Razorbacks, Tigers to open SEC series
FAYETTEVILLE — On a traditional day for pranks and tomfoolery, the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks won't be fooled by the numbers connected to SEC West cellar dweller Auburn for the start of a three-game series tonight.
The Tigers (11-11) are 0-6 in conference play after sweeps at the hands of Ole Miss and Kentucky.
“We've already discussed it as a team that it doesn't matter what anybody's record is right now,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “You can't judge them on what they've done in the SEC. You've got teams in our division that are 1-5 and 0-6 that are good. They're really good.”
The University of Arkansas (20-3, 5-1) lurks one game behind Ole Miss in the SEC West after a weekend sweep at then No. 4 Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks have won eight consecutive games and are coming off a 20-hit performance in a 21-8 win over the University of Central Arkansas that raised their batting average 10 percentage points to .288.
“Just deep. Just well-coached,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson said of the Razorbacks. “When I talked to our coaches that are watching their hitters, they've just been intentioned, you know?
“Their intention to swings, there's an aggressive nature. As Bo Jackson told our team, ‘We're intent on meeting the ball at the front door,' and Arkansas hitters are doing that from top to bottom.”
The Razorbacks' newest seating guidelines kick in today, increasing capacity to 6,585 at Baum-Walker Stadium, where Arkansas is 12-2.
The Razorbacks will go with the same pitching rotation as last weekend, starting with lefty Patrick Wicklander (1-0, 2.33 ERA) for today's 6:30 p.m. game. He'll oppose Auburn right-hander Cody Greenhill (2-0, 1.71), who is building up his stamina after throwing 75 pitches last week against Kentucky. Greenhill had 19 saves, sixth in Auburn history, as the closer the past three seasons.
Three of Auburn's league losses have been by one run, and the three losses at home against Kentucky were by two runs or less with an aggregate score of 21-16. The Tigers are being edged, not romped.
“Until I see my team lay it down, I'm going to assume I'm going to keep getting the same thing,” Thompson said of his team's effort level.
“They haven't. I still think we're in a good place.”
Thompson met with a group of veteran leaders Tuesday.
“I think we're still invested,” he said. “This is still exciting, and we feel like everything is still intact with our program except for the win-loss column starting conference play. Hopefully we can hang in there and something good will happen for us.”
The Tigers are hitting .309, good for second in the SEC and ninth in the country, and scoring 8.2 runs per game, which ranks 16th.
“I mean, Auburn statistically has the best numbers in the league, at least they did for a while,” Van Horn said.
“They're right up there. Two weeks ago, we're hearing that they're the best offense in the SEC.
“You can throw the records out. It doesn't matter. It's just another series, and we need to find a way to win it, so we'll be ready to go. We're facing a team that's kind of backed into a corner. They're going to come fighting their way out. We're gonna have to really play well.”
Auburn first baseman Tyler Miller leads the SEC with a .420 batting average — 31 percentage points ahead of Tennessee's Liam Spence (.389) — and he has 8 home runs and 31 RBI. The Tigers have five other regulars hitting .313 or better in shortstop Ryan Bliss (.368, 6 HR, 15 RBI), third baseman Rankin Wooley (.333, 2, 11), designated hitter Cam Hill (.325, 3, 17), second baseman Brody Moore (.313, 1, 21) and outfielder Bryson Ware (.313, 2, 15).
Arkansas second baseman Robert Moore started breaking out of a slump in Starkville, Miss., last weekend, then hit for the cycle while going 4 for 4 with 6 RBI on Tuesday.
Moore raised his batting average to .289 with the big night.
Before racking up three hits in the final two games at Mississippi State, Moore's batting average dropped from .375 to .244 over a nine-game span in which he went 4 for 38 (.105) with 2 extra-base hits and 4 RBI.
“That stretch, that two- to threeweek stretch, truthfully, was probably the first time in my life — in my baseball career — I struggled,” Moore said. “Having to deal with that emotionally, mentally was very draining. It was hard to sleep at night.”
Moore said he got support from his parents, the Arkansas coaches and many others to keep his head up during the slump.
“Dealing with that mentally and emotionally, you walk in the locker room and that's all you think about,” he said. “In your mind, it's what you think your teammates are thinking about.
“I'm just very thankful that our team is winning and I was able to do something to contribute to our team winning, whether it was defense or getting a sac fly or something. Just having a good at-bat, running the pitcher's pitch count up. Just something that can help the team.”
The Razorbacks will pitch righthander Jacob Vermillion (2-0, 3.14 ERA) in Friday's 6:30 p.m. game, and lefty Lael Lockhart (1-1, 2.77) in Saturday's 2 p.m. finale.
Auburn has announced 6-2 lefthander Jack Owen (0-1, 23.14) as its Friday starter, and 6-4 righthander Joseph Gonzalez (0-2, 5.28) for Saturday.
Five-game starter Mason Barnett (2-1, 3.46) will move to the closer's role, with Richard Fitts (0-3, 6.75) and Trace Bright (2-2, 6.93) — who have combined for eight starts — in long relief.
Van Horn thinks Auburn will rebound in league play this season, but he'd like the recovery to start later.
“Just a strong SEC team that's gotten off to a tough start,” he said. “Sometimes it's at the beginning, sometimes it's in the middle, but it seems like a lot of teams in the league can hit a patch like this if things don't go your way. We just need to take care of business on our side.”