How to Watch, Scouting Report: Diamond Hogs vs. LSU

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Arkansas returns home for its annual series with SEC West rival LSU this weekend. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the three games in Fayetteville...

Thursday, April 14 – 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Friday, April 15 – 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

Saturday, April 16 – 2 p.m. CT (SECN+)

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Arkansas is coming off a series loss to Florida on a weekend that saw very volatile results from its starters.

Noland faced off with Hunter Barco, one of the premier arms in the SEC, and outdueled him convincingly. In shutout seven innings on the bump, he picked up his fifth win of 2022 while striking out seven Gators and allowing only two to reach base.

Smith and Wiggins, on the other hand, turned their worst starts of the season. In 4 1/3 innings, Smith allowed seven runs — six earned — on seven hits and a pair of walks while only getting one Gator on strikes. Wiggins had a similar line, allowing seven runs — all earned — on nine hits and two walks while striking out five in four innings.

Noland is the only of the starting trio that has experience against the Tigers. His first outing in his freshman year was effective, going 5 1/3 scoreless on four hits, three strikeouts and no walks in a start where he didn’t factor into the decision. The other matchup didn’t result in a decision either, but was much worse. The junior allowed six earned runs on six hits — with a pair of bombs — while only striking out one in a relief appearance.

The LSU pitching staff is statistically very similar to the Razorbacks’ in the SEC rankings. Their 3.43 team ERA is third in the SEC, batting average allowed is also third with a .221 mark, 337 strikeouts are fifth and 113 walks allowed are seventh.

The series opener will see Hilliard square off with Noland. The super senior has bounced between starting and relieving over his prior four years in Baton Rouge, making 12 starts as a freshman and eight last year.

He’s had a mixed bag of results through six starts. In four SEC starts, he’s posted a 4.71 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, but has improved in his two most recent starts against Auburn and Mississippi State, allowing just two runs in 11 1/3 innings of work.

Hilliard makes the most of his 6-foot, 150-pound frame, utilizing an over-the-top delivery to get downhill action on a fastball in the low-90s that makes a sharp 12-to-6 curveball difficult to detect. He won’t blow you away with his strikeout rate, but he’s only walked five batters on the year (although he has pegged five, as well).

Money, on the other hand, is a much more physical specimen. He stands on the bump at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds and asserts his presence to the opposition with a fiery attitude.

He had a rough freshman season that saw him turn in an 8.68 ERA and 1.75 WHIP with only 28 strikeouts to 11 free passes in 28 innings of work. He’s improved on those numbers so far in 2022, lowering his walk rate and increasing his strikeout rate while exclusively starting.

Although he’s been dominant against non-conference competition so far in 2022, he’s been considerably less effective against SEC foes. Compared to his 1.80 ERA and 0.72 WHIP prior to conference play, he’s pitched his way to a 9.87 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in four SEC starts, never lasting longer than five innings in any of those appearances.

Expect Money to also sit in the low-90s with his heater and supplement it with a plus changeup to go along with a curveball.

While still listed as TBA, Dutton is the most likely option to start Game 3 for the Tigers. Although he’s thrown by far the fewest innings of the trio, he’s easily been the most effective. Prior to his sixth outing of the year from the bullpen, he hadn’t allowed an earned run through 7 2/3 innings. Even now, he has a 1.83 ERA.

His last three appearances have also been the first three starts of his LSU career. As the third starter in the last three series, he had two scoreless outings that led to wins for the Tigers against Florida and Mississippi State and one that led to a loss after he allowed two runs to Auburn. He hasn’t collected more than 11 outs in an appearance, so Saturday could be a bullpen day for the Tigers.

He has the most variety of the three starters in his pitch repertoire, showcasing a fastball in the low- to mid-90s, two breaking pitches in a curveball and slider, as well as an occasional changeup.

The bullpen is overall the stronger group for LSU. In their previous series in Starkville, Miss., the pen allowed only two runs and nine hits — both runs and five hits were allowed by freshman Grant Taylor in Game 3 — through 14 innings in the road sweep of the Bulldogs.

Among bullpen arms with at least 15 1/3 innings in 2022, seven hold an ERA below 3.25. This effectiveness from the relievers is a big factor behind LSU’s third-ranked SEC pitching staff with an overall ERA of 3.43, edging the Hogs by 0.16.

