Ask Mike: Softball to Supers, McEntire Is Super & Is an NIL Change Coming?

Q. Our first question this week is from Hawgredneck who asks: Can the softball Razorbacks make it to Oklahoma City? I think this is the year. They were given a tough field for the Fayetteville Regional and they passed the test with flying colors. Ole Miss is going down.

A. I really thought that second game against Oklahoma State might be a nail biter. It was never close. Arkansas stood out in all three phases of the game. Pitching, hitting and defense. That’s why they won it 12-0. Arkansas has to be chomping at the bit to get another crack at Ole Miss. For them to punch their ticket to OKC and do it by beating Ole Miss in a super regional would be fitting.

As far as the super regional matchup, Arkansas is 43-12 overall, Ole Miss is 40-18. Arkansas went 14-10 in the SEC, Ole Miss 11-13. Arkansas has a team batting average .327, Ole Miss is at .309. The Lady Rebels have a slightly better team ERA but Arkansas has played better defense. Common opponents? Arkansas swept Kentucky. Ole Miss lost two of three to the Lady ‘Cats. Ole Miss lost two of three to South Carolina. Arkansas won two of three from them. Ole Miss lost two of three to Tennessee. Arkansas won two of three from the Lady Vols.

I think Arkansas is going to Oklahoma City.

Plus it was announced on Tuesday that Bri Ellis has been named the player of the year in college softball by Softball America. She and three of her teammates were named All Americans.

Q. Popular Porkster says: The TV guys talk about the Aloy brothers a lot which is fine but now that post season is here I like the way Helfrick is coming on at just the right time. His grand slam was the difference winning and losing the Tennessee series.

A. I loved what DVH said about Helfrick. He said catchers are usually beat up physically so it’s hard for them to be high level hitters. He said to Helfrick, “if they are hitting the way you are right now they have to be tough and mean.” He said he asked Helfrick, “is that you?” Helfrick said, “yes.”

Q. HogFromAshdown says: What do you Nate Thompson haters have to say now? Tennessee’s Liam Doyle had the best earned run average in the SEC and Arkansas just destroyed him with 11 hits, 8 runs and 3 HRs. He lasted just 4 innings and by the time he left he looked like he’d seen a ghost.

A. You have a point. When Tennessee won game on with its number 2 pitcher I thought Arkansas was cooked. I didn’t see anyway they could score more than two or three runs off Doyle, if that, and yes, he was in total shock. No team had done that to him all season. To me that was Arkansas biggest single win of the SEC season.

Q. WVHogfan says: Unless we outscore our opponents, our post season may be cut short without consistent pitching. I hope I’m wrong. What say you?

A. This stuff goes back and forth almost weekly. Root has been okay but not great for the last two weeks. Gage Wood is about the same. He’s good for two or three innings. It seems like with the bullpen if a certain receiver struggles on a weekend somebody else steps up. I’m intrigued by Will McEntire and what he did against Tennessee in game three. Cole Gibler, Parker Coil & Christian Foutch are looking good.

Arkansas is 5th in the SEC in team ERA a right at 4 runs per game. Certainly their chances of getting to Omaha and possibly winning it all would improve if the pitching picks up over the next month.

Q. HillCountryRazorback asks: Does Will McEntire have more lives than a cat? He’s been up. He’s been down. Just when I think he’s done he’s not. Six years and he’s saving the best for last.

A. He’s had his struggles and he admitted that after his great relief effort against Tennessee. He hasn’t pitched a lot this season and I think it’s helped him. His arm is fresh. His fast ball is up in velosity. He’s got good movement on it. He’s spotting his curveball, his change up and his cutter really well. He’s worked his butt off to get better and it look’s like it’s paid off.

Also McEntire has a history of pitching well in post season play.

Q. mousetown says: After a big K in the 8th Willy Mac yelled the F word at the Tennessee batter. I’m all for giving it back to the showboating Vols anytime we can but it did seem out of character for Arkansas and McEntire. Any idea what triggered him?

A. Clearly it was the stall tactics Tennessee batters had been using the entire weekend. It’s something that Tony Vitello coaches to try to get opposing pitchers out of rhythm. The particular batter he yelled at had called time and slowly walked over to the dugout to change his batting helmet. After the delay McEntire struck him out on the next pitch and as the kid walked back to the dugout Mc Entire took a verbal shot at him. Hog fans loved it.

Q. sgiles says: Tenn fans are saying they lost the series because of a bad call by the first base ump on a pickoff that was waved off by a balk (was it really a balk?) Did we just get the break of the century? If so it’s about time.

A. Analyzing a true balk is not always a simple thing to do. I hear fans complain all the time that the balk is not called enough. The game commentators clearly thought it was a bad call. I’m not really sure. It definitely changed the game but there’s no way to know if Arkansas would not have won without it. Vitello was asked about it on one of those in-game interviews. He said a team hadsto be able to overcome bad breaks like that. Clearly Tennessee didn’t. If that call had been on an Arkansas pitcher and Tennessee had loaded the bases and hit a grand slam I would probably be complaining about it being a bad call.

Q. Eddylynn says: I was disappointed when Dietz gave up those two homers in game one against the Vols. DVH said his velocity was down. Has there been anything else said about that? Sounds ominous.

A. Nothing has been said about it since Van Horn’s post game comment so I wouldn’t worry. I doesn’t sound like there’s a physical problem with Dietz.

Q. parallaxpig asks: With the UA’s drive to raise capital, how long before they require fans in the hog pen to purchase beer at the baseball game? Nothing would surprise me any more.

A. Well it hasn’t happened yet so be glad about that. Again, I understand why all these money making changes have been made. We talk about it all the time on this show. Hunter Yurachek is having to do something no other Arkansas AD has ever had to do, raise over $20 million a year to play players. Fans who complain need to put themselves in his position and ask what they would do to raise that money.

KyHog says: Is Karter Knox coming back? If he does is that it for Cal’s roster next season? No more additions? What about Fland going to Florida? Kentucky fans love it.

I’m hearing he’s coming back and that another player will could be added to the roster after Knox announces his decision. Fland to Florida has been rumored since he pulled out of the draft. Picking the Gators was not a surprise. There were rumors that he might come back to Arkansas but the bottom line, the team will be loaded with guards next season while the Gators need a guard like Fland.

He made a good choice.

Q. Edwardclutch says: I was pleased to see the raffle was a success. When I bought tickets I noticed it was being run by the Razorback Foundation and not Arkansas Edge.

Does this mean a majority of the money raised won’t be going to NIL? Just confused as to why this isn’t being done by the NIL collective.

A. The latest thing I’m hearing about the upcoming revenue sharing plan for college athletics is that most NIL money will be controlled by athletic departments instead of private collectives. That’s why the raffle money is being funneled to the Razorback Foundation. After the new plan is approved the raffle money can be used by the athletic department. By doing it this way NIL money can be capped just like revenue sharing funds. This will prevent certain schools from doing what Texas is doing right now in football. Spending $30 or $40 million dollars on football players alone.