Spring Break
Crucial series for Diamond Hogs at division-leading Ole Miss
Matt Watson
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Sports
If the regular season ended today, the Arkansas baseball team would have to buy tickets to see the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
The Razorbacks are 7-10 in the SEC (24-17 overall), the ninth-best conference record, and would be the first team not to earn a bid to the eight-team SEC Tournament.
Ole Miss (27-15, 10-8 SEC) leads the Western Division by two games, with Alabama currently in second place and the Hogs 2.5 games back in third. Kentucky's 9-9 conference mark is the worst in the SEC East, but would guarantee the school a postseason bid if the tournament started today.
With 12 SEC games left on the schedule for Arkansas, including the Ole Miss series and Alabama at Baum Stadium next weekend, the time to make a push for the postseason is now.
"We feel like we're starting to play our best baseball," Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We're starting to get some guys healthy, and we're starting to get our pitching lined up."
Arkansas is looking to take its first series win from the Rebels since 2003, the year Van Horn took over as head coach. The Hogs are 5-10 against Ole Miss during Van Horn's tenure.
The Razorbacks will have another tough SEC road test is in store this season, as the Rebels are 21-6 at Oxford-University Stadium.
"We're gonna have to hit. They've got outstanding pitching," Van Horn said. "Their home record speaks for itself. They have a great crowd and enthusiasm and it's a tough place to play."
The Rebels top two starting pitchers, junior Lance Lynn and freshman left-hander Drew Pomeranz, are a combined 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 118 strikeouts in less than 100 innings.
Out of the bullpen, Texarkana-native Scott Bittle has struck out an SEC-leading 79 batters in less than 45 innings and sophomore Rory McKean is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA.
"Certainly for us it starts with pitching," Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. "If we can pitch well, we'll be in the games. But the key for us the last few weekends has been putting up runs. Our starting pitching has to hold them down early to be able to get on the board first."
The Razorbacks are 7-10 in the SEC (24-17 overall), the ninth-best conference record, and would be the first team not to earn a bid to the eight-team SEC Tournament.
Ole Miss (27-15, 10-8 SEC) leads the Western Division by two games, with Alabama currently in second place and the Hogs 2.5 games back in third. Kentucky's 9-9 conference mark is the worst in the SEC East, but would guarantee the school a postseason bid if the tournament started today.
With 12 SEC games left on the schedule for Arkansas, including the Ole Miss series and Alabama at Baum Stadium next weekend, the time to make a push for the postseason is now.
"We feel like we're starting to play our best baseball," Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn said. "We're starting to get some guys healthy, and we're starting to get our pitching lined up."
Arkansas is looking to take its first series win from the Rebels since 2003, the year Van Horn took over as head coach. The Hogs are 5-10 against Ole Miss during Van Horn's tenure.
The Razorbacks will have another tough SEC road test is in store this season, as the Rebels are 21-6 at Oxford-University Stadium.
"We're gonna have to hit. They've got outstanding pitching," Van Horn said. "Their home record speaks for itself. They have a great crowd and enthusiasm and it's a tough place to play."
The Rebels top two starting pitchers, junior Lance Lynn and freshman left-hander Drew Pomeranz, are a combined 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA and 118 strikeouts in less than 100 innings.
Out of the bullpen, Texarkana-native Scott Bittle has struck out an SEC-leading 79 batters in less than 45 innings and sophomore Rory McKean is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA.
"Certainly for us it starts with pitching," Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. "If we can pitch well, we'll be in the games. But the key for us the last few weekends has been putting up runs. Our starting pitching has to hold them down early to be able to get on the board first."
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