Sweep keeps pitchers fresh

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas rendered its lack of pitching depth into a nonissue by sweeping three games last weekend at the Stillwater Regional.

Now, with the Hogs set to host No. 8 national seed Missouri State for an NCAA Super Regional this weekend at Baum Stadium, the best-of-three format gives Arkansas another chance to work around its decreasing pitching depth.

Freshman Keaton McKinney, battling soreness in his hip, will apparently be in position to make his scheduled start in Game 2 against Missouri State, but sophomore Dominic Taccolini is not expected to return this season after requiring hospitalization for an undisclosed condition while the Hogs were in Oklahoma.

Jackson Lowery allowed a run on one hit in five-plus innings of the Hogs' 4-3 victory over St. John's in Sunday's third and final game in Stillwater, likely elevating him into the starting rotation against the Bears, behind junior Trey Killian and McKinney.

Coach Dave Van Horn said it was important for Arkansas (37-22) to win the regional in three games because the Hogs' staff is thinner than in the past.

"It would have been tough ... if we had lost, sleeping on that, trying to figure how we were going to piece it together [Monday] and give ourselves the best chance to win without hurting anybody," he said. "Just really kind of feel a weight lifted off the coaches' shoulders that we got it done."

The Razorbacks, who qualified for the program's sixth NCAA Super Regional appearance since the format was adopted in 1999, have not hosted one since sweeping Florida State in 2004.

Arkansas, a No. 2 regional seed, is ranked below national seed Missouri State, but the Bears could not bid to host the super regional round. Missouri State's home park, Hammons Field, is contractually bound to the minor league Springfield Cardinals, who are scheduled to host Midland for three games Friday through Sunday.

"It'd be great if we host," Van Horn said late Sunday. "I'm just glad we're still paying."

Missouri State (48-10) swept three games as host of the Springifield Regional over the weekend and has a 19-game winning streak during which it has posted four shutouts and held 15 opponents to 3 runs or less.

The Bears have two aces -- 6-4 right-hander Jon Harris (8-1, 1.85 ERA) and 6-1 lefty Matt Hall (11-2, 2.17) -- and two other standouts in Jordan Knutson (6-1, 3.06) and Sam Perez (9-1, 3.44), and one of the nation's top closers in Bryan Young (7-0, 1.31, 16 saves).

Arkansas put up 31 hits and 19 runs in its three-game sweep in Stillwater.

The Razorbacks put six players on the all-regional team, led by senior outfielder Joe Serrano, who went 6 for 12 (.500) with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI..

But the Razorbacks also got key performances throughout the lineup.

Catcher Tucker Pennell hit .429 (3 for 7) and threw out two runners attempting to steal.

Pennell, a junior from Georgetown, Texas, singled in Arkansas' first run of the regional against Oral Roberts, singled and scored the Hogs' first run against Oklahoma State and hit a sacrifice fly to knock in the team's first run against St. John's.

Designated hitter Brett McAfee was 0 for 8 with five strikeouts in his first eight plate appearances at the regional, including a poor swing for a strikeout with Tyler Spoon on third base and one out in the second inning against St. John's. But McAfee singled and scored the first run in Arkansas' two-run fifth inning in the regional final, then had a lead-off single and scored the winning run in the ninth. McAfee had hits in his last three at-bats.

Arkansas relievers picked up all three victories in Stillwater, with James Teague (6-4) winning against Oklahoma State and the finale against St. John's.

Sports on 06/02/2015