FAYETTEVILLE — Standing between Arkansas and an elusive series win over LSU is a pitcher who’s owned the Razorbacks in the past.

Two years ago, Eric Walker threw a shutout in a rubber match at Baum-Walker Stadium and followed it up by beating the Razorbacks in the SEC Tournament championship game with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball.

In all, he gave up just the one run on nine hits and three walks with 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings against Arkansas during his Freshman All-American season. Walker, against whom the Razorbacks are hitting just .158/.226/.228, will get the ball for the Tigers in Game 2 of this weekend’s series

“In the past, he doesn’t throw the ball over the middle of the plate,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He can throw on the outside corner and the inside corner. He can throw a pretty good changeup.”

Most of the Arkansas players involved in those two games are no longer on the team, but Dominic Fletcher did notch two of the hits Walker gave up. He did so in seven at bats.

The Razorbacks’ only other player with a plate appearances against him is Jack Kenley, who went 0 for 1 with a strikeout in Hoover, Ala.

Walker’s numbers aren’t all that impressive this season, though, as he’s posted a 4-4 record and 5.30 ERA in his first year back from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2018.

“I’ve tried to watch him as much as I could this year - we all have - watching him on video or in games,” Van Horn said. “He’s had some really good innings and he’s had some innings where he’s given up some runs.”

Like it is against most talented pitchers, one of the Razorbacks’ keys to success Friday will be jumping on him early and making him pay for his mistakes.

That’s something they failed to do in their two matchups with Walker in 2017.

“When you get a pitch to hit, you have to hit it,” Van Horn said. “If he’s working ahead of you all the time, then he can make quick work of an offense and have some quick innings.”

Arkansas is looking for its first series win over LSU since 2011 and just its third in Van Horn’s 17 seasons at the helm. Friday’s game is particularly important because the Razorbacks are 0-10 in rubber matches against the Tigers during the Van Horn era.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SEC Network-plus, meaning it can be watched online on ESPN3.com or on the WatchESPN app.

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