Photo: Matt Goodheart. Photo: Courtesy University of Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Let the good times roll.
Arkansas’ Matt Goodheart was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday after helping power the Razorbacks through a perfect 5-0 stretch. His bat guided the Hogs to a three-game conference road series sweep at nationally ranked Mississippi State over the weekend, marking the first time since the 2010 campaign that Arkansas has gone on the road and swept the Bulldogs in Starkville.
The Magnolia native homered in all four contests he played in during Arkansas’ undefeated week, smashing a two-run dinger as part of his career-best four-hit day in the midweek series finale at home against Memphis. Goodheart then proceeded to homer in all three games on the road at Mississippi State.
The Razorback designated hitter hit a solo shot in the series opener against the Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field before launching a two-run homer in the second game and swatting another solo shot in the finale. Goodheart, who has reached base in all 16 games he has played in this season, drove in seven runs on the week, including five in the series at Mississippi State.
Goodheart is the third Arkansas student-athlete to earn the conference’s top weekly honor this season, joining pitcher Caleb Bolden and catcher Casey Opitz. Bolden was named the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week following a brilliant pitching performance in the Razorbacks’ 4-0 shutout win against nationally ranked Texas at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Opitz, meanwhile, took home the conference’s Co-Player of the Week award after recording a hit in all three games of the SEC opening weekend series against nationally ranked Alabama, driving in a team-leading four runs during the three-game set. To go along with his first homer of the year, he had two RBI in each of the final two games of the series while playing errorless defense behind the dish.
Goodheart and the Hogs return home this week to host Central Arkansas and Auburn at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks and Bears will first square off at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, on SEC Network+.
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