(NOTE: S-Sr. Tyler McManus could make a start at catcher for LSU. He has a slash line of .235/.385/.451.)

2022 Record: 23-9 (7-5 SEC)
Head Coach: Jay Johnson (1st season) 319-172 career record
Conference Standings: t-2nd in SEC West, t-4th in SEC overall

~LSU is coming off a season in which it started as the eighth-ranked team in the country before going 38-25 (13-17 SEC). The Tigers made a surprising run in the postseason, but were dispatched by Tennessee in two games in the Knoxville Super Regional.

~Historically, the Tigers have dominated the Razorbacks in baseball. Overall, LSU is 75-36 against the Razorbacks in 111 total matchups.

~Prior to their sweep of Mississippi State, the Tigers were 1-2 in SEC series, dropping two of three to Texas A&M and Auburn at home. After losing the series opener to Hunter Barco and Florida, they won Game 2 and 3 to take the series. Overall, they’re 5-1 in road games and 2-4 at home in conference play. They were also defeated in both matchups with in-state foe Louisiana Tech, losing a game in Ruston, La., 11-6 and took their home matchup into extras, but lost 7-6 in 12 innings.

~The Tigers’ offense, led by a pair of sophomores recently named to the 2022 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List in Jacob Berry and Dylan Crews, currently ranks second in the SEC with a .303 batting average in 2022. Their projected 2-4 batters in the lineup each hold an OPS north of 1.100 with at least eight round trippers and 34 RBIs. Left fielder Josh Pearson was also named Co-SEC Freshman of the Week after the Mississippi State series, going 6 for 13 with a pair of long balls and six RBIs.

~This will be the first time since 2006 that former head coach Paul Mainieri isn’t coaching LSU against the Hogs. During his time in Baton Rouge, the Tigers were 33-16 against the Razorbacks, winning 11 regular season series. His replacement, Jay Johnson, was Pac-12 Coach of the Year last season with Arizona, coaching the Wildcats to a 45-18 record and a College World Series berth.

~LSU ranks close to the top of the SEC team leaderboards in nearly every offensive statistic. It holds second place in several categories with a .303 batting average, .536 slugging percentage, .421 on base percentage, 286 runs scored, 267 runs batted in, 72 doubles and 592 total bases. The Tigers are also fourth in the conference with 57 home runs, lead in hit by pitches with 74 — the next closest are Auburn and Kentucky with 48 — and have struck out fewer times than anyone else.

~Defensively, LSU ranks towards the bottom in the conference. The Tigers have the worst fielding percentage at a .957 mark and have made 48 errors, which are the most in the SEC. They’ve also turned 14 doubles plays — one more than Ole Miss, who has the fewest — and have allowed the fourth-most passed balls with eight.

~The Tigers aren’t aggressive on the basepaths. They’ve only swiped 12 bags on the year, which is tied with Georgia for fewest in the SEC, on 18 attempts, which is second fewest in the conference. Defensively, they’re also subpar at defending the steal, only catching five of 23 base thieves.

“Just another SEC series. It’s a big series. They’re all big. They all count the same. It doesn’t matter who you play. LSU seems to be playing really well right now. When they came back and won that Friday game against Mississippi State, they were down to their last strike, ended up drawing a walk, and the next guy gets hit by a pitch, wild pitch, base hit, and they win it. That’s how close it was. They hit well, obviously, but they pitched really well and their bullpen did really well.” — Dave Van Horn, on LSU

“Offensively, their one, two and three...they’re all guys projected to be first-round picks. All three are sophomores, one of them is draft eligible. Berry, who transferred from Arizona...(is) maybe the best switch-hitter in the country. He could be the best hitter in the country. The two guys hitting in front of him, they’re awfully good as well. They have a deep lineup, but the pitching I think was what you’re hearing. ‘Oh they don’t have good pitching and all that.’ Well, I think the pitchers probably took that to heart, and they’re doing something about it. They’ve been pitching really well.” — Dave Van Horn, on LSU

“I think LSU is going to see a different guy than what they saw last year.” — Brady Slavens, on Connor Noland

“Yeah, I mean it’s always different when there’s a different coach, especially when Paul was there for a long time and did a great job, won a national championship, conference championships. Honestly, once the game starts it’s us against them. It doesn’t have anything to do with who is coaching the team. It’s really just our players against their players.” — Dave Van Horn on not facing Paul Mainieri

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