Nonconference baseball games aren’t always tune-up games for just getting a quality team’s record up. They’re tune-up games for the coach of said team to iron out his rotation, bullpen and lineup.
Or, in Arkansas’ case last week, to get the record up, too.
The Diamond Hogs, fresh of a 13-2 run-rule win over Eastern Illinois on Friday, get the Panthers again at Baum Walker Stadium on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
Arkansas enters as a Top-10 team in the country all but one of the six major polls. Dave Van Horn’s likely to keep his team around that spot for a bulk of the year, too, even as difficult as the SEC is.
But against Eastern Illinois, it’s all about ironing out the small details. Saturday’s starting pitcher, for example, is unclear. Will McEntire started Game 2 last weekend, but he struggled against TCU then struggled again on Tuesday against Grambling.
Van Horn is likely to go with one of three righties in Cody Adcock, Koty Frank or relief ace Brady Tygart.