STILLWATER, Okla. -- Connor Noland has pitched 812/3 innings for the University of Arkansas baseball team this season after throwing 18 in the 2020 season canceled before SEC play started because of the coronavirus pandemic and tossing 141/3 last season when he was sidelined for two months by a forearm injury.
The drastically increased workload might help explain why Noland hasn't gone more than 5 innings in any of his previous 4 starts and allowed 5 runs in all of them after going at least 6 innings -- with a career-high 8 against Ole Miss -- in 8 of his first 11 starts.
But Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn and Noland don't agree with the theory the senior right-hander has been suffering from a tired arm going into his start today against Grand Canyon in the NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional at Oklahoma State's O'Brate Stadium.
In Noland's most recent start in Arkansas' 7-5 loss to Florida at the SEC Tournament last Friday in Hoover, Ala., he went 42/3 innings and allowed 6 hits -- including 2 home runs.
"This is what we see, and we used TrackMan and some other data," Van Horn said. "His stuff last weekend was really good.
"Breaking ball, velocity on his fastball. Maybe he didn't locate it like he normally does, but his stuff, it's not down.
"We feel real good about Connor, and we feel like he's as strong as ever. It's not like we've pitched him eight innings every weekend. It's been 5, 6, 7.
"Even days that he didn't have his best stuff or teams fought him to get his pitch count up, he's been handled pretty good. He's in great shape right now."
Noland threw a combined 800 pitches -- with a high of 109 against Kentucky -- in eight consecutive games before dropping down to 78 at Auburn. He had a season-low 78 against the Gators in the SEC Tournament.
"I'm feeling really good," said Noland, who pitched 781/3 innings as a freshman in 2019 when he helped the Razorbacks advance to the College World Series. "I'm just excited.
"I think everybody here is very excited that we have an opportunity [to play in a regional]."
Noland (5-4, 3.75 ERA) is hoping to regain the form he showed in early April when he went a combined 14 innings against Mississippi State and at Florida and held the Bulldogs and Gators to 5 hits, 1 run and 1 walk with 13 strike outs as the Razorbacks won both games 8-1.
For the season Noland has 90 strikeouts and 26 walks.
"He's good," Grand Canyon Coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I mean, he's their guy. He's a big-time performer and we know that. So we expect him to be on top of his game."
The Antelopes will start freshman right-hander Daniel Avitia (7-1, 1.69 ERA), the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. He has 80 strikeouts and 13 walks in 601/3 innings and has held opponents to a .196 batting average.
"Daniel is aggressive," Stankiewicz said. "He's always been very aggressive on the mound.
"He attacks the strike zone. He'll throw a fastball, a changeup and a slider, and he'll use any of them in any count."
Grand Canyon senior third baseman Juan Colato rooms with Avitia on the road.
"He's just the type of guy that's ready to pitch no matter who's in the batter's box," Colato said. "That's the mentality that we need for this type of stage."
Colato said he doesn't expect Avitia to be nervous in his NCAA Tournament debut against an SEC opponent.
"I think he'll be perfectly fine," Colato said. "He doesn't think about that stuff. He'll be on his 'A' game for sure."
Arkansas sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace expressed similar confidence in Noland.
"I expect the same thing that I've expected all year," Wallace said. "He gives his all, he'll give us a competitive game.
"We really haven't as an offense helped him much this year, but that is our goal [today] -- to help him. I think personally he has done really great all year."
Noland was asked if he believes he's due, and maybe overdue, for a strong outing.
"I hope so," Noland said. "But I'm not a guy that believes big in luck. I think you put in your work, you prepare, and it'll come to you."
The Razorbacks (38-18) find themselves as the No. 2 seed in Stillwater and playing on the road in a regional for the first time since 2015 -- when they won the Stillwater Regional -- rather than hosting at Baum-Walker Stadium when they stumbled to a 4-8 record in their last 12 games.
"I think the big thing is we're here," Noland said. "I mean, there's a lot of teams that are sitting at home right now, wishing they had an opportunity to be in this spot. We know we deserve to be here."
NCAA Stillwater Regional
O’Brate Stadium, Stillwater, Okla.
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central
Arkansas (38-18) vs. Grand Canyon (41-19), noon
Oklahoma St. (39-20) vs. Missouri St. (30-27), 6 p.m.
Arkansas outfielder Zack Gregory works on bunting Thursday during batting practice before the NCAA Stillwater Regional at O’Brate Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. More photos at arkansasonline.com/63uapractice/. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)