HOG CALLS

Van Horn sure pitching will be back

Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight throws against Auburn on Friday, April 21, 2017, during an NCAA baseball game at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/AL.com)
Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight throws against Auburn on Friday, April 21, 2017, during an NCAA baseball game at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/AL.com)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Instead of lamenting that his Razorbacks lost 2 of 3 in their SEC baseball series last weekend at Auburn, Dave Van Horn gives thanks they didn't get swept.

None of Arkansas' three starting pitchers -- Blaine Knight, Trevor Stephan and Josh Alberius -- completed three innings. All exited trailing as the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville was pummeled 15-2 in Friday's opener, rallied Saturday to win 7-3 and came back from an early deficit before losing Sunday's finale 11-6.

'"When your starting three pitchers only last a total combined 5 1/3 innings, you are going to lose 3 out of 3 usually," Van Horn said Monday. "For us to to come back and win that second game, and really we were in the game yesterday (Sunday) until the seventh or eighth inning and it just got away. But we hung in there."

He waxes optimistic about Knight, Stephan and probable lefty starter Kacey Murphy opening the 3-game SEC West series against Ole Miss at Baum Stadium that begins Thursday.

"We'll flip it around," Van Horn said. "Our pitchers will get it going again."

Knight, 6-2, with a 3.13 ERA until he chased in the third inning Thursday by Auburn after eight runs and eight hits, has ranged from beating Georgia without his best stuff to three-hitters against Alabama and LSU, Van Horn said.

Thursday's outing proved that while he's superb, Knight is only human and humans do have their bad days.

"That's the only outing that was not like him," Van Horn said. "He couldn't command the ball and that was an issue. He wasn't able to locate like normal."

Stephan, 4-2, deserved a better fate than being banished in the Auburn second down 3-0, Van Horn said. The coach implied his starter was a victim of foul play.

"Stephan actually threw the ball very well," Van Horn said. "They just fouled off a ton of pitches. In the second inning, he was over 50 pitches."

A pitcher's best repeatedly fouled off can wear even worse than the big one fit fair.

Senior right-hander Alberius was slated to be an all-purpose reliever until injuries claimed projected starters Isaiah Campbell and Keaton McKinney before their seasons began.

However, after midweek starter Murphy threw a 7-inning 1-hitter (the lone hit being a bunt in a 2-0 victory last Wednesday over Memphis, with Alberius pitching the scoreless final frames), the time seems right for role reversals.

Van Horn was loathe to start Murphy at Auburn on Sunday on short rest from his career-high seven-inning start, but did use him for 3 1/3 innings of effective relief Sunday.

"There's a good chance he (Murphy) will start this weekend," Van Horn said.

Arkansas' bullpen, down one with right-hander Dominic Taccolini's sore forearm and so overworked that Cannon Chadwick was summoned Sunday in losing relief after throwing 4 1/3 innings of winning relief Saturday, needs Alberius to help finish as badly as Van Horn needs starters starting strongly again.

Sports on 04/26/2017

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