Van Horn opts for Murphy, Campbell in place of Knight

FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time this baseball season, junior Blaine Knight will not pitch Arkansas’ opener in a Southeastern Conference series setting.

No. 8 Arkansas (37-17, 18-12) will start either junior left-hander Kacey Murphy (6-4, 2.78 ERA) or redshirt sophomore righthander Isaiah Campbell (4-5, 4.05) on Wednesday in the team’s first game in the 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament. The Razorbacks will meet the winner of Tuesday night’s play-in game in Hoover, Ala., between South Carolina (32-22, 17-13) and Missouri (34-21, 12-18).

Knight (9-0, 2.88) threw six complete innings to lead Arkansas to an 8-6 victory at No. 7 Georgia (37-17, 18-12) on Thursday. A long rain delay finished Murphy on Friday after four innings in an 8-7, 10-inning loss. Campbell scratched from his Saturday start because of a foot injury, but he felt well enough by game time to pitch three scoreless innings of relief in a 3-2 loss.

“We won’t throw Blaine Knight first,” Van Horn said. “That’s Wednesday from last Thursday. Blaine will either throw Thursday or Friday depending on how it goes Wednesday. Murphy only threw 75 pitches and Campbell threw like 50 and his foot is healing up good. So, it will be Murphy or Campbell and see who we play.”

Van Horn said liked what he saw against Georgia from freshman Kole Ramage (1-1, 3.25) starting in Campbell’s place.

“He threw really well for three innings,” Van Horn said. “So, maybe we’ve got another pitcher with Ramage that can really help us.”

The revolving door at first base seems to have swung back to senior left-handed hitter Jared Gates, hitting .198 this season with a much better past. Arkansas spent time this season trying out pitcher and outfielder Evan Lee at first base. Sophomore Jordan McFarland and redshirt junior Hunter Wilson have also had opportunities.

“I’m going to go with Gates,” Van Horn said. “I just feel like he’s a senior and this is his last hurrah at the college level. He hasn’t had the year that he expected or we expected, but I think we’ve got to have somebody step up there offensively and I think Gates is the guy. Whether it’s a left or right-handed pitcher, we expect him to play good defense and drive in some runs down at the end of the order.”

Junior shortstop Jax Biggers, out since breaking his finger in the first inning of the May 11 SEC victory over Texas A&M (36-19, 13-17), seems closer to active duty, Van Horn said.

“Jax Biggers in the next day or two will finally start taking some ground balls and swinging the bat,” Van Horn said. “There’s a chance he could play Wednesday, maybe Thursday. We are actually starting to heal up.”

Junior catcher Grant Koch was removed from the final game against Texas A&M because of a sprained ankle that initially appeared severe. He pinch hit and stayed in Thursday’s game against Georgia, then started the next two.

“Koch’s ankle is getting better daily,” Van Horn said. “He actually swung the bat really well in Athens. Maybe as good as he’s swung it all year.”