PREVIEW: Diamond Hogs return to Baum-Walker for home opener vs. SEMO

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After an opening weekend sweep at the State Farm College Baseball Classic, Arkansas returns to Fayetteville for its home opener this weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about the four-game series against Southeast Missouri State at Baum-Walker Stadium…

Schedule (TV)

Thursday, Feb. 25 - 3 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Friday, Feb. 26 - 3 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Saturday, Feb. 27 - 3 p.m. CT (SECN+)

Sunday, Feb. 28 - 1 p.m. CT (SECN+)

All four games will be available online on SEC Network-Plus, meaning they can be watched on ESPN3.com or the ESPN app as long as you have a cable provider’s log-in information.

Weather Report

It will be cloudy and temperatures will be in the low 50s for the first two games, but it’ll be warmer - with a high of 65 degrees - and windier on Saturday, according to The Weather Channel. Rain is expected to move into the area that night, though, and could cause some problems for Sunday’s finale, when the high is 58.

Arkansas’ Starting Rotation (2021 stats)

Thursday - R-So. RHP Caleb Bolden (1 game/0 starts, 1 save, 0.00 ERA, 7 K/1 BB, 4 IP)

Friday - Jr. RHP Zebulon Vermillion (1 game/1 start, 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4 K/2 BB, 4 IP)

Saturday - Fr. RHP Peyton Pallette (1 game/1 start, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 K/1 BB, 4 1/3 IP)

Sunday - Sr. LHP Lael Lockhart (1 game/1 start, 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 8 K/2 BB, 4 1/3 IP)

The Razorbacks are sticking with the same rotation from opening weekend, but moving each of them up one day and adding Caleb Bolden for Game 1.

Head coach Dave Van Horn’s decision to add Bolden instead of one of his many other options was likely due to how well he pitched in Arlington. He held Texas hitless for four innings to earn a save.

It’s worth noting that he threw 56 pitches in that outing, which was on Sunday, so it’s unclear what his pitch count will be. The other three pitchers were on a 70-75 pitch limit last weekend and could go a little bit more this weekend.

“It depends on if it’s a tough 75 or they are in a windup a lot,” Van Horn said. “If there’s a tough inning where they throw 30 pitches, it could get them out quicker because if you have a lot of 15- to 20-pitch innings, a few of those, it’s a lot easier to send them back out there. We’ll really keep an eye on that this second week.”

As a group, the four starters combined for a 1.62 ERA and held opponents to a .107 batting average against three ranked teams at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown. They also had 27 strikeouts and only six walks in 16 2/3 innings.

Click here for a more comprehensive breakdown of the rotation, including a look at several other pitchers - such as Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander - and their potential roles against Southeast Missouri State.

In the Polls

Following the undefeated weekend in Texas, Arkansas vaulted into the top 10 of all five major college baseball polls released this week. The Razorbacks are ranked as high as No. 2 by D1Baseball, which gave them serious consideration for No. 1. In the Rivals Composite Baseball Poll, which combines those rankings, Arkansas is tied with Louisville at No. 4.

“(I’ll) probably just mention it again, almost in a passing way, these teams are going to see all this and they are going to give us a little extra fight,” Van Horn said. “So we just need to stay grounded and play.”

Scouting the Opponent

Record: 2-1

Head coach: Andy Sawyer (5th season)

Southeast Missouri State’s starting rotation (2021 stats)

Thursday - Sr. LHP Dylan Dodd (1 game/1 start, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 8 K/1 BB, 6 IP)

Friday - So. LHP Noah Niznik (1 game/1 start, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 K/4 BB, 5 1/3 IP)

Saturday - So. RHP Ryan Vogt (1 game/1 start, 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 2 K/3 BB, 3 IP)

Sunday - TBA

Southeast Missouri State hit the road to open the 2021 season last weekend and took two of three games against a very good South Alabama team that is one of the preseason favorites in the Sun Belt.

Even after losing a heartbreaker in Game 2, the Redhawks bounced back and won a wild rubber match. The scored three in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead, blew it in the bottom of the ninth and then won it 8-6 with two runs in the 10th.

The solid opening weekend helped SEMO sweep the Ohio Valley Conference’s weekly awards. First baseman Austin Blazevic went 5 for 11 (.455) with a double and one RBI to earn OVC Player of the Week honors, while ace Dylan Dodd limited the Jaguars to one run on three hits and a walk while striking out eight in the opener to earn OVC Pitcher of the Week honors.

