Van Horn expects 2 pitchers back for SC series
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas expects its pitching staff to be close to full strength next weekend after being down a couple of pitchers against Texas A&M.
Following Sunday’s loss to the Aggies, head coach Dave Van Horn said he was hopeful right-handers Zebulon Vermillion and Connor Noland would be available to pitch at South Carolina.
The Texas A&M series was the first time Vermillion hadn’t pitched on the weekend this season, as he was not on the 30-man roster because of what Van Horn described as a sore arm.
Used primarily as a starter this year, Vermillion threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in his last outing, which came in the first game of the Ole Miss series, to lower his season ERA to 3.55 in 33 innings.
“It definitely hurt (not having him),” Van Horn said. “He's just having some soreness. … We're hoping he'll be back ready to go this weekend and everything seems to be good.”
The Razorbacks have been without Noland for much longer. He hasn’t pitched since March 5 because of a forearm strain.
Van Horn said he didn’t know how many innings Noland would be able to throw or if he’d be ready to start against the Gamecocks, but he’s thrown a couple of bullpens and has put in a lot of work to get his arm healthy.
As the No. 1 starter for Arkansas during the shortened 2020 season, the right-hander posted a 2.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 18 innings across three starts. Noland was also in the weekend rotation as a true freshman in 2019.
This season, he turned in a solid 4 2/3 innings of relief in his first outing of the season against SEMO before struggling in 1/3 of an inning the next weekend against Murray State, when he was trying to pitch through his injury.
“I'm not sure the pitch count that we put on him,” Van Horn said. “Whenever we get him out there, we just want it to be quality - whether it's two innings or one hitter. We just want him to go out and pitch like he can, like he used to. I think he's ready to roll. When he is, we're going to use him."
The Razorbacks are scheduled to host Grambling State at 6:30 p.m. CT Tuesday before heading to Columbia, S.C., for a three-game series against South Carolina beginning Thursday.