On Sunday, #5 Stanford baseball improved to 6-1 overall thanks to a 13-0 (F/7) win over Indiana and a 5-0 win over #4 Arkansas at the Karbach Round Rock Classic in Round Rock, Texas. Stanford was supposed to play Arkansas on Saturday, but due to weather/field conditions, the game got moved to Sunday afternoon, slated after their game against Indiana.
In the victory over Indiana, sophomore left-handed pitcher Drew Dowd (2-0) picked up the win while sophomore right-handed pitcher Joey Dixon picked up the save. In the victory over Arkansas, junior left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews (1-1) picked up the win.
“What a day,” Stanford head coach David Esquer said after the doubleheader as soon as he got to the podium. “Well, just so proud of my team. Two tough games against quality opponents and I hold no program and no coach in higher regard than Arkansas. So, to be able to win that game today against a great ball club and they’re going to be there at the end, right? So, you haven’t seen the last of them and that’s going to be a quality win for us going forward. But, just so many heroes throughout the day and that’s kind of how we pride ourselves and we talk about pitching defense and a different hero every night and the other part which I would say is my coaches’ preparation is second to none and so my hat goes off to them being prepared for three different opponents in three different days and it’ll be four opponents in four days including tomorrow’s game.
“So, just a gutting performance and I got catcher got hit in the hand and wouldn’t come out of the game, I got a third baseman back in the face and one come out of the game. I got Quinn Mathews here, it was just an unbelievable performance and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more calm on a bigger stage. It’s just exciting to have him out there and watch him pitch and then watch his teammates finish it up for him.
“And then Braden Montgomery a freshman, who looked like he in a little trouble, but I think Coach Eager went out to the mound and told him just block out all the noise, just worry about your brothers who are playing alongside you and that’s all that matters and after that, three straight outs.”
Starting with the Indiana game, Stanford got on the board in the bottom of the 2nd inning to go up 2-0. 1st baseman Carter Graham singled to left field while 2nd baseman Tommy Troy singled down the right field line. With two men on base and one in scoring position, Stanford was threatening. Right fielder Braden Montgomery would fail to get a hit as he flied out to left field. Designated hitter Brett Barrera singled to left center in the next at bat, driving in Graham and Troy. Short stop Adam Crampton flied out to right field to end the inning.
“Yeah, Brett Barrera had come up with big hit after big hit and really picking us up for an offense that has just taken a little while to get going,” Esquer said. “You know, some of our players right in the middle of the lineup, whether it’s Kody Huff at times or Brock Jones or Drew Bowser or Tom Troy. Guys who have done it for us in the past have taken a little while to get going and they showed glimpses of it, but Brett stepped in there and has come up with big hit after big hit and two run homer early in the game was just something to kind of relax us and then Quinn, again, I hope he gets a chance to watch him in that game because I’ve never seen him under more control and calm against such a good opponent and I think that’ll probably just spring board him for the rest of the year, I hope.”
Stanford would extend their lead 5-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning. Catcher Kody Huff would get walked to start things off. However, he wouldn’t advance as Graham got on base via fielder’s choice, resulting in Huff getting out at second base. After Troy doubled down the left field line, Graham advanced to third base. Montgomery would then get walked on a wild pitch, resulting in Graham scoring. Barrera then singled through the left side, advancing Montgomery to 2nd base and driving home Troy. Then, Crampton singled to right center, driving in Montgomery and advancing Barrera to second base. 5-0.
Left fielder Eddie Park would get walked, which loaded up the bases as Barrera moved to third and Crampton to second. From there, Stanford was unable to add any more runs as Bowser struck out followed by Jones popping up to second base.
