By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas Razorbacks welcome the Bucknell Bison to Baum Stadium like they are apt to welcome no other opponent this baseball season.
That’s because after either practicing or scrimmaging among themselves since January and throughout fall ball before that, the Bison finally present something new for these Razorbacks opening their season in a three-game series with their Patriot League opponent from Lewisburg, Pa., at 3 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday available for Internet video on SEC+.
“I think the guys were just glad we're not scrimmaging this week,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.
“They're tired of competing against each other and just ready to play somebody else.”
Blaine Knight, Arkansas’ junior staff ace from Bryant who will be starting Friday’s opener off his 8-4, 3.28 ERA season of 2017 that netted him some 2018 Preseason All-American honors, certainly craves pitching to new batters.
So much so that “I don’t care,” he said, on whatever the first-start pitch count that Van Horn and pitching coach Wes Johnson prescribe.
“I’m just ready to throw,” Knight said. “I’m tired of throwing against our own guys. I’m ready to start throwing against somebody else’s. Preseason starts out really, really good and then at the end you’re scrimmaging and it’s hard to get any of them out because they’ve seen you 100 times. We’re just all ready to play against somebody different.”
Bucknell’s coach has a resume that resembles more of the Arkansas name.
Head coach Scott Heather pitched for retired coach Norm DeBriyn’s Razorbacks in 1997 and ’98 and later was an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
His Bison are favored to win the Patriot League and on Friday, they will start an SEC-caliber ace, senior right-hander Connor Van Hoose, a first-team All-Patriot League selection last year who was voted the Patriot League’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year and a pitcher the Major League scouts will monitor.
“I know they’ve got two starters back who were really, really good for them last year. I’ll hook up with him on Friday and see if I can beat him,” Knight said.
Arkansas Saturday and Sunday starting pitchers Isaiah Campbell and Keaton McKinney likely salivate to pitch even more than Knight.
That’s because surgeries, a bone spur removal for Campbell and Tommy John elbow surgery for McKinney, who also has hip surgery in his past, couldn’t pitch last season.
“I’m really pumped for this upcoming week and being back on the mound and getting the start on Saturday,” Campbell said.
“I can tell the team is pumped as well.”
A fourth-year junior, McKinney has had an even longer row to hoe since being named to the All-SEC freshman team 2015 because of the hip and then the far more major elbow surgery.
“I battled through a bunch of injuries and now I'm getting healthy again,” McKinney said. “I love the game, so I'm excited to get back out there.”
Grant Koch, the Razorbacks All-SEC junior catcher from Fayetteville says he’s excited to catch them.
“The three guys we’re starting are incredible,” Koch said.
“I’ve been catching them, and they are at their best right now. It’s fun to catch guys like that because of how good they are.”
Van Horn said because McKinney is coming off of “more severe surgery,” he will be on the shortest pitch count leash of this weekend’s starters.
For openers Friday, Van Horn said against Van Hoose, a right-hander, that left-handed hitting Bryant sophomore Evan Lee and lefty-hitting senior Jared Gates likely will start at Arkansas’ most contested positions, first and third base, and freshman left-handed hitter Heston Kjerstad will have a debut start in left, while Koch will be behind the plate with second baseman Carson Shaddy, shortstop Jax Biggers, center fielder Dominic Fletcher, right fielder Eric Cole and designated hitter Luke Bonfield expected to round out the lineup.
Right-handed hitters Jared McFarland at first and Bonfield in left may start Saturday if Heather starts a lefty as anticipated.