The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks fell 8-5 against the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs to force a rubber match in Sunday’s series finale at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Things did not go according to plan for a Diamond Hog pitching staff that issued 10 walks, 8 of which came in the first 3 innings. After falling behind 8-0, the Razorbacks attempted to chip their way back into the game with five runs on nine hits.
Here’s a closer look at the action as Arkansas dropped to 41-10 on the year and 18-8 in SEC play.
Gorilla of the Game
Peyton Stovall: 1-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
There were several decent swings for the Hogs in this game, but none felt more meaningful than Stovall ripping his ninth home run of the year 109 mph to right field. The team captain showed plenty of emotion on his way back to the dugout. It provided a really cool moment despite the comeback attempt falling short.
Stovall continues to lead the team in batting average and has now recorded 17 hits in his last eight games. The Haughton, La., native has moved down to the middle of the order this weekend after serving as the Arkansas leadoff for most of the season, and he’ll be the most important hitter in this lineup regardless of where that spot ends up being down the stretch.
Most Valuable Arm
Parker Coil: 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
How about the sophomore lefty coming through and giving Arkansas a chance to work its way back into this one? It hasn’t always been pretty for Coil this season, but the one thing he’s done pretty consistently since arriving on campus is fill up the strike zone, and that provided plenty of value after the walk-fest that occurred in the first few frames.
His efforts didn’t result in a win, but it certainly helped the Hogs save a few bullets in the bullpen for Sunday’s pivotal series finale. And it doesn’t hurt to have another arm step up as the stability of the starting rotation remains in question.
Other Notes & Observations
- Brady Tygart has now allowed 9 earned runs across 4 2/3 innings of work in his last 2 starts after allowing just 4 runs in 17 innings during his 3 starts prior to last weekend. Ben Bybee allowed 4 runs (2 earned) in 2 1/3 innings of work in relief of him. We will see how Arkansas handles the starting rotation next weekend after Mason Molina’s outing Sunday, but it sure feels like there could be a real shakeup coming soon.
- After three hits in yesterday’s game, Wehiwa Aloy kept it rolling with a pair of doubles – one off the wall in dead center and one in the gap in left-center field – as well as a single to mark his third three-hit game of the year. He’s now got his batting average back up to .284 on the year while maintaining the team lead in home runs (11), RBI (50) and stolen bases (7).
- Hudson White breakout campaign update: After going 2-for-4 on Saturday, he’s now hitting .280 on the year and .324 in SEC play. He’s also now sporting a seven-game hit streak, which he has hit .478 (11-23) during.
- Jake Faherty tossed a scoreless ninth inning in relief for the Razorbacks, picking up two strikeouts along the way. He’s now got an ERA below 1.00 (0.96) and has picked up 17 strikeouts in just 9 1/3 innings of work this year. Opponents are also hitting just .125 against him. Cooper Dossett and Stone Hewlett also recorded an out each without allowing a hit or a run.
What’s Left for Sunday?
On the Arkansas side, the Hogs are still in decent shape for Sunday. Molina hasn’t exactly been a model of consistency of late, but the Hogs have quite a few arms available that have a history of being stretched out.
Despite pitching Friday, Will McEntire and Gage Wood will both be available for work and have each been extended plenty in their careers. Veteran righties Koty Frank and Dylan Carter have also not thrown yet this weekend and could work multiple innings if needed.
Sophomore flamethrower Christian Foutch threw 22 pitches Friday night, so it’s possible he could return for a high-leverage situation. The last three arms Arkansas used Saturday – Cooper Dossett, Stone Hewlett and Jake Faherty – each threw 15 pitches or less, so you’d think at least one or two from that group could be called upon in the finale.
On the other side, Mississippi State has a few question marks, beginning with a TBA in the starting spot. Brooks Auger had been serving as the Game 3 starter for the Bulldogs, but he threw three innings (53 pitches) in relief Saturday.
Nolan Stevens (4.72 ERA, 26 2/3 IP) and Karson Ligon (3.68 ERA, 22 IP) are the two most likely starting candidates, and both should be available for a full days’ work, but it gets thin after that for Mississippi State. Cam Schuelke and Tyler Davis threw 16 and 17 pitches, respectively, so both could be available for at least a little bit of work, though not likely to be extended.
Outside of that, the only options remaining for the Bulldogs with more than 10 innings of work on the year are Evan Siary and Luke Dotson, who hold ERAs of 7.48 and 8.44.
In conclusion: Each team has a few of their top arms left to work with, but it could really go south for the Bulldogs if one of the two potential starting options aren’t able to eat a few innings. Arkansas might have to bring back a few guys who have seen work earlier in the weekend, but the Hogs have a nice mix of options available behind a seasoned veteran starter in Molina.