Surprise Starter, Added Fun All Part of Experience Against Much Tougher Vols Team

A full round is in the books in Hoover, Ala. and it's finally time for Arkansas to step onto the stage and make a case for itself to become a regional host.

That being said, it's a much different world the Hogs enter than what they have experienced over the past few weeks of baseball.

SEC Nails ABS Challenge

The one thing that became clear after watching the first day of SEC Tournament play is how much of an instant star Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick is about to become. That's saying a lot considering just about every Major League Baseball Draft projection has him as a Top 10 pick.

However, after watching how much of an impact catchers can have on the game after Missouri's Mateo Serna successfully challenged 7-of-8 balls called to have them flipped to strikes, there was little doubt Helfrick just picked up a dramatic power to positively affect the game for the Hogs.

Part of what has Helfrick so high in the MLB projections is his ability to call games on his own while running the team on the field, so it stands to reason that he should be able to effectively handle becoming a master of the ABS system. The respect Helfrick carries behind the plate alone should be enough to expand the zone as the umpire isn't going to want to become a major part of the highlight reel like happened in the Missouri-Ole Miss game, so strikes are going to move further to the edges of the strike zone for Arkansas.

However, there will still be challenges as old habits are hard to break. There haven't been egregious calls.

Instead, it's merely a misunderstanding as to how much of the ball needs to be outside of the strike zone. Mentally for most umpires, if the majority of the ball is outside the zone, it's a ball.

However, that's not the case. If the slightest sliver of a seam touches the strike zone, then it's a strike, adding an extra couple of inches on all sides to what most people picture.

One thing Tuesday showed was once a challenge is successful, it becomes contagious. That's because of how well integrated it is into the game.

Rather than it going to a room in Atlanta or part of a discussion among a group of men on the field, it pops up on the scoreboard like it's the unveiling of a briefcase on the old Deal or No Deal game show. Fans see the ABS strike zone outline and suddenly the ball fills in where technology believes it crossed the plate.

If it shows in favor of the challenging team, not only do the fans in the stands celebrate like someone just stole third, but the person who made the challenge can be visibly seen showing excitement. In the case of Serna, it became a battle with the umpire and he kept winning over and over.

With each successful challenge, the crowd got wilder and his reactions became more over the top. Eventually the acknowledgement got to be too much as he took a shot on a challenge his face clearly showed afterward he knew wasn't a strike, but he got caught up in the moment and the feeling it provided.

Helfrick has the maturity needed to avoid letting it get to him that much, but if he starts off 5-of-5 like Serna did, who knows how he might respond first time through. Either way, it's an interactive way to make the game even more enjoyable that can heavily affect the game.

Missouri has had its struggles, but Serna made it feel so personal that it came off as if umpires didn't have it out for the Tigers, they would have won more games. Picking up seven extra strikes can make a big difference.

Surprise Starter

A story was written here Tuesday talking about how there would be value in getting to Saturday because Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn could experiment with a couple of guys who were mentioned as possibilities to see how they might hold up in a jam next week.

Well, Van Horn isn't going to rely on winning a pair of games to find out because he is starting one of the three relievers mentioned. Rather than go with ace Hunter Dietz to open SEC Tournament play, Tate McGuire will instead get the ball to play a little game of catch with Helfrick.

Wednesday's starter: RHP Tate McGuire pic.twitter.com/f7lzvbEZPb
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) May 20, 2026

Vols Same, but Different

The Tennessee team Arkansas is going to face is possibly the last playing Wednesday the Hogs want to face. That's quite the opposite of how the Razorbacks felt when facing former assistant Tony Vitello.

The Vols were 2-13 against Arkansas under Vitello, but he is gone and Tennessee is killing the ball as of late. The Volunteers put up 15 hits and 11 runs in eight innings against South Carolina, led by Patrick Evans who was a double short of hitting the cycle.

In the bigger picture, they have now won eight of their past 10 games and have recently claimed back-to-back series wins over Oklahoma and current No. 5 Texas. Teegan Kuhns, who started Game 1 against the Longhorns, struck out 15 in seven innings of work.

If Arkansas fans were assuming Kuhns pitched Tuesday against South Carolina, the answer is no. Not only that, but he looked to be incredibly healthy and in great spirits as he showed the grip he used to get his 15th K against Texas, so there's a good shot the Razorbacks are going to get a look at him.

The Volunteers are also hitting a ton of home runs, made short work of the large outfield in Hoover and also was the only team present with a large, active crowd that traveled. None of those are good for an Arkansas team known for giving up a lot of home runs early in games.

Will Weather Factor?

Heading into the week there was concern storms would move in and cause problems with the schedule. The other worry was heat.

The reality for Wednesday's game is there may be a few hints of clouds, but no rain. As for the heat, it will be minimized as first pitch will take place in the low 80s.

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