FAYETTEVILLE -- Junior right-hander Zach Jackson will be starting instead of closing for the Arkansas baseball team at Ole Miss weekend.
"I'm excited," Jackson said. "It's an opportunity I've been wanting for a while."
At a glance
NO. 21 ARKANSAS AT NO. 15 OLE MISS
WHEN 6:30 p.m. Central
WHERE Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
RECORDS Arkansas 20-9, 4-5 SEC; Ole Miss 22-7, 3-6
SERIES Arkansas leads 45-37
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
TELEVISION None
INTERNET SEC Network-plus
PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: RHP James Teague (2-2, 3.12 ERA). Ole Miss: RHP Brady Bramlett (4-2, 2.97 ERA). SHORT HOPS The Arkansas-Ole Miss games on Saturday night and Sunday will be televised on the SEC Network … Razorbacks junior right-hander Zach Jackson (2-2, 3.68 ERA) will start against Ole Miss sophomore left-hander David Parkinson (0-0, 1.40 ERA) Saturday night … Neither team has announced a Sunday starter … James Teague and Jackson are moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation to replace struggling Dominic Taccolini and Keaton McKinney … The Razorbacks are 20-16 all-time at Oxford and last won a series there in 2010 when they took 2 of 3 games … Arkansas had 16 hits in its 12-4 victory at Memphis on Wednesday night when Cullen Gassaway, Clark Eagan and Grant Koch each tied their career-high with three hits.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at Ole Miss*, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY at Ole Miss*, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY at Ole Miss*, noon
MONDAY Off
TUESDAY vs. La.-Monroe#, 6:35 p.m.
WEDNESDAY Off
THURSDAY vs. Florida*, 8 p.m.
*SEC games #At Dickey-Stephens Park, N. Little Rock
James Teague will start tonight's opener for the No. 21 Razorbacks (20-9, 4-5 SEC) against the No. 15 Rebels (22-7, 3-6) at Swayze Field with Jackson starting Saturday night.
Jackson, who became a dominating closer last season, often has said he'll do whatever the team needs, but that he would prefer to start.
"There's not a pitcher in college who doesn't want to be a starter," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "They were starters in high school. They were starters in summer ball for the most part, through little league.
"They want to be starters."
After Jackson went 5-1 with 9 saves and a 2.10 earned run average and 89 strikeouts in 60 innings last season to help Arkansas reach the College World Series, Van Horn and pitching coach Dave Jorn hoped to keep him as the closer.
"We just decided Zach was really solid in that role last year and there's really not much reason to change it," Jorn said before this season. "If it doesn't go well with the guys we've got out there starting, we may have to make some adjustments and put him in there as a starter."
It hasn't gone well for Arkansas' two most experienced starters.
Junior Dominic Taccolini (3-1, 5.09 ERA) and sophomore Keaton McKinney (1-1, 6.14 ERA) will pitch out of the bullpen after starting the previous seven weekends.
"They have to go out and prove it and earn their time," Van Horn said. "They were given those spots on what they did last year and maybe earlier this year.
"But when you struggle and struggle there finally just comes a point where you've got to mix it up a little bit and that's what we're doing."
Jackson (2-2, 3.58 ERA) said the team still has confidence in Taccolini and McKinney and he believes filling different roles against Ole Miss could be a positive for them.
"I think this gives them a chance to get back on a roll and pitch like we know they can," Jackson said. "I'm hoping they can get back in a good rhythm, and I'm hoping James and I can help spark the team early in the games and give us some good innings."
Jackson (2-2, 3.68 ERA) will make his sixth career start for the Razorbacks and first since March 2, 2015, against Eastern Illinois.
In anticipation of starting Jackson this weekend, Arkansas' coaches had him go four innings in a 10-1 loss to Missouri last Sunday.
Jackson threw 87 pitches in his second appearance against Missouri after throwing 15 the final two-thirds of an inning and earning his fourth save in the Razorbacks' 7-6 victory over the Tigers last Friday night.
"I'm glad they did that so I've got at least a little bit of experience being stretched out this year," Jackson said of Sunday's game. "My arm didn't really wear down."
Van Horn said Jackson probably is good for about 100 pitches in his start against the Rebels.
"His arm's in shape," Van Horn said. "If he stays out there for 100 pitches, that means he's doing pretty well and we've got a chance."
Jackson, who went a career-long 5 1/3 innings in relief against Loyola-Marymount last season, said he's confident he can throw 100 pitches.
"That sounds good to me," Jackson said. " I'm not too worried about it."
Ideally for Jackson and the Razorbacks, his 100 pitches would be spread over six or seven innings. He threw 74 pitches in 2 2/3 innings in South Carolina's 8-6 victory over the Razorbacks three weeks ago.
In 22 innings this season, Jackson has 27 strikeouts and 18 walks.
"I've gotten into a lot of deep counts," he said. "It seems like I go 2-2 or 3-2 on just about every hitter.
"Hopefully, Saturday night I can pound the strike zone early and get them to swing at some first pitches and get some ground-ball outs. It would be nice to be able to pitch to contact a little bit more."
Van Horn said a key for Jackson to throwing fewer pitches per at-bat is to not get too amped up.
"The issue with him is to just be under control mentally," Van Horn said. "Calm down a little bit.
"Maybe starting gives us a little bit different look. Mentally he comes in and takes a couple of deep breaths and just gets it done.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes."
Sports on 04/08/2016