Dave Not Handing Out Any Clues on Sunday Starter
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After one eyebrow-raising move with the pitchers, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn didn't do another.
Freshman Hagen Smith came on in the ninth inning against North Carolina and closed out a 4-1 win.
He did that in the last game of the regional so it wasn't particularly shocking. But it was interesting because that means he probably won't be starting Sunday when the Razorbacks can start packing for Omaha.
Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace pops up a pitch during the first inning in the Super Regional against North Carolina on Saturday morning. (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)
Van Horn wasn't ready for any more surprises, but he wasn't disclosing much of anything, either.
"We're probably going to narrow it down to two," he said later. "Either a right-hander or a left-hander."
For Van Horn, that's a dead-pan one-liner. He didn't crack a smile.
"You learn," he said later. "Being a part of a bunch of different Super Regionals ... won a few, lost a few all different ways. It's not over until it's over."
That's what we're used to hearing. Since he won't offer any clues to who the starter might be that's obviously one of the things he's learned from those series to go to Omaha.
The most likely candidates to start on the mount will be right-hander Jaxon Wiggins (6.12 ERA, 64.2 IP), who has been a weekend starter most of the season and left-hander Zack Morris (1.91 ERA, 33 IP), who made his first career start in the Stillwater Regional.
North Carolina will go with left-hander Brandon Schaeffer (3.73 ERA, 91.2 IP). The Hogs haven't hit left-handers well. Van Horn usually calls every lefty "crafty," so we can hold that for later.
Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith delivers a pitch in the Super Regional against North Carolina on Saturday morning. (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)
With Smith being an All-American starter, Van Horn will obviously have him available again Sunday. He only threw 19 pitches in the ninth Saturday.
"He's a guy we have a lot of confidence in," Van Horn said. "He’s been in big spots already, so it’s kind of casual for him to come into a game knowing that we have a lead and close the thing out."
The other part is All-American freshman closer Brady Tygart didn't throw a pitch.
If you haven't figured it out, that means Van Horn could get a couple of innings from a pair of freshmen All-Americans in relief if he wants to close things out Sunday.
Which might have become the plan after Connor Noland shut down the Tar Heels into two outs in the seventh inning Saturday.
It could turn out to be a good one and land this team in Omaha.
Didn't see that coming a few weeks ago, did ya'?
HOGS FEED:
YOU CAN USUALLY TELL BY CONNOR NOLAND'S SMILE HOW THINGS ARE GOING
LIVE BLOG: HOGS OPEN WITH STRONG OUTING AGAINST NORTH CAROLINA IN SUPER REGIONAL
TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT NORTH CAROLINA'S BATTERS
TAR HEELS FANS FURIOUS ABOUT TICKET SITUATION
CLOSER LOOK: NORTH CAROLINA PITCHING STAFF
BY THE NUMBERS: ARKANSAS RAZORBACK BASEBALL
TREYLON BURKS' ASTHMA DIAGNOSIS PLACED AS CAUSE FOR PROBLEMS
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