Starting over again: Hogs set Scroggins for opener with Trojans

FAYETTEVILLE -- Last weekend's bitter weather in Northwest Arkansas created a domino effect that has impacted the University of Arkansas' pitching plans for its Thursday-Saturday series at the University of Southern California.

Coach Dave Van Horn announced right-hander Cody Scroggins would start Thursday's series opener for the No. 12 Razorbacks (3-0) against the Trojans (2-1), with a first pitch scheduled for 9 p.m. Central at Dedeaux Field on the USC campus.

Junior right-hander Isaiah Campbell, whose opening day start was pushed back a day due to the frigid temperature and rain last Friday, will start Game 2 at 8 p.m. Friday. Freshman right-hander Connor Noland will take the mound for Game 3 at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Scroggins was the first pitcher behind Campbell's five innings in the Razorbacks' 15-7 victory over Eastern Illinois in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

The junior from Bentonville allowed a run on two hits and a walk in the sixth and told the coaching staff he experienced some stiffness after that 28-pitch outing.

"He's good," Van Horn said. "I don't know what he did. Maybe he just tweaked it, scared himself a little bit. It's early. A lot of times this happens. But he's good to go.

"He's a guy we thought we might be able to start a little bit or use him long, use him at the end of the game. We figure we're probably going to use three different guys in the game anyway."

Scroggins will likely oppose 6-3 right-hander Kyle Hurt (0-0, 3.60 ERA), who allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings of a 6-5 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the season opener.

Though Scroggins has the ability to stretch his start out for several innings, Van Horn expects to use at least a couple of other pitchers in the series opener.

"I'm really confident in our bullpen, so that doesn't really worry me at all," freshman third baseman Jacob Nesbit said of a potential bullpen game Thursday. "They've been good for us all through the fall and workouts and everything, so I have all the confidence in them."

Campbell (1-0, 5.40 ERA) will probably face 5-11 left-hander John Beller (1-0, 0.00), who allowed 3 hits and 2 walks while working 7 innings of an 11-0 victory last Saturday.

Noland (0-0, 0.00) pitched 4 2/3 innings of Arkansas' 12-3 victory Saturday night, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk and 2 unearned runs while striking out 7. The Greenwood High product could face 6-4 freshman right-hander Chandler Champlian (0-1, 67.50) who allowed 5 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks and did not get out of the first inning in a 12-9 loss on Sunday.

Van Horn said Campbell, Noland and Jacob Kostyshock (0-0, 0.00), who allowed no runs on three hits in his five innings, provided solid starts in the sweep of Eastern Illinois.

"They gave us quality innings," Van Horn said. "Overall, I thought it was really good if you look at the numbers and break them down, if you take away the last inning Campbell threw, because he had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning."

Sophomore Casey Opitz caught the Campbell and Kostyshock starts.

"They were unbelievable, you know," Opitz said. "Isaiah came out there and his first five innings were untouchable. Basically all his pitches were working. Kostyshock did unbelievable. Then Connor coming in there in the second game of the doubleheader, for a freshman to come into that atmosphere and do what he did was fun to be a part of."

The Razorbacks came away from the opening series with a team ERA of 3.00, with the starters allowing 3 earned runs on 12 hits in 14 2/3 innings and the bullpen giving up 6 earned runs on 15 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

"I think they did great," said center fielder Dominic Fletcher, who will be playing a series in his home state for a second consecutive year. "Isaiah obviously went out there and showed what he can do. Everyone knows what he can do.

"Noland had a really good outing, and then Kosty obviously threw better than he has in the past. He threw really good and threw strikes."

Sports on 02/20/2019