Dodd, a left-hander, was also a preseason all-conference selection after posting a 3.38 ERA with 36 strikeouts and seven walks in 26 2/3 innings across four starts last year.

“The lefty we're going to see tomorrow has got good stuff, 90-94 (mph), older kid,” Van Horn said. “He held South Alabama down and they're one of the projected teams to win their division and league, so I know we're going to have our hands full.”

Despite being a mid-major program, Southeast Missouri has traditionally had quite a bit of success against Arkansas.

The Razorbacks won the first four games in the series, but since then, the Redhawks have won five of seven matchups. Most recently, the two teams split a two-game midweek series in 2011 and 2015.

In the 2015 matchup, Arkansas needed a walk-off single by Chad Spanberger to win the first game and then dropped a wild second game 12-11. That team made it to the College World Series.

Four of the last five games in the series - and six of the 11 all-time - have been decided by one run.

“They play in a good league and they play a good non-conference schedule, so I don’t feel like they’re intimidated,” Van Horn said. “Some schools might come in that are mid-majors that are a little nervous. I don’t sense this when they’re on the field with us. We’re going to have to play really good baseball to win games. If we do, we’ll win some games. If we don’t, we’ll get beat.”

It will be a special series for Van Horn, as SEMO head coach Andy Sawyer played for him at Nebraska. He was a senior during Van Horn’s first season with the Cornhuskers back in 1998.

That relationship likely made it easier to schedule the series when Cal State-Northridge backed out in the fall because of concerns about regulations preventing them from leaving California (and ultimately playing a conference-only schedule).

About a month or so before the season, Arkansas and SEMO added an extra game to the series because the Razorbacks found out they wouldn’t get to play an originally scheduled midweek series against Nebraska due to the Big Ten playing a conference-only schedule.

“(He’s a) good recruiter and works hard,” Van Horn said about Sawyer. “I don't think he would have added another game with us if he didn't feel they could come down here and compete with a chance to win.”

Familiar Face

It has been six years since the Razorbacks last played Southeast Missouri State, but the school is probably fresher on the minds of fans because it was the school where Trevor Ezell began his career.

The former Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year from Bryant played four seasons with the Redhawks - including a redshirt year - before entering the portal and coming home to play at Arkansas as a graduate transfer.

Ezell ended up becoming the “glue” on the 2019 College World Series, Van Horn said. He was the Razorbacks’ leadoff hitter, batting .329 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs, and was so good at first base - despite never playing the position until the week of the season opener - that he earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Defensive Team.

Even with the highly successful senior season, Ezell wasn’t selected in the MLB Draft and signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization as an undrafted free agent. He got off to a good start before tearing his ACL.

When the pandemic hit, Ezell was part of the massive cuts of minor league baseball players. HawgBeat caught up with him last summer, he was still hoping to land with a team, but he’s since got into coaching.

Now he is the Director of Offensive Player Development at SEMO, so this weekend will be a return to Baum-Walker Stadium for Ezell.

“Trevor will be a great coach,” Van Horn said. “He knows a little bit how we run things and some of our secrets, so we’ll probably have to change a few things up to get through this series without them figuring some things out.”

Returning to Baum-Walker

For the first time in 351 days, Arkansas will be back in Baum-Walker Stadium for a regular-season game.

A lot has happened since the Razorbacks hung on for a 10-9 win over Grand Canyon on March 11, including a pandemic that cut the season short and a season-opening sweep at Globe Life Field on opening weekend.

Fans are undoubtedly excited for the home opener and even though attendance will be capped around 4,000, they will still likely show up strong.

“I think the crowd will be as big as it can be,” Van Horn said. “I think whatever the max they’re going to let in, I think that many people are going to show up. Our fans are amazing.”

Stat of the Week

After a rough Opening Day in which they allowed seven earned runs in five innings, Arkansas’ bullpen shined the next two days.

Relievers allowed only one hit and four free passes (three walks, one HBP) in 9 1/3 scoreless innings against Texas and TCU. When you consider the fact that Caden Monke was first out of the pen against the Longhorns and gave up a single to the first batter he faced, the bullpen actually went on to throw 9 1/3 straight hitless innings.