Updated 4/18/09 10:30 a.m.

Freshman Zack Cox hit a three-run home run in the sixth and the combination of Dallas Keuchel and Mike Bolsinger kept No. 28 South Carolina off base to lead the No. 4 Arkansas baseball team to a 6-4 victory at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Friday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score (PDF)
• Vernon Tarver: Arkansas Outlasts South Carolina, Inside Pitch
• Chris Cocoles: Bolsinger nails it down for UA

Updated 4/4/09 9:00 a.m.

Interestingly, the Hogs (3-0, 12-3) did all this without the SEC Player of the Week Chase Leavitt and his gaudy .409 average in the lineup.  Leavitt, who pinch hit on Sunday, was sidelined with a hamstring injury.  But he was not missed thanks in large part to freshman sensation Collin Kuhn.  Kuhn went 6 for 14 this weekend, with 3 runs scored playing left field and leading off.

After a tough weekend last week against California, first baseman Andy Wilkins snapped back and hit two home runs, his fifth and sixth of the year.  And Ben Tschepikow continued his torrid streak, going 5 for 10 with a home run and five RBIs.

Dallas Keuchel was as good as we have seen him for five innings on Friday night.  The junior left-hander from Tulsa pitched seven innings and didn’t allow a hit until the fifth.  Look for pitcher T.J. Forrest to get back into the starting rotation after a good relief stint on Saturday.  Forrest struck out seven in four innings of work to get the win.  Stephen Richards was unhittable, closing both the Saturday and Sunday games.

While it is great to get off to a hot start, and the Hogs good play should not be discounted, it is worth noting that this was the worst Florida baseball team we’ve seen in some time.  There are no “Matt LaPorta‘s” on this team.  And if they had a quality pitcher, we didn’t see him.  Anything short of a sweep might have been giving a game back to the rest of the league.

Confidence is growing for this bunch…you can see it.  Two mid-week games against perennial power Nebraska are on the plate next, before the Razorbacks travel to Auburn (2-1, 12-5) next weekend.

Junior Dallas Keuchel was brilliant on the mound and got good help from the Razorback lineup as the 18th-ranked Arkansas baseball team won its Southeastern Conference opener with the Florida Gators, 11-4, at Baum Stadium on Friday night.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Box Score (PDF), #18 Razorbacks open SEC play with win (Video)
• Vernon Tarver: Gators No Match For Hogs In SEC Opener, Inside Pitch
• Rick Fires: Arkansas powers up, blasts Florida
• Chris Cocoles: Around the horn
• Nate Allen: Diamond Hogs flog Gators in SEC opener

Updated 3/14/09 10:30 a.m.

Dallas Keuchel pitched the Razorback baseball team to a series sweep of South Carolina, 4-2, on senior day in a crucial Southeastern Conference series with a career high 10 strikeouts on Sunday afternoon at Baum Stadium.

Also:

• Hogwired.com: Box Score (PDF)
• Vernon Tarver: Keuchel KO’s South Carolina, Diamond Hogs Notebook
• Jerry L. Reed: Arkansas Seniors Saluted
• Rick Fires: Keuchel silences South Carolina
• Nate Allen: Hogs revive postseason hopes

Updated 5/12/08 10:45 a.m.

Hopes for the postseason are also on the rise.  As their RPI continues to climb (Rivals #26), the most recent projection by Southeastern Baseball has the Hogs making the field of 64.

No doubt a 3-8 SEC start had many thinking about next year.  But after three straight conference series wins over Florida, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, it looks like the bats and starting pitching have finally started coming together at the same time.

Dallas Keuchel (3-2, 4.17), Cliff Springston (5-2, 3.74), and Justin Wells (3-0, 4.97) have all given solid starting performances of late.  And that’s allowed pitching coach Dave Jorn to mostly avoid using an inconsistent bullpen that has blown several big leads this season.

The Razorbacks have recently started finding their stroke at the plate, as well.  Catcher Ryan Cisterna carried the team (three home runs and five RBI) during the Tennessee series.  And infielder Tim Smalling caught fire with four home runs and seven RBIs during Saturday’s doubleheader in Oxford.  Outfielder Chase Leavitt (.509 on-base percentage) has been providing a spark at the top of the batting order.

After a mid-week game tonight against Missouri State, this weekend’s series at home with Alabama will be huge.  Sitting only 1.5 games out of first place in the Western Division, and with two of the final three series at Baum Stadium, the Hogs are poised to make a late charge to finish up what has been a roller coaster of a regular season.

Sophomore Dallas Keuchel pitched a complete game seven hitter for the University of Arkansas baseball team but his efforts came up short as the LSU Tigers came away with the win at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., 4-2, on Sunday afternoon.

Also:

• Hogwired.com: Box Score (PDF)
• Vernon Tarver: Arkansas Offense Falls Flat In Series Finale, Diamond Hogs Notebook
• Rick Fires: Arkansas’ offense runs out of gas

Updated 3/24/08 3:05 p.m.