FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will stick with its ace, but make other changes tonight when the Razorbacks open a threegame series against LSU in Baton Rouge.
DJ Baxendale will remain Arkansas’ No. 1 starter despite a recent slump that has resulted in three consecutive poor performances by the preseason All-American. Ryne Stanek will stay in the No. 2 spot in the rotation, but the third-ranked Razorbacks will likely go with a new Sunday starter after Randall Fant faced only eight batters in his start last Sunday at Mississippi State.
Baxendale (5-1 , 4. 15 ERA) is coming off his worst start as a Razorback, allowing 9 hits and 8 runs in 3 innings last Friday against Mississippi State. Arkansas (22-3, 5-1 SEC) lost that game 11-2 but still won the series with an 8-0 victory Saturday and an 8-5 victory in 11 innings Sunday.
Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn could have flipflopped Baxendale and Stanek (6-0, 1.25 ERA), who has won eight consecutive games dating to last season, or he could have moved Baxendale back to the bullpen, where he led Arkansas with seven saves as a freshman.
But Van Horn decided to stick with the junior righthander who is 15-3 as a starter with the Razorbacks. Baxendale pitched five scoreless innings against LSU in last year’s series opener, and the Razorbacks went on to sweep the Tigers at Baum Stadium.
No. 15 LSU (19-6, 3-3) will start right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-0, 1.54 ERA), who pitched eight scoreless innings against Arkansas last season.
“[Baxendale] is disappointed the way it’s gone the last couple of weeks, and last weekend for sure,” Van Horn said. “My mind-set with him is that he’s ready to get the ball and turn it around a little bit.
“Everybody gets knocked down. It just happens. I think he’ll go out and give us a great effort. If he gives us three or four innings, I’m good with it.”
Arkansas has a lot of confidence in a bullpen that includes relievers Brandon Moore, Cade Lynch, Nolan Sanburn and Barrett Astin, who leads the Razorbacks with six saves. Lynch, Moore or Sanburn could start Sunday if they aren’t used much in either of the first two games.
“We’ll make a decision after Saturday’s game on who we’ll start on Sunday,” Van Horn said. “We want everybody available if we have a chance to win Game 1 or Game 2.”
One change Van Horn will make is moving Derrick Bleeker (.300, 2 HR, 6 RBI) into the starting lineup in left field after he went 4 for 9 while starting the last two games against Mississippi State.
Junior Jacob Mahan (.300, 0 HR, 10 RBI) is also pushing senior Bo Bigham (.284, 1 HR, 11 RBI) for more playing time at second base. Mahan started Sunday’s game against Mississippi State, but Bigham came off the bench and had a double that started Arkansas’ five-run rally in the 11th inning.
“[Bleeker] looks like he’s starting to settle in,” Van Horn said. “He brings a threat, offensively, more than we’ve had. With Mahan and Bigham, that’s a battle, a real tough call. If Mahan keeps hitting, I may have to stick Bo in the outfield a game here or there.
“Gausman is awfully good, and when we gets a chance to score, we need to score.”
LSU lost two of three at Auburn last weekend and is dealing with the loss of center fielder Chris Sciambra, who is out for the season after he ran into a wall at Auburn and suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck. The freshman from Baton Rouge, who was hitting .246, will wear a neck brace for three months but is expected to resume his career next season.
Jared Foster is expected to start in center field for the Tigers, who beat Louisiana-Lafayette 5-0 Wednesday night as 10 pitchers combined to throw a three-hit shutout.
“If you look at their numbers, we’re close to being the same team,” Van Horn said. “They can pitch, and defensively they have their whole infield back. They don’t walk a lot and don’t strike out a lot. They go up there swinging.”
Arkansas enters tonight’s game with a .296 batting average compared to a .302 average for LSU. Matt Reynolds leads Arkansas with a .361 average that includes 3 home runs and 19 RBI. Ralph Rhymes leads LSU with a .479 average, 6 doubles and 28 RBI.
Tonight’s game
ARKANSAS AT LSU
WHEN 7 p.m. Central tonight WHERE Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge RECORDS Arkansas 22-3, 5-1 SEC; LSU 19-6, 3-3 TV Comcast Sports Southeast/Cox Sports Television RADIO RSP statewide radio network, which includes KQSM-FM, 92.1 in Fayetteville; KURM-AM, 790, in Bentonville-Rogers; KASR-FM, 92.7, in Conway; KHGG-FM, 103.1, in Fort Smith; KELD-FM, 106.5, in El Dorado; and KOMT-FM, 107.5, in Mountain Home. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings. INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com (go to Razorvision link). PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: DJ Baxendale (RHP, 5-1, 4.15 ERA). Kevin Gausman (4-0, 1.54 ERA). Baxendale has allowed 32 hits and 14 earned runs in 301/3 innings this season.
THE WEEK AHEAD TODAY at LSU, 7 p.m. SATURDAY at LSU, 7 p.m. SUNDAY at LSU, 1 p.m. MONDAY off TUESDAY off WEDNESDAY off THURSDAY off
Sports, Pages 17 on 03/30/2012