FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks did not announce their pitching rotation for the NCAA Fayetteville Regional on Monday, with Coach Dave Van Horn and pitching coach Wes Johnson saying they had to study tendencies before making the decision.
Left-hander Kacey Murphy started the Razorbacks' opener at the SEC Tournament last week, picking up the victory over South Carolina 13-8 late Wednesday night in a game that ended at 1:32 a.m.
Right-hander Blaine Knight got an extra day of rest last week after Thursday's game was postponed to Friday morning and he beat Florida 8-2.
"Still not sure yet," Van Horn said. "Probably need a day or two to see how Blaine's feeling. Obviously, Murphy would be a lot fresher. It'll be one of those two."
Said Johnson: "We've got Blaine and Kacey to use, and they're 1 and 1A. With technology being the way it is now ... you look and see is one team better or worse against left-handed pitching, and you might not throw that guy there.
"We really want to break down video. I'll start doing that after practice today and then I'll go to Dave and say, 'Here's what I think with Oral Roberts.' I've started on Oral Roberts. They haven't seen a ton of left-handers. Their numbers are OK versus left-handed pitching, but they haven't seen very many left-handers, but we've got to look at everything."
Knight said he's OK with whatever slot in the rotation he's assigned.
"I don't care at all," he said. "Whatever the rotation is, as long as I can come in and win and help the team win, I don't care where I throw. It could be first game, it could be third game. I don't care."
Hurting hand
Second baseman Carson Shaddy said his right hand is "barking," three weeks after he returned from having it hit by a pitch April 21 at Mississippi State.
"I'm still struggling a little bit getting it to feel 100 percent," Shaddy said. "But I can play through it. It's just a matter of getting it as much treatment as I can."
Shaddy, moved to the No. 2 spot in the batting order for the SEC Tournament after going 9 for 26 (.346) with 8 RBI and 5 runs scored in his first seven games back, went 0 for 12 in Hoover, Ala.
"I'm not even blaming it on the hand," Shaddy said. "I squared up a lot of balls I took good swings on. I had two games where I had two strikeouts each, but the last game against LSU I felt like I had two hits in the bag if [pitcher Zack] Hess didn't get lucky on the play he made and then obviously the shift they made in the [eighth] inning. I felt good the whole tournament. My swing was fine."
Aces
The NCAA Fayetteville Regional will feature an array of pitchers with outstanding records and statistics.
The Razorbacks have right-hander Blaine Knight (10-0, 2.78 ERA) and left-hander Kacey Murphy (7-4, 3.15) at the top of their rotation, along with lefty closer Matt Cronin (2.97 ERA, 11 saves) and right-handed reliever Jake Reindl (2-1, 2.66).
No. 2 seed Southern Miss will feature right-hander Nick Sandlin (9-0, 1.13), the nation's ERA leader, who ranks seventh with 134 strikeouts. The side-arming Sandlin has a minuscule WHIP of 0.692, best in the country by 0.11, based on 51 hits and 15 walks allowed in 95⅓ innings. Sandlin has allowed four home runs in 190 innings pitched over three seasons.
Knight ranks No. 1 in the nation in wins among unbeaten pitchers, while Sandlin is tied for second with Minnesota's Patrick Fredrickson and Brett Schulze.
No. 3 seed Dallas Baptist has right-hander Trevor Conn (8-1, 2.92 ERA) and right-hander Luke Eldred (6-3, 3.08), who has allowed 2 walks in 49⅔ innings.
No. 4 seed Oral Roberts is led by left-hander Miguel Ausua (8-1, 3.27 ERA) and right-hander Justin McGregor (6-1, 2.56). Closer Kyler Stout (2.13 ERA, 14 saves) is averaging 14.9 strikeouts per 9 innings.
Ausua held the Razorbacks to 1 earned run on 8 hits and 3 walks over 6⅓ innings in a 3-0 loss in a first-round game at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional on June 2.
Mighty Martin
Third baseman Casey Martin added to his Freshman All-SEC honors by landing a spot on the All-Tournament team. The Lonoke native hit 3 home runs and had 4 hits and 5 RBI in Hoover, Ala.
"I really didn't expect it, honestly," Martin said. "It was definitely an awesome experience just as far as my first year, as a freshman."
Hey guys
Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson is still good friends with Dallas Baptist Coach Dan Heefner and base coach Dan Fitzgerald after spending four years on Heefner's staff with the Patriots.
"Both of them texted me last night. They were worried they weren't going to get in, so I'm happy for them," Johnson said.
Dallas Baptist was listed as one of the last four teams to make the 64-team field.
Johnson said he heard from both of them again Monday.
"Both of them sent me texts that said, 'Hey, we're going to be excited to see you. Can't wait to play in that atmosphere,' " Johnson said. "I don't know everybody's schedule, I've got to do some recruiting later this week, but if it works out we'll probably try and grab dinner."
Don't blow it
Laura Rutledge of the SEC Network pulled out a duck call during her in-game interview with Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight and asked whether the junior could make a call with it.
"I was just like, 'Well, um ...,' " Knight said. "She wanted me to blow it and stuff, but I was like, 'We're in the middle of the game. I'm not doing that. You want me to take it apart and show you how this thing works, I can do that. But I'm not blowing this thing.'
"It was fun. It was kind of goofy and stuff, but it was fun."
Sports on 05/29/2018