6/8/2019 baseball Edit

Noland gets nod, setting up battle of freshmen

Connor Noland (left) and Doug Nikhazy (right) (Arkansas Athletics, Ole Miss Athletics)

Andrew Hutchinson • HawgBeat

Managing Editor

HawgBeat's coverage of the Razorbacks' Road to Redemption in Omaha is brought to you by Arkansas Oral Surgery, which has offices located in Conway and Russellville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Connor Noland will start Sunday’s game against Ole Miss, head coach Dave Van Horn announced Saturday, officially setting up what could be the first of two matchups of freshman pitchers.

The Rebels will counter Noland (3-4, 3.56 ERA) with their own freshman, left-hander Doug Nikhazy (8-3, 2.98 ERA), in Game 2 of the Fayetteville Super Regional.

If Ole Miss evens the series with a win to force the if-necessary Game 3 on Monday, it will be another freshman duel with left-hander Patrick Wicklander (6-2, 4.29 ERA) pitching for Arkansas and facing right-hander Gunnar Hoglund (3-2, 4.64 ERA).

With talented seniors a rarity at the highest level of college baseball because of how the MLB Draft only gives leverage to juniors or draft-eligible underclassmen, it isn’t a surprise freshmen have taken on big roles for the Razorbacks and Rebels.

“You only get so many guys on your team and a percentage of them every year are going to be freshmen,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “They’ve got to help or you’re probably not going to get to play very long.”

Originally leaving the second and third games as “TBA,” Van Horn gave Noland the nod because he was more rested after pitching last Friday in the regional.

On top of having a couple extra days of rest, he threw only 58 pitches - 42 of which were strikes - in a very efficient 5 1/3 innings.

As for Ole Miss’ starter, Nikhazy actually got Van Horn’s vote for SEC Freshman of the Year. He isn’t particularly overpowering, with only 78 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings, but he is limiting opponents to a .224 batting average. That is 13 points lower than Noland.

“A lefty, he’s crafty, got a good arm, good breaking ball (and) can throw it whenever he wants,” Van Horn said. “It might be his best pitch. Whenever he’s behind, he’ll come with it.”

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPNU.