Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn wants an SEC title. And like he has done in the past, he showed Wednesday that he’s not afraid of mixing things up to get what he wants.
Van Horn is altering his second-ranked Diamond Hogs rotation for the team’s final SEC series at Texas A&M. Ace Hagen Smith will start Thursday’s opener, but Van Horn is inserting reliever Gage Wood into the rotation for Game 2. Wood has struck out 44 batters in 29 2/3 innings with only one of his 19 appearances coming as a starter.
That means either Brady Tygart of Mason Molina – or both – will be removed from the rotation for at least the set against the Aggies.
Molina carries a 4.44 earned-run average on the season and struggled last time out against Mississippi State, pitching less than two innings. Tygart has pitched poorly in each of his last two starts, allowing 17 baserunners and nine earned runs in 5 2/3 innings against MSU and Kentucky.
Arkansas is a game behind Kentucky for the regular-season crown and tied with Tennessee for second-place. Texas A&M is a game behind the Razorbacks and Volunteers. The top four finishers in the SEC receive a bye for next week’s SEC Tournament.