The Arkansas Razorbacks are the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for a reason after winning the SEC title and putting together a stellar 2021 season.

However, on Monday night in an elimination game against Nebraska, the Hogs got off to a slow start. Nebraska put up 1 run in the second inning and 1 in the third. Meanwhile, the Arkansas bats were sluggish.

However, the Hogs got back in the game thanks to home runs by Casey Opitz (fifth inning) and Robert Moore (sixth inning):

Then, in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the score still tied at 2-2, a wild pitch allowed Christian Franklin to score, giving the Hogs a 3-2 lead. The next batter, pinch hitter Charlie Welch, then delivered one of the biggest hits of the year, launching a no-doubter 3-run homer:

That was all the run support the Hogs would need, as they’d eventually close out a 6-2 win to advance out of the regional round.

On the hill, national player of the year Kevin Kopps took over for the Arkansas starter in the third inning. He allowed a run in the third, but from then on, he was lights out.

He threw 89 pitches while closing out the final 7 innings of the game, proving why he won the national award.

Now, Arkansas advances to play NC State in the super-regional round, which will be played in Fayetteville. It stands to reason that Kopps will play a big role in that series, too.