UA to wait a day for Stony Brook

FAYETTEVILLE — The fickle March weather in Northwest Arkansas has scrambled the No. 12 University of Arkansas’ baseball series at Baum-Walker Stadium this weekend.

Projected winter precipitation on Sunday caused school officials to set up a doubleheader today at 1 p.m., with the second game to follow about 30 minutes later. Both games are scheduled for nine innings.

Right-hander Isaiah Campbell (2-0, 5.23 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Razorbacks (6-1) in the series opener, with right-hander Cody Scroggins (0-0, 7.71)

on tap for Game 2.

Stony Brook (3-3) is expected to counter with 6-6 right-hander Greg Marino (1-1, 6.10 ERA) and 6-4 righthander Brian Hermann (1-0, 7.45) in the doubleheader.

The Sea Wolves, of Long Island, N.Y, made national news in 2012 by upsetting defending national champion LSU in an NCAA super regional in Baton Rouge and advancing to their first College World Series.

Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said he and director of operations Clay Goodwin scheduled the series with Stony Brook in 2015, with the Sea Wolves’ success in 2012 still resonating around the sport. It is the first meeting between the teams.

Campbell (2-0) won his start at Southern California last Friday in an 8-6 decision. The 6-4, 225-pounder had trouble in only one inning — a four-run third — partly due to defensive lapses.

Staked to a 6-0 lead through the top of the fourth, Scroggins made it through 32/3 innings before being lifted in the Razorbacks’ 6-3 victory at USC last Thursday. He hit two batters and walked another in the fourth before coming out, and all three of the runners eventually scored.

“He was really good last weekend,” Van Horn said. “I mean really good. … I felt there were a couple of pitches that were borderline that would have gotten him out of it that looked like they were strikes earlier and then they weren’t. They were knee-high or below, just really well-located pitches. Then he hit the

Today’s games NO. 12 ARKANSAS VS. STONY BROOK

WHEN 1 p.m. (DH) WHERE Baum-Walker Stadium, Fayetteville RECORDS Stony Brook 3-3; Arkansas 6-1

STARTING PITCHERS Stony Brook: RHP Greg Marino (1-1, 6.10 ERA) and RHP Brian Hermann (1-0, 7.45); Arkansas: RHP Isaiah Campbell (2-0, 5.23) and RHP Cody Scroggins (0-0, 7.71) SERIES First meeting

COACHES Matt Senk (806-540-4 in 29th year at Stony Brook); Dave Van Horn (649-365 in 17th year at Arkansas)

RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by all affiliates. Check local listings.

INTERNET SEC Network-Plus

SHORT HOPS Arkansas is No. 4 in SEC hitting (.308), No. 9 in pitching (3.46), and No. 10 in fielding (.970). … The Razorbacks are No. 35 nationally with 8.3 runs per game. … Stony Brook is No. 2 in the six-team America East Conference in hitting (.246), No. 2 in pitching (7.71 ERA) and No. 2 in fielding (.981). … Stony Brook Coach Matt Senk was the 2012 Coach of the Year by the National College Baseball Writers Association. … The top Stony Brook baseball alum is pitcher Joe Nathan, a six-time All-Star who was the leader in save percentage at the time of his retirement in 2018. … Stony Brook was a Division III program with just six winning seasons between 1966 and the time Senk became head coach in 1991.

THE WEEK AHEAD

TODAY Stony Brook (DH), 1 p.m. SATURDAY Stony Brook, 3 p.m. SUNDAY Off

MONDAY Off

TUESDAY UNC Charlotte, 3 p.m. WEDNESDAY UNC Charlotte, 3 p.m. THURSDAY Off

wall, it looked like to us, after that. He really went almost through four innings and we would like to see him go five.”

Freshman right-hander Connor Noland (0-0, 2.08) is slated to start Saturday’s 3 p.m. game for Arkansas. The Sea Wolves have not named their projected starter.

Noland allowed 2 earned

runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in 4 innings of a no-decision at USC on Saturday. The Trojans rallied for three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 6-4 victory to salvage the final game of the series.

Shortstop Casey Martin (.355, 1 HR, 7 RBI) extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single off the first-base bag in the seven-run fifth inning of Wednesday’s 10-3 victory over Memphis. Martin, the Hogs’ leadoff batter, is the only player with a hit in all seven games.

Trevor Ezell leads Arkansas with a .423 average, 6 stolen bases, 7 walks and a sizzling .615 slugging percentage. He and Martin are tied for the team lead with eight runs scored.

Christian Franklin (.400, 1 HR) has a team-high 9 RBI and has been a spark with 6 walks and 4 of 4 stolen bases. Casey Opitz (.400, 4 RBI) has also drawn six walks, while Jack Kenley (.308, 1 HR, 7 RBI) has six walks and a series of clutch hits, including the go-ahead two-run single in the victory over Memphis.

The Razorbacks rank 11th in the NCAA with 2.86 stolen bases per game.

“I think it just shows the type of offense we have,” Ezell said. “When you continually put pressure on a team on the bases that’s just one extra thing they have to worry about and that gets in their mind for sure.”

The Razorbacks have turned eight double plays and are tied for 24th nationally with 1.14 per game.

Stony Brook has played all its games on the road, winning two of three at Florida International on the opening weekend, then falling in two of three at Southeastern Louisiana.