HOOVER, Ala. - Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said the Razorbacks plan to use the same pitching rotation for the SEC Tournament they used their final nine conference series.
That means junior right-hander Barrett Astin (4-4, 2.02 ERA) will start Arkansas’ 9:30 a.m. opener Wednesday when the No. 14 Razorbacks (35-19, 18-11) will play either Ole Miss (36-20, 15-15) or Kentucky (30-24, 11-19).
Ole Miss and Kentucky are playing a first-round elimination game today with the winner advancing to play Arkansas.
Van Horn said junior right-hander Ryne Stanek (8-2, 1.54 ERA) will start for the Razorbacks on Thursday. If Arkansas is still playing on Friday, senior left-hander Randall Fant (5-1, 2.08) will start.
Astin went 6 1/3 innings in Arkansas’ 3-0 loss at Auburn last Thursday night and threw 94 pitches. Stanek went 7 2/3 innings with 124 pitches in the Razorbacks’ 1-0 Friday night.
“He’s obviously our freshest pitcher,” Van Horn said of Astin. “So he’ll be good to go. He wants to pitch.”
Fant lasted 2 1/3 innings and 53 pitches in the Razorbacks’ 11-6 loss at Auburn on Saturday.
Astin threw 2 2/3 innings in relief in Arkansas’ 6-4 loss to Ole Miss in 13 innings on March 17 at Baum Stadium. He allowed four hits and one run.
Van Horn put Astin back in the rotation the next week at South Carolina.
Sports, Pages 24 on 05/21/2013