Razorbacks ready to host Western Illinois

FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks don’t have to worry about near-freezing temperatures for their two-game set against Western Illinois this week after battling the cold at nearly every home game at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The rain is another story. The Razorbacks (12-2) are scheduled to host Western Illinois (4-8) today at 6:30 p.m., if the projected storms dissipate, and again at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

No matter the weather, coach Dave Van Horn expects to throw freshman Patrick Wicklander and an array of his young guns at the Leathernecks.

“Not having to pitch him (on Sunday) gives us an opportunity to start him, but he won’t go very long,” Van Horn said of the left-hander Wicklander (1-1), who lowered his ERA to 3.38 with scoreless one-hit ball through five innings of last Wednesday’s 9-2 victory over Charlotte.

Wednesday’s projected starter is still up in the air.

“Wednesday will definitely be a bullpen-type game,” Van Horn said. “We could throw (Elijah) Trest out there. Whoever starts I would tell you they probably wouldn’t go more than two innings. … Mostly younger guys is what we’re talking about right now.”

The Razorbacks follow the Western Illinois series with the SEC opener at Baum-Walker against Missouri on Friday as part of a season-high 13-game home stand.

Western Illinois (4-8) of the Summit League has yet to play a home game in Macomb, Ill. The Leathernecks are coming off a series victory at Saint Louis University, but could not complete the sweep after winning 3-0 and 5-4 in the first two games of the series.

Arkansas improved its batting average to .303 and lowered its ERA to 3.27 with Sunday’s 11-0 victory over Louisiana Tech to take two of three games from the Bulldogs.

The Leathernecks enter with a .184 team batting average and a 6.00 ERA.

“They like to run a little bit,” Van Horn said. “Their batting average is down a little bit, but they did score some runs in the doubleheader … on Saturday.”

Van Horn got a little fired up defending freshman pitcher Jacob Burton for his beaning incident at the monthly meeting of the Swatter’s Club on Monday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fayetteville.

Van Horn said home plate umpire Wes Hamilton “went crazy a little bit” in immediately ejecting Burton for hitting Louisiana Tech catcher Chris Clayton in the ninth inning of the Bulldogs’ 12-7 victory on Saturday. It was Burton’s first pitch after allowing a three-run home run.

Because Hamilton ruled Burton was intentionally throwing at the batter, he cannot pitch again until Saturday and he cannot be at Baum-Walker Stadium for four games.

“We’re never going to tell a pitcher to hit anybody, No. 1,” Van Horn said. “Someone can get hurt.

“It got a little nuts because I felt like the way he acted. He acted like there was a problem. There wasn’t a problem.

“He doesn’t know the two coaches are friends. … From our standpoint, I don’t want anybody thinking we’re throwing at anybody. He didn’t mean to throw it there.”

The Razorbacks have four regulars hitting over .300, topped by freshman outfielder Christian Franklin (.381), who leads the team with 16 RBI. First baseman Trevor Ezell (.353, 3 HR, 11 RBI), second baseman Jack Kenley (.340, 3, 14) and outfielder Heston Kjerstad (.306, 1, 9) are over .300, with outfielder Dominic Fletcher (.294, 2, 9) and Casey Opitz (.290, 9 RBI) just behind. Reserve outfielder Curtis Washington Jr. is hitting .571 with four hits in seven at-bats. Sophomore shortstop Casey Martin (.267, 3 HR, 14 RBI) leads the club with 16 runs scored. Ezell, Franklin, Martin and Kenley are 19 of 20 combined on stolen base attempts.

Van Horn told the Swatters Club members he expects the veteran hitters Fletcher, Kjerstad and Martin to heat up with the weather.

“Martin was 0 for 17 and then hit one 100 miles,” Van Horn said of Martin’s three-run shot in the first inning on Sunday. “We’ve still found ways to win when the big boys weren’t hitting, the guys with the numbers. … Now we’re starting to get into conference play, they need to pick it up.”

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