Hogs visit highly regarded Gators

FAYETTEVILLE — These Florida Gators that Arkansas visits in this weekend’s Southeastern Conference baseball series starting tonight began the season No. 1 in about every poll.

Coach Kevin O’sullivan’s Gators don’t have that consensus honor anymore, No. 5 by Baseball America for example. But they do in what counts most.

“They were No. 1 in every poll and they still are No. 1 in RPI,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.

The NCAA’S RPI generally determines which teams beyond automatic qualifiers go to NCAA regionals and their seeding.

Arkansas ( 29- 12 overall, 9- 9 SEC), ranked No. 21 by Baseball America and No. 16 in RPI, and Florida ( 32- 10, 11- 7) meet at 6 p. m. today, 6 p. m. Saturday and 2: 30 p. m. Sunday ( ESPN).

“They have been through some injuries and if they had stayed healthy they might have won four or five more conference games,” Van Horn said. “They still are probably the team to beat as far as winning the national championship.”

Van Horn said Florida has its pitching back from the team that finished runner- up to South Carolina at last summer’s College World Series.

The Gators also return powerful catcher Mike Zunino, .329, 12 home runs and 43 RBI; first baseman- outfielder Preston Tucker, .319, 11 home runs and 33 RBI; and center fielder Daniel Pigot, .346, among others.

Though struggling offensively to sour their 5- 1 SEC start, Arkansas avoided a sweep in Oxford by clobbering Ole Miss 11- 3 Sunday and whipped Oral Roberts 6- 1 Tuesday at Baum Stadium.

“Every team has a down spell and I think we are coming out of it,” Van Horn said. “We are doing a good job in practice working on some things and I think it carried over.”

Ryne Stanek ( 6- 2, 2.30 ERA) starts tonight and DJ Baxendale ( 6- 2, 3.78 ERA) on Sunday for Arkansas.

Van Horn said Saturday’s starter among a pool of left- handers Cade Lynch and Randall Fant and righthanders Brandon Moore, Barrett Astin and Nolan Sanburn will be determined in part by who is used out of the bullpen tonight.

Fourth- year junior left- hander Trent Daniel could land a relief role this weekend, Van Horn said, off his start of three hitless innings with five strikeouts against ORU.

“I didn’t realize he had struck out five hitters until I looked at the box score,” Van Horn said. “He mowed right them through them.”

ON THE HILL: Ryne Stanek takes a 6- 2 record and 2.30 earned- run average to the mound for Arkansas tonight in the first game of a weekend Southeastern Conference series at Florida. Although only 9- 9 in conference play, Arkansas is 29- 12 overall and...