Super regional report

Campbell gets start in Game 3

Arkansas pitcher Isaiah Campbell reacts after loading the bases during an NCAA Tournament game against Dallas Baptist on Sunday, June 3, 2018, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas pitcher Isaiah Campbell reacts after loading the bases during an NCAA Tournament game against Dallas Baptist on Sunday, June 3, 2018, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Right-hander Isaiah Campbell, who did not record an out in his start against Dallas Baptist eight days ago, will take the ball for the No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks in their Game 3 finale against South Carolina at the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional at 6 tonight.

Campbell is 4-6 with a 4.17 ERA this year, but one of his victories was a strong five innings in a 3-0 victory over the Gamecocks on April 14. The 6-4 sophomore gave up two hits and no runs in five innings on a cold day. That was the first of his three games, out of 15 appearances, in which he did not allow a run.

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"I feel fine with Isaiah," University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He's got great stuff. If he goes out and does what he can do, he'll be out there for a while. If he doesn't we'll go to the next guy.

"There's no tomorrow, basically, so we're going to give him the ball and let him have it as long as he earns it."

South Carolina Coach Mark Kingston did not announce his starter. However, it will most likely be one of two freshman right-handers: Carmen Mlodzinski (3-5, 4.84), who has not pitched in the six games against Arkansas, or Logan Chapman, who faced the Razorbacks twice with vastly different results.

"We'll look at match-ups," Kingston said. "We'll make a decision on what gives us our best chance. But we'll be all hands on deck tomorrow, no question about it."

Chapman gave up 7 hits and 2 runs through 4 innings of what became a no-decision in a 3-2 victory at Baum Stadium on April 12. He lasted 1 1/3 innings against the Hogs in Hoover, Ala., and gave up 3 hits, 3 walks and 6 runs in a 13-8 loss.

Campbell allowed two walks and a hit to the first three Dallas Baptist hitters last week, but was only charged with one run as Jake Reindl came on to throw seven innings in a 4-3 victory.

Van Horn said Campbell has had a great week, including a 25-pitch run against live hitting last Monday.

"It's over a week since he's pitched, so he's 100 percent and I feel mentally he's ready to go," Van Horn said. "I wouldn't expect him to not go out there and give it his best shot and have a good outing."

HR records

One home run record fell and the Arkansas Razorbacks tied another, but it was to no avail in Sunday's 8-5 loss to South Carolina.

Heston Kjerstad's seventh inning home run off South Carolina closer Sawyer Bridges was his 14th of the year, an Arkansas freshman record. The left-handed hitting outfielder had been tied for the record with teammate Casey Martin and Zack Cox, who hit 13 in 2009.

Home runs by Carson Shaddy and Kjerstad gave the Razorbacks 92 home runs on the season, tying the school record first established by the 2010 team.

South Carolina has outhomered Arkansas 5-2 in the super regional.

Hot at ump

Arkansas fans gave home plate umpire Mike Morris the business for what they felt was a tight strike zone. Coach Dave Van Horn had a loud conversation with Morris as he came to the mound to replace freshman Bryce Bonnin in the bottom of the sixth inning. Van Horn kept up the banner on his way back to the dugout and Bonnin stared at Morris all the way back to the dugout.

"So you feel like I can talk about the home plate umpire?" Van Horn asked a reporter who asked about the umpiring. "I can't talk about the home plate umpire."

Golden glove

Arkansas third baseman Casey Martin dove into foul territory, stretched fully horizontal, to rob Chris Cullen in the second inning with a runner at first. Martin popped up with the scorching ground ball about 8 feet beyond the bag in foul ground and threw Cullen out by a couple of steps.

Pass on

Arkansas pitchers issued 10 walks on Sunday, and three of them came around to score in the 8-5 loss.

"I thought today was a flip of last night," South Carolina Coach Mark Kingston said. "We did a better job today of not giving out free passes and they gave us some and that was the difference in the ball game."

South Carolina pitchers walked eight Razorbacks in Saturday's 9-3 Arkansas victory, and four of them scored.

"This series has been the definition of if you walk guys, you get hurt," Kingston said. "Yesterday was our turn to walk guys and today they did it."

'E' spree

South Carolina won despite committing a season-high four errors, including three in one inning and two on one play.

The Razorbacks and Gamecocks have each beaten the other this season when their opponent committed a season high in errors. Arkansas had five errors on a wet infield in its 13-8 victory at the SEC Tournament.

South Carolina entered the NCAA Tournament as the fourth-best fielding team in the country.

Knight moves up

Blaine Knight won his 12th game of the season Saturday night to pull into sole possession of third place on Arkansas' single-season victories list.

Knight trails only co-leaders Rich Erwin, who posted 13 victories in 1979, and Steve Krueger, who did the same the following season.

Knight broke out of a seven-way tie for third place with 11 victories with: Scott Tabor (1981), Fred Farwell (1985), John Cebuhar (1987), Bobby Edwards (1988), Charley Boyce (2005) and Nick Schmidt (2007).

Left at third

The Razorbacks left runners at third base in each of the first two innings. Casey Martin was stranded at third in the first inning after he singled with one out, stole second and advanced to third on Heston Kjerstad's fly to center. In the second, Carson Shaddy dropped a one-out single into left-center, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on Grant Koch's deep fly ball before being stranded.

Around the horn

• Sunday's game lasted 3 hours and 53 minutes, only 24 minutes less than the time of Arkansas' 2-0 and 3-0 victories in a pair of seven-inning games against South Carolina on April 14.

• Former Razorbacks ace and Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee (Benton) was a guest of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek in the UA's suite.

• Arkansas' Cody Scroggins pitched a season-high 2 1/3 innings and did not allow a run on one hit and two walks. The previous high for the Bentonville right-hander was 2 innings.

• Casey Martin's stolen base in the first inning was his eighth in nine tries.

• South Carolina's Madison Stokes dropped to 0 for 8 with the bases loaded after popping up on the first pitch from Kacey Murphy, who had walked the bases loaded, in the second inning.

Sports on 06/11/2018

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