Gamble sending runner fails in Arkansas' 3-2 setback to Bulldogs
FAYETTEVILLE - The only thing worse than Arkansas Razorbacks third base coach Nate Thompson deciding and Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn endorsing sending Heston Kjerstad from third to be tagged for a game-ending doubleplay on Dominic Fletcher’s fly to left could have been them simultaneously demanding Kjerstad not tag up.
Think of the nothing ventured nothing gained second-guessing had Kjerstad stayed put and next batter Jared Gates been retired for the same 3-2 loss ending to the Georgia Bulldog Saturday in Athens, Ga. that befell the Razorbacks in their final SEC regular season game.
Gates is not incapable of the big hit, he hit the home run that beat Missouri State in last year’s historic Fayetteville Regional game that lasted until 3 a.m. But this season the senior left-handed hitting first baseman hits only .198 for all his games and .212 for his SEC games. Gates would have faced Georgia lefty reliever Ryan Webb who recorded his third save retiring left-handed hitting center fielder Fletcher on the fly to left fielder Keegan McGovern on the throw home that was either going extend the game or end it.
“Kjerstad was sent and I’m fine with it,” Van Horn said postgame. “You’ve got a left on left matchup and you’ve got a .214 hitter coming up. Fletcher (.291 for all his games and .325 for Arkansas’ 30 SEC games) was the bat. That’s the guy who has to get the run in. I don’t blame Kjerstad. You’ve got to give the left fielder credit. He made a throw and if it’s off just a little bit he (Kjerstad) beats it.”
The ending cost Arkansas its last chance to win a SEC road series (the Hogs lost 2 of 3 at Florida, at Ole Miss, at LSU and at Georgia and were swept at Mississippi State) and forced the Hogs (37-16 overall) to settle for a SEC West co-championship at 18-12 with Ole Miss rather than win the West outright.
Because Ole Miss prevailed over Arkansas 2 of 3 in Oxford, and Georgia prevailed 2 of 3 over Arkansas in Athens and finished the 18-12 SEC East runner-up to SEC Overall champion Florida, 20-10, the Razorbacks are seeded fourth in this week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. that starts with four play-in games Tuesday with those winners bracketed in a double-elimination format against the four seeded teams Wednesday.
Arkansas will play the late game Wednesday night, estimated to begin at 8 p.m. but likely starting later given three games precede it, against Tuesday’s late-night winner between South Carolina and Missouri.
All the SEC Tournament games are televised on the SEC Network until Sunday’s 2 p.m. championship game on ESPN2.
The Razorbacks road record undoubtedly creates much message board gnashing of teeth among some restive fans but if given one or the other, better to have folks leaving Baum Stadium happy which they certainly did 29 times out of 32. Arkansas went 29-3 at Baum and 30-3 in-state winning its one game at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
They still appear assured to host a NCAA regional at Baum Stadium.
However they likely have some work to do in Hoover to cinch the national top eight national seed to be an assured Super Regional host should they advance upon winning their regional at Baum.