Stanford would add three more runs in the bottom of the 5th inning to go up 8-0. Huff would get walked to open things up. Then, Graham flied out to center field and Troy flied out to right, giving Stanford just one out left. With two outs, Montgomery doubled to right field and advanced to third base on a fielding error. Huff scored. Barrera then singled through the left side, driving in Montgomery. Crampton would then double down the right field line, driving in Owen Cobb, who pinch ran for Barrera. Park would ground out to second base to end the inning, but with three runs added, Stanford was sitting pretty.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, Stanford added five more runs. Senior infielder Austin Kretzschmar hit a single and advanced to second base on a fielding error. Center fielder Brock Jones got walked. Huff then singled to right center to load up the bases. Graham hit a singled down the right field line, driving in Kretzschmar. Troy flied out to left field, driving in Jones. Graduate transfer outfielder Joe Lomuscio flied out to right center, not scoring anyone. Cobb then doubled down the left field line, driving in Graham and Huff. Crampton then doubled to left field, driving in Cobb. The five run onslaught was ended by senior outfielder Grant Burton striking out after coming in to pinch hit for Park. 13-0 was the score.
After Stanford held Indiana scoreless in the top of the 7th inning, the game was called due to a mercy rule. 13-0 being the final. The game was originally scheduled for nine innings, but Stanford dominated so much that the game was called early. Dowd picked up the win and Dixon picked up the save due to pitching the final three innings of the game. His first save of the season.
Following their dominating win over Indiana, Stanford then had to shift their attention to #4 Arkansas. With Drew Dowd starting and getting the win over the Hoosiers, Stanford had to roll with a different starting pitcher against the Razorbacks: junior left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews.
Stanford got off to a strong start against Arkansas. In the top of the 2nd, Stanford scored two runs. Barrera hit a home run that drove in Graham, who singled to get on base. Montgomery walked and Bowser singled to right center, advancing Montgomery to 3rd base. Crampton hit into a double play to end the inning. 2-0 Stanford lead.
In the top of the 3rd inning, Park and Troy singled to left field to get on base. Jones struck out, but then Huff got hit by a pitch. This loaded up the bases. Graham got walked and that resulted in Park scoring. Barrera struck out and then Montgomery grounded out. 3-0 Stanford led to end the top of the 3rd. Arkansas wouldn’t score in the bottom of the 3rd inning, hence a 3-0 Stanford lead heading into the 4th inning. Through the first three innings, Mathews had given up just one hit. He was pitching fantastic.
“Obviously my opening weekend start wasn’t I had intended for it to be,” Mathews said. “I kind of had a new mental approach. I actually had to pitch in the game on Tuesday, which you know, it was big for me just trying to take what I do in the bullpen map into the game actually and just toning it down physically immensely just a smidge and like you said, the control aspect, that’s where overall for me, that was the biggest, sort of, I’d say upside for me today was just being in control through six plus innings and ultimately the stuff was there when I needed it.”
Stanford added their fourth run in the top of the 5th inning. Troy got walked, but then was out via getting caught stealing second. Jones hit a single to right field. Huff got on base via fielding error, advancing Jones to second. Jones stole third. Graham struck out looking. Barrera singled to left center, driving in Jones and advancing Huff to third. 4-0. Montgomery reached first base on fielder’s choice, but Barrera was out at second to end the inning.
In the top of the 9th inning, Stanford added their fifth run to go up 5-0. After Troy got caught stealing for out number one, Jones got walked and then stole second. Jones would get to third base thanks to Huff hitting a single to right center. Graham would then strike out. Thanks to a wild pitch during Barrera’s at bat, Huff advanced to second and Jones scored. 5-0. Barrera would fly out to right center to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 9th inning, Montgomery pitched for Stanford. The bases did get loaded with no outs. So that was a little scary for the Cardinal. But a play at home plate, a strike out, and a fly out ensured a second Cardinal shut out for the day. This time a 5-0 victory over a #4 Arkansas team.
For Stanford, this weekend has gone as well as they could hope. They went undefeated at the Round Rock Classic and knocked off a fellow top-five team as well. Their pitching and hitting have both been outstanding. And what’s scary is it’s early in the season. Once they find their midseason form, they could take things into another stratosphere.
Up next for Stanford is a game on Monday against UTSA in San Antonio to close out their Texas trip. That game will begin at 11:00 AM PT.
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