FAYETTEVILLE -- Keaton McKinney has become Arkansas' third starter for SEC games, but he's pitching like a No. 1 guy.
McKinney, a freshman right-hander, has a 1.57 earned average in his past four SEC starts, including a 4-0 complete-game victory over Alabama last Saturday, the first shutout by a Razorback since Brett Eibner threw a one-hitter in a 2-0 victory in 2009 at Georgia.
Up next
TENNESSEE AT NO. 20 ARKANSAS
WHEN 6:35 p.m. Friday
WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
RECORDS Arkansas 29-18, 14-10 SEC. Tennessee 18-24, 7-17.
TICKETS $12 reserved. $10 general admission.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
INTERNET SEC Network-Plus live streaming
McKinney at a glance
SCHOOL Arkansas
POSITION Pitcher
THROWS Right-handed
CLASS Freshman
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-5, 220 pounds
HOMETOWN Ankeny, Iowa
HIGH SCHOOL Centennial
NOTEWORTHY SEC pitcher of the week after throwing two-hit shutout against Alabama in a 4-0 victory last Saturday … 4-1 with 3.06 ERA in 15 games this season, including 12 starts … 1.57 ERA in his past four SEC starts, including an 8-3 complete game victory over Kentucky … Holding opponents to a .231 batting average … Has allowed allowed 55 hits and 26 walks with 35 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings.
The SEC made McKinney its pitcher of the week for his effort, which saw him strike out 2, walk 1 and allow 2 hits while throwing 100 pitches.
It was McKinney's second complete game, the other coming in Arkansas' 7-3 victory over Kentucky on April 12, giving McKinney two more than any other freshman.
McKinney is tied for the SEC lead in complete games with Florida's Logan Shore, Auburn's Keegan Thompson, Mississippi State's Lucas Laster, Missouri's Reggie McClain and Kentucky's Zach Brown.
"I feel decently comfortable, but I have to earn that start every time out," McKinney said last week. "I definitely don't take it for granted."
McKinney is 4-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 games, including 12 starts. He's pitched 64 2/3 innings with 26 walks and 35 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .231 batting average.
"He throws strikes," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He locates that fastball."
McKinney's other big pitch is his change-up. He has a curveball, but hasn't thrown it much in recent starts and didn't throw it all against Alabama.
McKinney, 6-5 and 220 pounds, estimated his fastball is about 93 mph and his change-up 83.
"Now people know that he's got a really good change-up," Van Horn said. "The scouting report's out, so then they have to make a decision.
"Are we going to sit on the change-up? Because if you sit on the change-up you can hit it. But you're not hitting the fastball.
"If you're just sitting on the fastball, a lot of times it doesn't work. You'll still going to swing at that change-up because it looks like a fastball coming in."
Opponents have eight walks against McKinney over 28 2/3 innings his last four starts.
"He's worked ahead in the count," Van Horn said. "He's throwing strikes and he's making them swing the bat."
McKinney missed most of his senior season at Ankeny (Iowa) Centennial High School after dislocating a ligament in his left ring finger while covering first base. As a junior he was 8-0 with a 0.59 ERA while hitting .388 with 9 home runs and 38 runs batted in and was named the state's top player by Gatorade and MaxPreps.
At Arkansas, McKinney is strictly a pitcher.
It took some time to make the adjustment to the SEC as McKinney allowed 11 hits and 7 runs in 3 innings against Vanderbilt and LSU to open conference play. In his next three appearances, he held Ole Miss, Missouri State -- ranked No. 13 in this week's Baseball America poll -- and Auburn to 6 hits and 2 runs in 8 1/3 innings.
"I knew I could pitch at this level," McKinney said. "I'm just going out and doing it now.
"I'm trusting my stuff."
Arkansas catcher Alex Gosser said he's seen McKinney's confidence continue to grow.
"Keaton's starting to figure out the game," Gosser said. "He's really earned the respect from the older guys, because he's worked hard and learned how to pitch in the SEC."
Van Horn said McKinney is mature for a freshman.
"He's a very good student, and he learns and he listens and he watches," Van Horn said. "He wants to be good. That's a big part of it -- and he has talent."
McKinney was ranked the No. 80 prospect for last summer's major league draft by Baseball America and No. 89 by MLB.com, but he didn't go until pick No. 835 in the 28th round by the New York Mets.
Teams stayed away from McKinney because he was asking for a signing bonus in the $1 million range. He said the Mets didn't come close to offering that figure.
"I knew I wanted to come here to Arkansas and that college was going to be a good thing for me." McKinney said. "I just stuck to my price, and I think I made the right decision."
McKinney said he grew up wanting to play in the SEC and that Arkansas was a natural choice because it's a six-hour drive from Ankeny, is a national power and has a reputation for developing players with Van Horn, pitching coach Dave Jorn and hitting coach Tony Vitello.
"I definitely wanted to play down south in some warmer weather," McKinney said. "The facilities here are unbelievable.
"I knew coming here, if I couldn't get better under this coaching staff, I couldn't get better anywhere else."
Sports on 05/06/2015