Brendan Smith

For the first time since June, college baseball has returned. What a glorious sentence that is. From now until June, we will have America’s pastime to fill our weekend afternoons. The first weekend of the 2018 season was full of storylines and exciting finishes. Let’s take a look at the notable performances of this weekend.

Standout Pitching Performance: Hayden Wesneski, RHP, Sam Houston State

Wesneski was excellent for the Bearkats as a freshman, posting a 10-2 record with a 3.93 ERA, earning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors. On Saturday, Wesneski took the hill against Kent State, looking to avenge a heart-breaking 7-4 Friday loss (more on that later). All Wesneski did was twirl a complete game masterpiece, needing just 97 pitches to finish off the Golden Flashes, allowing just four hits, one unearned run, and striking out eight batters while walking none. The Saturday victory set the stage for a series-deciding Sunday matchup, with the Bearkats coming out on top, winning the final two games for a series victory. Both teams are favored to win their respective conferences, so this was one of the better series featured on opening weekend.

Standout Hitting Performance (Part 1): Jake Brodt, INF, Santa Clara

If you have not seen the video yet, check out the damage that Jake Brodt put on Boston College in the seventh inning Saturday. On the day, Brodt was 3-5 with 3 homeruns (2 grand slams), and 10 RBI. Talk about seeing the ball well. Santa Clara would go on to win the game by a wide margin of 20-9, on the back of a 14-run seventh. Boston College was just nine outs away from securing a series win before the late-inning meltdown. Brodt finished the weekend with a .462 average, but Santa Clara was unable to secure a series victory, succumbing to the Eagles 3-1 on Sunday. `

Standout Hitting Performance (Part 2): Casey Martin, INF, Arkansas

What a weekend for the Razorbacks (more on them later). Making his first college start on Saturday, talented freshman Casey Martin certainly put the SEC on notice. Hitting ninth in the order after a pinch-hit debut on Friday, Martin went 4-6 with a homerun, a double and 5 RBI as Arkansas dismantled Bucknell by the score of 32(!)-4. No, that score is not a typo. There were plenty of impressive performances by Arkansas hitters in this game, but to put up the statline that Martin did in the first start of his career is beyond impressive. While Bucknell’s pitching certainly does not compare to the quality arms that Martin will see when conference play rolls around, the stats still speak for themselves. In a crowded infield, Martin may have helped carve out a role for himself after his performance this weekend.

Team of the Week: Arkansas Razorbacks

The numbers speak for themselves. Arkansas mashed and pitched their way to a series sweep over the Bucknell Bison, outscoring Bucknell by a lopsided score of 49-7. Arkansas assured the preseason hype, asserting themselves as not only contenders in a loaded SEC, but also as national title contenders. Holding opponents to a .147 batting average will catapult Arkansas’s staff into the conversation for best staff in the conference despite the small sample size. The offense was as good as advertised, hitting a robust .398 while slugging 17 extra-base hits. Look for Arkansas to challenge defending-champion Florida for the SEC title.

Moment of the Week: Kent State’s Walk-Off Victory

This weekend featured plenty of late-inning heroics, but none were as special as Kent State’s walk-off victory over Sam Houston State Friday night. Twice down to their final strike, the Golden Flashes fought back, with junior infielder Josh Hollander hitting a go-ahead grand slam on a 3-2, 2-out pitch.

Even the camera-man was fooled by Hollander’s power, as they hardly captured the ball leaving the yard. Kent State would go on to lose both of the remaining games, surrendering the season-opening series to Sam Houston State.