FAYETTEVILLE -- Univeristy of Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad is over the flu that kept him from playing in the Razorbacks' exhibition game at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock last week.
But Kjerstad said he is now battling an ear infection and pink eye.
"It hasn't been the best week of the fall health-wise," Kjerstad said.
Even not at full strength, Kjerstad went 4-for-5 with a walk and 6 RBI and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle during an intrasquad scrimmage Thursday at Baum Stadium. Kjerstad's White team defeated the Cardinal team 12-4 to sweep the best-of-three Cardinal and White Series, Arkansas' end to the fall practice season.
"It just shows you don't have to have it every day when you go out there; you don't have to be 100 percent," Kjerstad said. "You've just got to go out every day and go through the same process and stick with your game, and not worry about whether you're 100 percent or 80 percent. You just keep playing."
Kjerstad hit an RBI double off Cardinal starter Kole Ramage to open the scoring in the first inning, a three-run home run off reliever Jacob Kostyshock to put his team ahead 7-0 in the fourth and a two-run single against Kostyshock in the fifth that made the score 11-0.
Kjerstad's home run to right-center field was the highlight of the scrimmage, a shot that came on a 3-2 slider from Kostyshock, who struck out five while heavily relying on the off-speed pitch. Kjerstad was looking for a fastball, but Kostyshock left the pitch up in the strike zone.
"That's pretty much what we've seen most of the fall from him, and that's two hits a game," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I know today he had a home run, a double and a single and [some] RBIs there in the middle of the game that put the game away. He was a tough out and battled, and I think he would tell you that he struck out more this fall than he wanted to, but he also hit .400 or .450."
Kjerstad was batting third in the lineup behind sophomore shortstop Casey Martin, who was 2-for-6 and scored twice.
"I think both of them have done a great job this fall of just coming out and leading," Van Horn said. "It's more by example than verbal. They're both kind of quiet guys. Hopefully they'll continue to work hard this offseason and get bigger and stronger."
Redshirt freshman second baseman Jacob Nesbit was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. Along with Trevor Ezell, a graduate transfer from Southeast Missouri State, Nesbit is a candidate to replace departed All-SEC second baseman Carson Shaddy in the starting lineup.
Arkansas will reassemble for team practice in late January. The Razorbacks open the 2019 season with a three-game series against Eastern Illinois that begins Feb. 15 at Baum Stadium.
Sports on 10/19/2018