FOOTBALL
Ex-Clemson DT transferring to Arkansas
Former Clemson defensive tackle Xavier Kelly has announced plans to play his final season at Arkansas after entering the NCAA transfer portal Jan. 18.
He made an official visit to Fayetteville in January.
“The visit went very well,” Kelly said after his visit. “I can see the whole university is surrounded by great people that are trying to change the program around, so it was a good visit.”
Kelly, 6-4, 305 pounds, originally chose Clemson over offers from Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Alabama out of Wichita (Kan.) East High School in 2016.
He redshirted as a freshman. He played in eight games as a red-shirt freshman and recorded 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack. Kelly had 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble in 93 snaps in 10 games as a sophomore. Last season, he had 9 tackles, half a sack, 2 pass breakups and 1 recovered fumble in 87 snaps in 10 games.
— Richard Davenport
BASEBALL
Kjerstad, Noland honored by SEC
The No. 5 University of Arkansas’ season-opening sweep of Eastern Illinois led to individual honors for junior outfielder Heston Kjerstad and sophomore right-hander Connor Noland on Monday. Kjerstad was selected as co-SEC player of the week, and Noland was the SEC pitcher of the week as chosen by the SEC office, giving the Razorbacks their first sweep of those honors since joining the SEC for the 1992 season.
Kjerstad, who hit .583 with 4 home runs and 10 RBI against the Panthers, also pulled down a national player of the week award from Collegiate Baseball. The 6-3, 205-pounder from Amarillo, Texas, had two home runs in both Friday’s 5-1 win and Sunday’s 12-3 series finale to give him six multihomer games in his career. He went 7 for 12 at the plate, with all of his hits producing runs, and had a titanic slugging percentage of 1.667.
Noland did not allow an earned run on 2 hits and 1 walk in 6 2/3 innings of the season opener. He struck out a career-high 11, half of the Eastern Illinois batters he faced.
— Tom Murphy
Razorbacks-UAPB tickets on sale today
Tickets for the University of Arkansas’ nonconference game against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock will go on sale at 6 p.m. today.
The game, scheduled for April 29, is the 11th contest that the Razorbacks will play at the home of the Arkansas Travelers, the Class AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
Tickets will be available only at travs.com. General admission tickets — including berm, bleachers and standing room — are $15. Reserved seats are $18, and box seats are $20. Fans who purchase tickets for the berm and standing room are allowed to bring blankets and folding chairs to the game.
UCA game moved to Wednesday
The University of Central Arkansas announced Monday that its home game against Memphis has been moved from today to Wednesday because of expected inclement weather.
UCA and Memphis will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Bear Stadium in Conway.
The Bears are 1-2 after their season-opening series against Missouri State last weekend.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Alcorn State tops UAPB
Deshaw Andrews scored 17 points and Maurice Howard had 13 points to lead Alcorn State (12-12, 8-5 SWAC) to a 60-52 victory over the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-22, 2-11) on Monday night in Lorman, Miss.
Terrance Banyard had 16 points to lead UAPB while Zavian Jackson chipped in 11.
Alcorn State led 35-21 at halftime and won despite shooting 36.5% from the floor. UAPB shot 42.8% from the floor.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UAPB falls on the road
Trasity Totten of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff missed a three-pointer at the buzzer as Alcorn State escaped with a 57-54 victory Monday night in Lorman, Miss.
Kirdis Clark made 1 of 2 free throws with three seconds left to put Alcorn State up 57-54. After a turnover by the Lady Lions, Kyeonia Harris fouled Cayla Obillo, who missed both free throws. Totten grabbed the rebound and UAPB called a 30-second timeout with one second left. Totten got one last shot, but her attempt was no good.
Harris led UAPB (4-19, 3-10 SWAC) with 10 points. Clark led Alcorn State (11-14, 7-6) with 18 points.
SOFTBALL
Green earns SEC award
Arkansas junior catcher Kayla Green won the SEC softball player of the week award, the league announced Monday.
Green is the second Razorback catcher to earn the award, joining Jennifer Cirigliano in 1997.
During the Razorbacks’ 3-0 weekend at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational, Green went 6 for 9. She had three hits against Furman and three RBI against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. On Sunday, she had two hits — including an RBI double — against Florida Gulf Coast.
MEN’S GOLF
Arkansas 14th in California
The University of Arkansas is in 14th place with a 293 after the first round at The Prestige in La Quinta, Calif.
Pepperdine leads with a 275 while Texas Tech is in second place with a 278.
Individually, Tyson Reeder is in fifth place with a 68 after posting five birdies on his back nine. He trails Joey Vrzich of Pepperdine by two strokes.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Razorbacks ninth in Mexico
The University of Arkansas is in ninth place with nine holes left in the LJGA Collegiate Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. Arkansas shot a 292 in the second round. Through the first nine holes of the third round, the Razorbacks shot a 145 to trail LSU by 22 strokes. Individually, Maria Hoyos shot a 67 in the second round and is tied for eighth with a 178.
Democrat-Gazette Press Services