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FAYETTEVILLE — After struggling last week, Kole Ramage is getting another chance to audition for the final spot in Arkansas’ rotation.
The right-hander allowed a couple of runs and didn’t get out of the third inning in his Game 1 start against Gonzaga, but head coach Dave Van Horn is giving him the ball again for Sunday’s game against Baylor at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic in Houston.
Van Horn said that he and the staff understood that his last start came on short rest, as he threw 45 pitches over two scoreless innings of relief in the third game of the Sunday series and then started just four days later on a Thursday.
“We just feel like he deserves an opportunity to be more fresh and show us what he can do,” Van Horn said. “So we’re going to give him all this week. He’s not going to pitch in the games on Friday and Saturday.”
Ramage had been praised by Van Horn for his performance in the few weeks of practices and scrimmages leading up to the season, even garnering significant consideration for the No. 3 starter job.
However, the Razorbacks kept him in the bullpen because the veteran coach likes to have experienced arms available as relievers and freshman Blake Adams had also pitched well enough to get the nod.
Adams has struggled in his two outings, though, giving up two runs on six hits in three innings as a starter against Eastern Illinois and three runs in just 1/3 of an inning as a reliever against Gonzaga.
Two other older pitchers have also been mentioned as possible weekend starters, but Van Horn is keeping fifth-year junior Kevin Kopps in the bullpen presumably because of his ability to pitch twice and redshirt sophomore Caleb Bolden is still regaining his stamina.
Bolden, who missed all of 2019 because of Tommy John surgery, got the Game 4 start against Gonzaga and looked really good for a couple of innings before he wore down. He gave up five hits in three scoreless innings.
In two relief appearances this season, Ramage has yet to give up earned run in 3 2/3 innings, but did allow two inherited runners to score Sunday against the Bulldogs and gave up an unearned run on a wild pitch.
Getting ahead of hitters will be key for the right-hander from Texas, as he threw just eight first-pitch strikes to the 15 batters he faced in his first start this season.
There was much less mystery surrounding Arkansas’ first two starting pitchers. Right-hander Connor Noland (2-0, 1.42 ERA) will start Friday’s game against Oklahoma, while left-hander Patrick Wicklander (2-0, 0.00 ERA) will start Saturday against Texas.
The sophomore tandem has a combined 0.76 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings over the first two weekends of the 2020 season, while holding opponents to a .138 batting average and striking out 10.6 batters per nine innings.
“Friday with Connor and then Saturday with Wick, we feel super confident,” first baseman Cole Austin said. “Those guys showed all fall and all spring hitting off them, it’s probably my two least favorite guys to hit off of on our staff. They’ve been throwing really well.”
