By Nate Allen
Special to News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas Razorbacks were minus key relief pitcher Dominic Taccolini while losing 2 of 3 in last weekend’s SEC West series at Auburn and they’ll be without Taccolini when they play the Kansas State Wildcats in a nonconference game tonight in Kansas City.
At the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, Arkansas, 32-10 overall and 12-6 in the SEC, and K-State, 21-19 overall and 4-11 in the Big 12, clash at 6 p.m. televised on the Cox Sports Network.
Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said Taccolini, originally slated to follow starter Josh Alberius in Sunday’s 11-6 loss in Auburn, Ala. experienced soreness in his forearm and was scratched from the pitchers available.
“We’ll have him looked at today and try to figure out the problem,” Van Horn said Monday. “It’s really frustrating.”
Freshman right-hander Kevin Kopps, 2-0, 3.99 ERA, who relieved during Friday’s 15-2 loss at Auburn, starts a piecemeal effort tonight in Kansas City, Van Horn said with the Ole Miss Rebels looming for a Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday afternoon 3-game SEC West series at Baum Stadium.
“He won’t stay in there very long,” Van Horn said. “It might be seven guys used before it’s over with.”
Sophomore lefty Kacey Murphy of Rogers has been starting midweek games but won’t pitch tonight. Off last week’s 1-hit victory over Memphis and pitching Arkansas’ most effective relief Sunday against Auburn, Van Horn said, ‘There’s a good chance he’ll start this weekend (against Ole Miss).”
Murphy suddenly is Arkansas’ hottest pitchers Usually superb starters Blaine Knight of Bryant, 6-2, and Trevor Stephan, 5-2, only pitched into the third and second innings against Auburn though Arkansas did come back to win Stephan’s game, 7-3 behind reliever Cannon Chadwick. Chadwick was Sunday’s loser having to pitch too much too soon after Saturday with starter Alberius only pitching into the second inning and Taccolini unavailable.
In retrospect, Van Horn said it was amazing that Arkansas wasn’t swept at Auburn.
“When your starting three pitchers only last a total combined 5 1-3 innings you are going to lose 3 out of 3 usually,” Van Horn said. “For us to to come back and win that second game and really were were in the game yesterday until the seventh or eighth inning and it just got away from us. But we hung in there. We’ll flip it around. Our pitchers will get it going again.”