UA looks to erase pitching struggles
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks’ three starting pitchers at Auburn last weekend combined for fewer innings than ace Blaine Knight had gone in any of his previous five SEC games.
Knight, Trevor Stephan and Josh Alberius pitched 51/3 innings as the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville lost to the Tigers 15-2, won 7-3 and lost 11-6.
“It’s hard to win any series when your starting pitching doesn’t go very far,” Knight said. “Last weekend was just mind-boggling at times, honestly.”
Knight, who threw at least six innings in Arkansas victories over Mississippi State, Missouri, Alabama, LSU and Georgia, said he expects the starters to handle their share of the workload when the
No. 14 Razorbacks (33-10, 12-6 SEC) open a three-game series against Ole Miss (2516, 9-9) at 6 tonight in Baum Stadium.
Knight (6-2, 3.13 ERA), a sophomore right-hander from Bryant, will start tonight against Ole Miss sophomore right-hander James McArthur (2-3, 3.43 ERA).
“I think we’ll be fine,” Knight said. “I think we’re going to get right back on track again and get going back deep into games.”
Knight lasted a season-low 21/3 innings at Auburn and allowed 8 hits and 7 earned runs on 63 pitches, including 38 strikes.
“Not every pitcher is going to go out every time and have his best stuff,” Knight said. “I’ve been lucky and had very few occasions where I didn’t have my best stuff.
“My pitches were up little bit, but it wasn’t like they were belt high. Give credit to Auburn. They had my number.”
Knight said he’s not concerned about one subpar start and that he’s feeling fine
physically.
“I’m 100 percent healthy.” he said. “I feel great and I’m ready to go.”
Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said he can’t help but be concerned about the starting pitching.
“Hopefully, they’ll make some adjustments and feel a little more comfortable pitching at home and turn it around,” Van Horn said. “We definitely need them to do that.”
Razorbacks catcher Grant Koch said he remains confident in Knight.
“How can you not be?” Koch said. “That guy is going to perform and that guy is going to do his thing.
“One outing doesn’t mean anything for us as a team or to him. It’s just one of those deals.”
Van Horn said he looks for Knight to have better command of his pitches tonight.
“Do what he’s capable of doing, and that’s throw a lot of strikes down in the zone,” Van Horn said. “Make them earn it.”
Auburn, ranked No.9 nationally, had 38 hits against Arkansas.
“Just one of those weekends where they hit everything they saw,” Koch said. “I don’t think we executed pitches as well as we normally do and that’ll change this weekend for sure.
“You have to learn from it and move on.”
Arkansas’ bullpen has been so taxed its last four games — including a 6-5 victory over Kansas State in 10 innings on Tuesday — that Cannon Chadwick threw a combined 75 pitches in three relief appearances. Eight Razorbacks pitched in at least two of the last four games.
Koch has caught 12 pitchers going back to the Auburn series, including nine against Kansas State — three in the seventh inning.
“Oh, it’s different,” Koch said. “You have to take it one pitch at a time because new guys, new stuff every inning.”
The pitching staff will get a boost against Ole Miss with senior Dominic Taccolini expected to be available after he missed the Auburn series due to right forearm soreness.
“He should be ready for this weekend is what I’ve been told,” Van Horn said. “It could be real big, especially if he’s good.
“It’s nice to have that experience and that stuff. If he’s throwing well he can definitely help us.”
Stephan (4-2, 3.42 ERA), a junior left-hander, will start Friday night against Ole Miss freshman left-hander Ryan Rolison (5-2, 1.88 ERA).
Van Horn said Stephan didn’t pitch as poorly at Auburn as his numbers — 5 hits and 3 earned runs in 11/3 innings — would indicate. Stephan threw 35 strikes among his 51 pitches.
“Trevor actually threw the ball pretty good last week,” Van Horn said. “He wasn’t walking people.
“They just fouled off a bunch of pitches. They got his pitch count. He just couldn’t finish people off. I give credit to Auburn’s hitters. They just battled and battled and they had a great weekend.”
Troy beat Auburn 5-2 Tuesday.
“Baseball can be [a] little fickle sometimes,” Van Horn said. ‘You just have to go out and keep playing and grinding it out like we always say.
“It can flip on you. But I think Trevor will bounce back and pitch well.”
Arkansas sophomore lefthander Kasey Murphy (4-0, 2.70 ERA) could start Saturday’s game, though Van Horn didn’t rule out using him tonight or Friday if necessary.
Murphy held Memphis to 1 hit — a bunt single — over 7 innings in the Razorbacks’ 2-0 victory last Wednesday and allowed 1 run in 31/3 innings in the series finale at Auburn.
“He’s throwing that fastball wherever he wants it,” Van Horn said. “In and out and mixing it up a lot.”