Dave Van Horn, Hogs juggling early lineups due to injuries.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ baseball team might enter next week’s season opener with two key players sidelined and its top returning hitter at less than full strength, but Coach Dave Van Horn isn’t panicking.

Ace right-hander Trey Killian is likely to be unavailable when the Razorbacks host North Dakota on Feb. 13 and Michael Bernal, last year’s everyday shortstop after Brett McAfee’s back injury, has a knee strain that will probably keep him out of the lineup, Van Horn said at the first meeting of the Swatter’s Club on Monday at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Additionally, first baseman and leadoff man Clark Eagan is still recovering after his left shoulder popped out of place on a slide into second base on the second day of practice.

“I think Eagan will be ready to go about full speed by this weekend,” Van Horn said. “He’s just starting to swing the bat a little bit. The problem is, it’s his left arm, which is his glove hand. You’ve got to raise that up there to catch balls at first base. … I think by opening day he’ll be pretty close to 100 percent.”

Killian had a setback in his recovery from tendinitis in his right arm in early January and might miss a week or more.

“We’re still bringing him along and we’re not going to rush him,” Van Horn said. “If he’s not ready to go that first weekend or second weekend, he’ll go. If not, he’s a no go.”

Van Horn said other pitchers — namely James Teague, Zach Jackson and Dominic Taccolini — will need to start mentally preparing to throw in the opener, a 3:05 p.m. game at Baum Stadium.

“When Trey gets rolling again, he’ll have to build his arm back up and be on a pitch count,” Van Horn said. “I just don’t think he’ll be ready to go. So it’ll probably be Teague, Taccolini, Jackson. One of those three guys will probably throw the first game for us.”

Bernal was hurt on the first day of practice on Jan. 23 on a hard slide into second by third baseman Bobby Wernes.

“Nothing’s torn,” Van Horn said. “It’s getting a lot better … but I just don’t think he’s going to be ready for opening weekend.”

McAfee has regained his shortstop spot, which will put newcomers Rick Nomura and Max Hogan in competition at second base until the return of Bernal, who can play second, third or short.

Van Horn had bracelets made for the players which read “Earn it Every Day” on one side and “Omaha” on the other, referencing the annual site of the College World Series.

“We don’t talk about Omaha once the season starts, because they don’t need that added pressure,” Van Horn said. “They just know that we have a goal we’re working for. That’s to get to the final eight to have a chance to win the national championship.

“Really I just want them to read that ‘ Earn it Every Day,’ because if you work hard every day sometimes good things happen for you down at the end of the season.”

Van Horn joked about the difficulty of the Razorbacks’ schedule due to nonconference meetings with powerful programs like California, Loyola-Marymount, Gonzaga and Maryland, and the first three weeks of SEC play against defending national champion Vanderbilt, LSU and Ole Miss.

“Bing, bang, boom, here you go,” Van Horn said, regarding the early SEC slate. “If we can survive during that stretch I think we’ll be OK.”

Van Horn also announced a few upcoming opponents, such as the start of what he hopes will be an annual series against Oklahoma State starting next season, a homeand-home series with Southern California in 2018-2019, another trip to the Minute Maid Classic in Houston and a spot in the Tony Gwynn Classic, an eight-team tournament in San Diego that is still in the planning stages.