FAYETTEVILLE -- If they pitch long enough, even the great ones at times eventually get hit hard.
So after five great starts, Razorbacks right-hander Trevor Stephan suddenly seems hit by hard times.
The only losses that the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has absorbed in its 7-2 SEC West-leading baseball campaign were charged to Stephan these last two Saturdays at Missouri and at Alabama. The junior college transfer from Magnolia, Texas, won 4 of his first 5 starts, including over Mississippi State in the SEC and over Miami (Ohio), Bryant University and Nebraska in nonconference and a spectacularly pitched no-decision in Arkansas' eventual 3-2 victory over Rhode Island. Stephan threw a 2-hitter, struck out 13 and walked none against Rhode Island, as the Hogs led 2-0 into the ninth.
"Trevor Stephan was incredible his first five starts," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn told Monday's Swatter's Club gathering. "Just mowing people down. But he's got two starts in a row when it hasn't been going very well. He only lasted about 30 pitches on Saturday. He could not locate his fast ball and that's what he does well. So he's going to have a good rest and work on a lot of things and he'll be back Saturday (starting against SEC rival LSU).
"Hopefully Trevor will get it going again. Overall his ERA is good, just a little bit under 3.00. But in the SEC it's almost 7.00. We've got to turn him around."
Stephan actually posted an incredible 10-to-1 strikeout/walk ratio against Missouri but got banished during Missouri's six-run sixth inning. In the 7-1 loss at Alabama, Stephan didn't survive the Tide's four-run second.
Just part of the process or are Van Horn and new pitching coach Wes Johnson concerned?
Both, actually.
"I mean obviously we're concerned," Van Horn said. "He's got an electric fast ball. But like anybody, if you're not throwing it where you want, they're going to hit it."
And when you have the strikeout/walk ratios like Stephan -- 50 strikeouts vs. 10 walks in 37 innings -- and Friday night Arkansas starter Blaine Knight -- 48 strikeouts vs 2 walks in 40 ⅓ innings -- hitters come out swinging and not taking.
"His reputation is like Blaine Knight's," Van Horn said. "He's going to throw it over the plate. So they swing. Second inning, first-pitch double down the line. The pitch was supposed to be away and it ended up being in. It just kind of continued and he didn't recover."
Bryant native Knight weathered this last year and probably did even during his stellar high school career. All pitchers do.
The inevitable pitching ups and downs are just newer to Stephan, a high school infielder before pitching at Hill Junior College.
"I just hope the last couple of weeks have been a learning experience for him," Van Horn said. "He has only been pitching like three years. Hopefully he'll bounce back this Saturday."
They've seen the right stuff to believe he can.
Sports on 04/05/2017