Razorbacks look to get back on track against ULM

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks finally return home to Baum Stadium tonight after falling one rainout short of what was supposed to be a nine-game road trip.

Coach Dave Van Horn’s No. 5 Razorbacks

(19-9, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) are scheduled to play their next 10 games at home, including an April 10 tilt with Grambling State

(15-14) at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The Hogs are tied with LSU (18-11, 5-4) for second in the SEC West after losing the last two of three games in each of their last two series at No. 4 Ole Miss (25-4, 6-3) and at No. 2 Florida (25-5, 7-2).

Arkansas is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. game today and a 3 p.m. game on Wednesday, both against Louisiana-Monroe (15-12). The team is then scheduled to host No. 19 Auburn (227, 4-5) for a three-game SEC series over the weekend.

The game with Grambling will precede a visit to Baum Stadium by South Carolina (17-11,

4-5) for another weekend conference series. Arkansas is scheduled to complete the home stand on April 17 against Missouri State (19-7), which defeated the Razorbacks in two out of three games in last year’s super regional in Fayetteville two years after losing out to the Hogs at the same stage.

“We’ve been on the road two weeks straight,” Van Horn said. “I think we slept in our beds one night.”

While Van Horn and the Hogs know they are glad to be home from their 4-5 road trip, Van Horn said he does not know what to expect from first-year coach Mark Federico’s Warhawks.

Last year, Arkansas thumped Louisiana-Monroe, 12-3 and 11-2, at Baum. The Warhawks may get twice thumped again, given Arkansas State (11-13) demolished them, 31-7, in a conference game in Monroe on March 24. Then again, the Warhawks sandwiched the 31-7 embarrassment by blanking Arkansas State, 2-0 and 4-0.

“We played ULM last year, and honestly last year, they didn’t have a lot of fight in them,” Van Horn said. “They made a coaching change and they definitely have a different attitude. They’re 15-12 and their RPI is like 130, which is actually pretty good. They’re an interesting team.

“They shut out Arkansas State on Friday, then they got beat 31-7 or something (yes) on Saturday and came back and shut out Arkansas State on Sunday. So, that team scares you. I don’t know what I’m getting into here.”

Arkansas will look to reestablish momentum into the Auburn series after losing the last two games to the Rebels in Oxford, Miss. The schedule finally allows third-game SEC series starter Kacey Murphy (3-2) to pitch on Saturday against Auburn.

Friday is expected to be a battle of aces between Arkansas junior Blaine Knight (5-0), of Bryant, and Auburn’s project first-round draft choice, Casey Mize (6-0).

It will help Arkansas if 6-8 freshman Jackson Rutledge (2-0), tonight’s starter, and others in the Louisiana-Monroe series can help the staff. Starter Keaton McKinney has not pitched since starting two innings of the season’s second game in February and remains shelved.

Fellow starter Isaiah Campbell (2-3) was hit hard at Florida, where it was determined he was enduring elbow inflammation. He did not travel to Ole Miss, but he is on the roster for the Auburn series. Van Horn said it will be late in the week before it is determined if Campbell pitches relief or is up to a Sunday start.

Although the Razorbacks hit. 337 for their nine SEC games, Van Horn said their hitters have stranded too many runners and their pitching and defense must improve. Redshirt senior second baseman Carson Shaddy is hitting .452 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in league games. Freshman left fielder Heston Kjerstad has a .444 average with three home runs and 10 RBIs in SEC play while hitting .390 for the season.

“We need to field the ball and hit and we need some of these pitchers that have been a little up and down to go out and throw the ball in the zone and make guys earn it,” Van Horn said.

“We’ve walked some guys lately that have hurt us; given up some hits when we’re ahead in the count. The pitches were too good. We need to just do what we do and come out with a little bit of an attitude and try to get back on the right track.”