Arkansas, Alabama set to meet in SEC series
FAYETTEVILLE - After getting swept last week by then last place Mississippi State, Alabama’s last-place status is about the last place that the first-place Arkansas Razorbacks look for comfort in their three-game SEC series starting tonight at Baum Stadium.
Coach Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks, 29-13 overall and still in the national top 10 dropping from third to seventh, and now tied with Mississippi State at 10-8 for best in the SEC West, and the Alabama Crimson Tide 23-20, 5-13 in the SEC West, collide at Baum at 6:30 tonight, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday with all games on the Razorbacks Radio Network and on SEC Network + Internet streaming.
Asked about Alabama’s last-place standing after Mississippi State got the last laughs on his Hogs last weekend in Starkville, Miss., Van Horn responded, “Yeah, we’ve talked about it. We just need to go out there and play well on Friday and go from there. In this league you can’t judge it too much off of that (league records). Obviously they are like everybody. They’ve got some things they need to work on and had some bad days, but they’ve had some good days, too. They have a lot of players over there that this summer will be playing in the minor leagues, so you can’t take anything lightly.”
Yeah, but the Auburn Tigers outscored Alabama 44-10 (19-5, 5-0, 20-5) for their three-game SEC sweep of the Tide last weekend at Alabama’s park in Tuscaloosa.
“I don’t look at that at all as far as what Auburn did against them,” Van Horn said. “I’m looking at what we need to do against Alabama right now.”
Alabama has won two of three in two SEC series, in Tuscaloosa against Kentucky, nationally No. 4 when Arkansas opened their SEC season March 16-18 against the Wildcats, and at Missouri and beat Georgia once in three tries.
Coach Brad Bohannon, in his second year trying to rebuild the Tide, has a couple of .300 hitters in sec-
ond baseman Avant Chandler (.327), and third baseman Cobie Vance (.306) and has among the most dangerous low average hitters in college baseball.
Right fielder Chandler Taylor only bats .211, but he’s hit 11 home runs, two more than 9-home runs Arkansas lead shared by outfielders Eric Cole and Heston Kjerstad and second baseman Carson Shaddy.
Shaddy, unable to play in Tuesday night’s 5-1 non-conference victory over nationally No. 4 Texas Tech at Baum because of a severely bruised hand upon hit by a Mississippi State pitch, remains idled, Van Horn said.
However, freshman third baseman Casey Martin, missing the Texas Tech game because of a hip injury he played through during Mississippi State series, is back. Martin moves to second base with sophomore Jack Kenley starting at third, Van Horn said Thursday.
Van Horn started Hunter Wilson for Shaddy at second base the final game against Mississippi State
and against Texas Tech and started Eric Gates at third against Texas Tech.
Van Horn hasn’t yet ruled out Shaddy (.356 batting average with 29 RBIs), from the Saturday and Sunday lineups, but said, “He’s got a problem gripping the bat right now. He’s getting his treatment, but if you can’t squeeze the bat, you can’t play.”
Kenley, last year’s goodfield/no-hit late game third base defensive replacement, improved his hitting to .263 this season and appeared to be the likely third baseman until freshman flash Martin of Lonoke (.333, 8 home runs and 33 RBI and the team’s fastest runner) moved in preseason from behind Shaddy at second to starting at third.
“Kenley deserves a chance,” Van Horn said. “When he’s been in the lineup, he’s played well. Plus I really like Casey Martin as a middle infielder by trade.”
Against the Alabama starting pitching rotation of right-handers Sam Finnerty (4-2, 4.09 earned run average), Jake Walters (2-5, 5.07) and lefty Garret Rukes (1-2, 2.57), Van Horn counters with his regular SEC rotation of junior righthanders Blaine Knight (6-0, 2.24), the Bryant
native with no-decisions in his last two starts opening an SEC series, Kacey Murphy of Rogers (5-3, 2.26) Saturday, and Isaiah Campbell (3-4, 4.08) Sunday.
Until last weekend getting swept in Starkville, and certainly not helped by Arkansas’ hitters stranding 27 runners for three games, Razorbacks relievers Matt Cronin and Jake Reindl have pitched exceptionally.
Arkansas stranded 13 Tuesday night against Texas Tech, but overcame in large part because for a combined 6 1-3 inning relievers Evan Lee of Bryant and Barrett Loseke held hitless and struck out 14 against a Texas Tech lineup entering the game with a .318 team batting average.
Though Wednesday night’s game with Texas Tech was cancelled by rain, Tuesday’s triumph took some needed distance between their sad state in Starkville, Razorbacks right fielder Eric Cole said.
“Obviously, beating a top 10 will give you confidence,” Cole said. “Especially after a tough weekend.”
Alabama also salved weekend wounds.
The Tide topped Troy Tuesday in Tuscaloosa.