OMAHA, Neb. — The Omahogs are off to an emphatic and winning start at the College World Series.
Arkansas dominated Stanford 17-2 in its CWS opener behind an offensive explosion and a gem from Connor Noland on the mound.
The Razorbacks move into the winners' bracket of the tournament, where they will await the winner of Ole Miss/Auburn on Monday at 6 p.m.
Noland pitched as efficient a start as the Hogs could've hoped for, tossing 7.2 innings, and allowing just one run on six hits.
The Greenwood native came off to a loud standing ovation at Charles Schwab Field when Dave Van Horn pulled him from the game.
In fact, Noland made history, by tallying the second fewest pitches since 1999 for a starting pitcher who went at least seven innings at Men's College World Series. The senior right-hander finished with 79 pitches.
As for the bats, the Hogs' lineup was dialed in, with every starter tallying at least one hit, and Arkansas scoring in five separate innings. A five-run fifth inning, three-run eighth inning, and six-run ninth inning helped the Hogs pull away from the Cardinal and cruise to the dominating victory.
Peyton Stovall led the way with 4 RBI on a pair of 2-RBI singles.
Cayden Wallace came up huge by going 3-6 with 3 RBI, including a two-run home run, while Chris Lanzilli also had 3 RBI and Michael Turner tallied a 4-for-6 day at the plate.
Braydon Webb and Brady Slavens also had multi-RBI days for the Hogs.
The Razorbacks started the game with a bang, as Braydon Webb ripped a triple to right center on the game's very first pitch.
Webb scored on the next at-bat as Brady Slavens brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Hogs missed a chance to add to the lead before the end of the inning. Jalen Battles stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs but struck out looking to end the inning.
Stanford then produced a quick response in the bottom of the first.
Brock Jones took the first pitch he saw from Connor Noland, and launched it to left field for his 21st home run of the season to the game at 1-1.
After that home run though, Noland settled in, working through six innings on just 56 pitches, with some help from excellent defense in the infield.
The game moved at a quick pace from the second to the fourth innings, before the Hogs struck in a big way in the fifth.
With two on, Chris Lanzilli smacked a 389-foot three-run homer to left field, putting Arkansas up 4-1 and giving the Hogs a huge momentum boost.
Arkansas continued to add to it's lead in the same inning.
After chasing Stanford's starter Alex Williams (4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER), a Ryan Bruno wild pitch brought home Robert Moore from third to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
Zack Gregory extended the lead on the next at bat, sending an RBI single to center that scored Peyton Stovall from second base.
The seventh inning saw Arkansas strike again with a flurry of runs.
After Robert Moore laced a leadoff double to right, Battles sent Moore home with an RBI single that pushed the Hogs' lead to 7-1.
A Brady Slavens infield single pushed across another run, and an RBI-double from Cayden Wallace gave the Razorbacks a 9-1 lead through the top of the seventh inning.
The Hogs continued to pour it on in the eighth inning. A two-RBI double from Peyton Stovall pushed the Arkansas lead to double digits, as the Omahogs built an 11-1 advantage.
Arkansas continued to lay it on the Cardinal in the ninth, exploding for six runs. Wallace launched a two-run home run, Stovall added his second 2-RBI single of the day, and Webb drove home two more runs with a double.
The win marks Arkansas' first postseason victory in Omaha since the Hogs made a run to the CWS Finals in 2018.