FAYETTEVILLE -- After the first two games of the University of Arkansas baseball team's series against Gonzaga, Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn moved Robert Moore from ninth to eighth in the batting order.
After the next two games, Moore showed he probably could bat higher in the order.
Gonzaga couldn't get Moore out in Sunday's finale. He went 2 for 2 with two walks in the No. 5 Razorbacks' 9-5 victory over the Bulldogs before an announced crowd of 1,582 at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas (7-0) completed a four-game sweep of Gonzaga (2-6).
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Moore, a freshman second baseman from Leawood, Kan., went 8 for 12 in the series with a home run and double. He also had 9 runs batted in, 4 runs and 2 stolen bases while making several good plays defensively.
"Good player, plays with a ton of energy and he is going to be outstanding," Gonzaga Coach Mark Machtolf said. "We were really impressed with him. I think he plays beyond his years."
Moore, 17, would have been a senior at Shawnee Mission East High School this season, but he decided to sign with Arkansas as an early enrollee in January. He'll turn 18 on March 31.
"Honestly, him skipping his senior year in high school to come in early and play with us, he's really taken the approach we have and how we play ball here," Arkansas junior shortstop Casey Martin said. "Him being 17 years old and accomplishing what he has here it's been awesome.
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"You don't see a lot of guys who are open to that kind of stuff because they are so young and immature. But he's definitely maturing and taking in the level we play."
Moore, a switch hitter, credited Martin with helping him make a quick adjustment from playing in high school to a major college program with back-to-back College World Series appearances.
"Casey's really helped me a lot with slowing things down," Moore said. "He keeps reminding me to keep the game slow and don't speed it up."
Moore's big weekend at the plate raised his batting average to .375. He came into the series batting .083 after going 1 for 12 last weekend in three games against Eastern Illinois. He also didn't draw a walk.
"Last weekend Robert was just trying to get hits," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He was trying to catch up with all the other guys and swung at pitches and didn't take walks.
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"This weekend, he saw a lot of pitches. He took a couple walks today, yesterday. Fouled off some pitches, got some hits. You just saw more of what he's all about as far as at the plate."
Moore's RBI single gave the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead in the second inning and they stayed ahead the rest of the game.
Martin and center fielder Christian Franklin each hit home runs. Designated hitter Matt Goodheart went 3 for 5 with three RBI and freshman catcher Dominic Tamez, making his first start, went 2 for 2 with 2 runs.
The Razorbacks used six pitchers with starter Caleb Bolden not allowing a run in three innings despite giving up five hits; Marshall Denton striking out the side to strand two runners in the fourth inning; and Zebulon Vermillion retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Van Horn praised his team for it's approach on a cool, rainy afternoon after Arkansas already had taken the first three games of the series.
"Today was more of that trap game for us," Van Horn said. "But our guys showed up today. They just came out and played and showed some real maturity today.
"We didn't have to try to pep anybody up or say, 'Hey, we've got to go get 'em.' We didn't have to say anything. They just got after it."
No Razorback got after it better over the weekend than Moore.
"You wouldn't guess that he's a freshman," Machtolf said. "Much less supposed to be a senior in high school."
Moore said his confidence went up to a certain extent from his play against Gonzaga.
"Confidence level, it boosted it a little bit, but you've just got to stay level," Moore said. "I mean, baseball season has it's highs and lows and extremes of both.
"I just take the same approach each day. Whether you had success the day before or a lot of failures the day before, just you got to wipe it out of your brain as soon as you come to the ballpark because you realize every day brings new challenges and you have to prepare your mind for those.
"Just staying humble and don't let egos get the best of you because this game is really hard and you can be really good one day and really bad the next."
Up next
ARKANSAS VS. OKLAHOMA
WHEN 3 p.m. Central on Friday
WHERE Minute Maid Park, Houston
RECORDS Arkansas 7-0; Oklahoma 7-2
RADIO Razorback Sports Network
Sports on 02/24/2020