Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - Though each have upcoming conference fish to fry, the Arkansas Razorbacks and University of Central Arkansas Bears play each other with much pride on the line tonight.
Game time is 6 p.m. at the Razorbacks’ Baum-Walker Stadium.
Coach Nick Harlan’s Bears, 11-15 overall but 6-3 in their league, host a big Atlantic Sun Conference series with Jacksonville State Friday through Sunday.
That’s a big series but it’s always huge for an instate school to knock off the Razorbacks only recently breaking the University of Arkansas policy of not scheduling the Razorbacks against instate schools.
Harlan’s Bears may only be 11-15, but a 5-2 loss against SEC power/national runner-up Vanderbilt shows how tough they can be. They come off winning 2 of 3 in an A-Sun series against North Alabama.
The Bears get two shots at the Razorbacks playing tonight plus April 26 at the Arkansas Travelers Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
“I notice they’re winning a lot more lately,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “I’m sure they’re confident, and they’re playing Arkansas. They’re coming up here and get to play in front of a good crowd.”
Van Horn’s nationally No. 2 Razorbacks, 21-5 overall, and 7-2 leading the SEC West have much on their plate. They just won 2 of 3 at Baum-Walker against defending national champion Mississippi State. Arkansas lost Sunday’s game in 12 innings and jams in tonight’s game then flies Wednesday to Gainesville, Fla. for a Thursday through Saturday SEC series at always formidable Florida.
“We want to win the game,” Van Horn said. “But we can’t give up our bullpen too much because we play Thursday. We travel Wednesday, a light workout. It (the Florida series) will be here before we know it.”
Designated hitter Andrew Pollum, .317 batting average, leads a Bears attack featuring first baseman Hunter Hicks, .288, two home runs and 17 RBI, and left fielder Connor Emmet, .286, four home runs and 11 RBI.
Van Horn relies on arms tonight who didn’t pitch against Mississippi State.
Junior right-hander Miller Pleimann of Fayetteville, 0-0, 2.45 ERA, will start for Arkansas.
Heston Tole, Nick Griffin, Isaac Bracken and Nick Moten and Bryant’s Austin Ledbetter are among those not used against Mississippi State last SEC weekend who could relieve tonight.
“Hopefully Miller gives us three or four good innings,” Van Horn said. “Miller’s experience, a strike-thrower. He’s got a good off speed pitch. Hopefully he gets us off to a good start.
Heston Tole hasn’t thrown in awhile. Ledbetter hasn’t thrown in awhile. Nick Griffin is one who jumps out to me. And then Moten, too. Moten is a freshman that has a great arm. We’ve got to get him out there. And if it’s not tomorrow it will definitely be next Tuesday or Wednesday.”
The Razorbacks host Arkansas-Pine Bluff next week on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting a big SEC West series that Thursday through Saturday against LSU.
Van Horn said he’ll start most of his regular position players tonight but likely will give right fielder Chris Lanzilli and Michael Turner, the catcher who plays first base when not catching, the night off. Both have played all 26 games.
Jace Bohrfen, the transfer from the University of Oklahoma who had broken a slump and just started to hit before missing several weeks with an injured shoulder, will start in the outfield tonight, Van Horn said.