Razorback senior pitcher Connor Noland (#13) from Greenwood, Arkansas starts tonight against the Florida Gators.
by Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Given the talent adorning Coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s Florida Gators baseball roster and their anger at unexpectedly being swept in last week’s Thursday through Saturday SEC series at Georgia, Dave Van Horn presumes his Razorbacks enter a “hornet’s nest” taking on the Gators starting tonight in Gainesville, Fla.
Arkansas, 22-5 overall, leading the SEC West at 7-2 and ranked No. 2 nationally by D-1 Baseball, and the Gators, 19-10, 3-6 in the SEC East, ranked 22nd in the Baseball Coaches poll, meet at 5 CDT this evening on the SEC Network and at 5:30 p.m. CDT Friday and noon CDT Saturday, both Internet video available on SEC + at the Gators’ new Florida Ballpark unveiled last year.
Although the Razorbacks took two of three from reigning national champion Mississippi State in a SEC West series last Friday through Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium, the Gators are the first ranked SEC team the Hogs face after earlier sweeping three from Kentucky at Baum-Walker and winning two of three at Missouri.
“I throw the rankings out right now,” Van Horn said. “I mean, Mississippi State, they should be ranked. They got too many losses on the side or they got off to a tough start. They’re very talented, as you saw. Big and strong and really good arms. Kentucky’s probably got eight guys on the team that are going to be drafted this year. We know what we’re up against. It’s just a good team every weekend.”
Florida’s talent is among the best. They were last year’s preseason pick to win it all, though obviously falling short, and were ranked a preseason sixth going into the 2022 campaign.
“First off, they’re really talented (with Hunter Barco),” Van Horn said. “They’ve got the No. 1 left-handed starter in the league and the highest potential draft choice in the league.”
Barco, with a record of 5-1 and a 1.87 earned run average with 58 strikeouts and only seven walks in 43 1-3 innings, starts tonight.
Since Florida played Thursday through Saturday last week, while Arkansas played Friday through Sunday, Barco wil have an extra day’s rest advantage over Arkansas right-hander Connor Noland, 4-1, 3.05 and recently added to the Golden Spikes Watch List, the award that 2021 Razorbacks senior pitcher Kevin Kopps won last year.
Arkansas, as it has every SEC series will follow Noland with freshman lefty Hagen Smith, 5-1, 3.62 in Game Two Friday, and finish with right-hander Jaxon Wiggins, 4-0, 3.69, starting Saturday.
Right-handers Brady Tygart, 1-0, four saves and 1.20 ERA, and Zebulon Vermillion, 2-0, 1.42 and a save, head Arkansas’ bullpen.
They face Gators batting .294 as a team with 57 home runs.
“They hit a lot of home runs,” Van Horn said. “Their park’s pretty jumpy this year and they’re scoring runs. We’re going to have to play really well.”
Outfielders Wyatt Langford, .349, 10 home runs and 31 RBI, Sterlin Thompson, .348. seven home runs, 23 RBI and catcher BT Riopelle, .315, seven home runs and 21 RBI and outfielder Jud Fabiam, 13 home runs and 31 RBI while batting .286, lead the Gators attack.
For Arkansas, center fielder Braydon Webb, up to .266 with a team-leading seven home runs after a woeful start, has been swinging a hot bat.