Former Rivals Join Forces

Beeks, Oliver Team Up To Help Hogs Form Top Pitching Staff

Chris Oliver, left, and Jalen Beeks, right, pitched against one another in high school, but are both experienced members of the Arkansas' pitching staff and are on the same Cape Cod team, as well.

Chris Oliver, left, and Jalen Beeks, right, pitched against one another in high school, but are both experienced members of the Arkansas' pitching staff and are on the same Cape Cod team, as well.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

FAYETTEVILLE — Jalen Beeks and Chris Oliver are proof fierce rivals can sometimes turn into trusting teammates under the right circumstances.

Beeks and Oliver didn’t exactly envision this scenario just a few short years ago.

In high school, Beeks, a left handed pitcher out of Prairie Grove, and Oliver, a right handed ace from Shiloh Christian, were anything but close teammates. Instead, the two hurlers were right in a middle of a great 4A-1 Conference baseball rivalry between the Tigers and Saints.

But now, the circumstances have lined up just right for the two pitchers to play vital roles for the University of Arkansas.

“It’s a pretty cool thing,” Oliver said. “We’ve played against each other for four years in high school and now we’re together at Arkansas.

“I would have never pictured back then that we would end up at the same place. There’s a lot of colleges out there and I just have never imagined we’d go to the same school.”

Oliver first arrived at Arkansas straight out of high school in time for the 2012 season. Beeks joined the Razorbacks a year later after one season at Crowder College. Together, the former Shiloh Christian and Prairie Grove all-state selections joined forces to help Arkansas develop into the top pitching staff in the entire country.

Oliver finished 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 14 games in 2013, making 14 appearances and one start. Beeks, in his first season with the Hogs, went 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 29 games out of the pen.

“Looking back on it, I didn’t expect to be out there that much,” Beeks said. “When I first came to Arkansas I thought I might redshirt, but I didn’t think I would pitch as much as I did this year.”

While the Arkansas season didn’t end the way either pitcher planned, with a loss in the NCAA Regionals at Kansas State, Beeks’ and Oliver’s individual efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Both pitchers were invited to play in the prestigious Cape Cod League, considered to be the top summer baseball league for college players.

And if playing in the Cape Cod wasn’t enough by itself, the two pitchers received an extra treat when they were assigned to the same Cape Cod team, the Harwich Mariners.

“There’s so many good teams up here and we’re facing the best players in the nation,” Beeks said. “The catchers up here are really good and you have to hit your pitches.

“Right now I’m working as a starter up here and Chris is a closer, and that’s what we’re working on.”

Back when they were in opposite dugouts, Beeks and Oliver went back and forth throughout high school. Prairie Grove and Shiloh Christian had classic duels, which usually included the two ace pitchers on the mound.

No game displayed the rivalry between the two pitchers better than the 2011 Class 4A championship game. Beeks and Oliver went toe to toe, battling for eight innings in a game won by the Saints against the Tigers, 4-3.

Fast forward to now and the rivalry has been replaced by Razorback red.

“We were in the same conference and we faced those guys, gosh knows how many times,” Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron said. “They seemed to always be on the mound for our games against each other.

“But they went from not liking each other and fighting against each other as hard as they could to having a trusting relationship as teammates. And that’s cool to see.”

Beeks figures to possibly be in the mix for a spot in the rotation in 2014, while Oliver could be used as both a starter and reliever next spring. No matter their roles, the two local products should play a big part in Arkansas’ success.

“I think we know in the back of our minds the thing about being from here,” Oliver said. “We don’t talk about it but it’s pretty cool to both be five miles from the school and end up here at the same time.”