FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas baseball team will play more than intrasquad scrimmages in fall practice.
A new NCAA rule allows teams to play two exhibition games without counting against the 56-game regular-season schedule, and Arkansas will take on Oklahoma and Wichita State.
ARKANSAS BASEBALL FALL EXHIBITION GAMES
Noon, Sept. 22, at Oklahoma, at Dale Mitchell Stadium, Norman, Okla. ($5 admission)
6 p.m., Oct. 5, vs. Wichita State, at Baum Stadium, Fayetteville. (Free admission. Fans are asked to bring nonperishable food item or coat for donation.)
The Razorbacks, who finished second to Oregon State at the College World Series last season, play at Oklahoma at noon next Saturday and at home against Wichita State at 6 p.m. on Oct. 5 -- the Friday before the Arkansas-Alabama football game.
"The way we lined up it up, we feel like it breaks up fall ball," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "It can get a little monotonous scrimmaging against yourself.
"It also gives coaches an opportunity to throw a team out there that possibly has more of a starting lineup. Obviously, you aren't playing 18 or 20 guys like you do in a scrimmage. You're playing nine. It opens some eyes."
The Razorbacks said they're excited to play the Sooners and Shockers, even though the games won't count.
"We always want to win games when we play them," Arkansas sophomore outfielder Heston Kjerstad said. "Even in the fall ball games where it's the Gray versus the Black team, we're trying to beat each other. We're competitive people, and we want to come out on top."
Arkansas will have two weeks of practice before playing Oklahoma, two more weeks before playing Wichita State, and then will cap the final two weeks with an intrasquad series.
"It's going to be nice to get out and face another team that's not wearing an Arkansas baseball shirt," junior pitcher Isaiah Campbell said. "It's going to be a good test for us."
Van Horn said the exhibition games likely will go 14 or 15 innings to give the coaches opportunities to use more players.
"Probably the first nine innings you do all you can to try and win the game," Van Horn said. "But the main thing we're trying to do is get guys in the right situation and see how they can handle it."
Van Horn said Arkansas likely will use four of five pitchers in the first nine innings of each game, then may go with a pitcher per inning the rest of the way.
"It's definitely fun to get in there and play against another team," said junior pitcher Matt Cronin, Arkansas' closer. "It probably brings the competition level up a little bit."
Oklahoma will charge $5 admission for its game against Arkansas. Fans with tickets for the Army-Oklahoma football game will be admitted to the baseball game for free.
Baum Stadium will open at 5 p.m. for the Arkansas-Wichita State game. Admission is free, but the UA is asking attendees to bring nonperishable food items or new or gently-used coats for donation.
Seating at Baum Stadium will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fans may bring in food and drinks -- but no alcohol -- and light concessions will be available on a cash-only basis. The Hog Pen will be open and coolers will be allowed there, but not in the main seating area.
In other news, senior infielder Hunter Wilson is leaving Arkansas, Van Horn said, and will play elsewhere as a graduate transfer.
Wilson was a utility infielder last season and likely would have filled the same role for the Razorbacks this season, Van Horn said. In 30 games last season, including 12 starts, Wilson batted .283 with 1 home run and 12 RBI.
"Everything's good between us," Van Horn said. "He just wants to play every day, and I don't blame him. He's a guy that brings a lot of energy and he wants to play. I couldn't tell him that he was going to play every day.
"He'll end up with his degree here from the University of Arkansas [when the fall semester ends]. He's weighing his options right now, and he'll wind up at a school where he feels like he's going to get in the lineup every day."
Van Horn said the first week of fall practice went about as well as expected.
"We've got a lot of new players," he said. "The first week is always kind of young guys feeling their way through, trying to figure out what we expect. I thought it went real well.
"There are six spots in the field that we're trying to replace, so this is a big fall for us. I feel as coaches we're bearing down trying to handle this and make sure we get the right players in the right spots."
Sports on 09/15/2018