SPORTS: Hogs to rotate pitchers tonight
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks were minus key relief pitcher Dominic Taccolini while losing two of three in last weekend’s SEC West series at Auburn, and they’ll be without Taccolini when they play the Kansas State Wildcats in a nonconference game tonight in Kansas City.
At the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, Arkansas, 32-10 overall and 12-6 in the SEC, and K-State, 21-19 overall and 4-11 in the Big 12, clash at 6 p.m. televised on the Cox Sports Network.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said Taccolini, originally slated to follow starter Josh Alberius in Sunday’s 11-6 loss in Auburn, Ala., experienced soreness in his forearm and was scratched from the pitchers available.
“We’ll have him looked at today and try to figure out the problem,” Van Horn said Monday. “It’s really frustrating.”
Freshman right-hander Kevin Kopps, 2-0,
3.99 ERA, who relieved during Friday’s 15-2 loss at Auburn, starts a piecemeal effort tonight in Kansas City, Van Horn said with the Ole Miss Rebels looming for a Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday afternoon three-game SEC West series at Baum Stadium.
“He won’t stay in there very long,” Van Horn said. “It might be seven guys used before it’s over with.”
Sophomore lefty Kacey Murphy of Rogers has been starting midweek games but won’t pitch tonight. Off last week’s 1-hit victory over Memphis and pitching Arkansas’ most effective relief Sunday against Auburn, Van Horn said, ‘There’s a good chance he’ll start this weekend (against Ole Miss).”
Murphy suddenly is one of Arkansas’ hottest pitchers. Usually-superb starters Blaine Knight of Bryant, 6-2, and Trevor Stephan,
5-2, only pitched into the third and second innings against Auburn though Arkansas did come back to win Stephan’s game, 7-3, behind reliever Cannon Chadwick. Chadwick was Sunday’s loser, having to pitch too much too soon after Saturday with starter Alberius only pitching into the second inning and Taccolini unavailable.
In retrospect, Van Horn said it was amazing that Arkansas wasn’t swept at Auburn.
“When your starting three pitchers only last a total combined 5 1/3 innings, you are going to lose three out of three usually,” Van Horn said. “For us to to come back and win that second game, and really were were in the game yesterday until the seventh or eighth inning and it just got away from us. But we hung in there. We’ll flip it around. Our pitchers will get it going again.” Stephan’s game literally got fouled up. “Stephan actually threw the ball very well,” Van Horn said. “They just fouled off a ton of pitches. In the second inning he was over 50 pitches. With Blaine everything was elevated. He wasn’t able to locate like normal.”
Van Horn said it was Knight’s “only outing that was not like him. He couldn’t command the ball, and that was an issue.”
As for coach Brad Hill’s Wildcats, they are led by left fielder Will Brennan, .364 batting average, second baseman Cameron Thompson, .333, and slugging first baseman Jake Scudder, 11 home runs and 46 RBI while hitting .287.
“They have been playing well lately,” Van Horn said. “They just beat West Virginia two out of three. And West Virginia’s RPI is Top 10. We know they can swing at bat.”
Van Horn was asked about his Razorbacks playing at the major league venue of the Kansas City Royals.
“I think it will be a good experience for the players,” Van Horn said. “They get an opportunity to step on the field and see the atmosphere and size of the stadium. There are some kids it will be the first time on a big league field while obviously we have some who were at Houston last year.”
Last year’s Razorbacks played a February tournament at the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park.