When No. 12 Arkansas baseball (37-19, 17-13 SEC) stepped on the field in Hoover, Alabama, to face the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers (38-20, 15-15 SEC), the team recognized that its ace pitcher, Hunter Dietz, would not be on the mound, so it knew it needed to generate as many runs as possible, beginning as early as possible, to support its starting pitcher, Tate McGuire. The Razorbacks used the Volunteers as a vehicle to communicate to everyone that they can score as many runs as needed to win, even without their ace on the mound.
Many in Razorback Nation, including its players, recognize that the Hogs are a different team when Dietz is pitching, for they can beat any team when he starts. They play with elite energy and confidence when he pitches. The Hogs know, however, that they cannot experience significant success in the postseason relying only on him. If they wish to make it to Omaha, and they do, the Razorbacks will need much better production from other pitchers, including Gabe Gaeckle, who has shown he is more than capable of providing what the team needs.
The Hogs' bats have to be inspired by more than Dietz. They must consistently show up regardless of who is pitching. Understanding this, it was encouraging to see the smart aggression Arkansas demonstrated at the plate with McGuire starting for them in the second round of the SEC Tournament against Tennessee.
Arkansas baseball delivers solid pitching against Tennessee
Dave Van Horn understood that a win over the Volunteers would lead to a much more challenging contest against the No. 5 Texas Longhorns (40-12, 19-10 SEC), and he was confident his team could defeat Tennessee without his ace on the mound. He elected to use a pitching-by-committee approach against the Volunteers, which avoids placing intense pressure on a single pitcher, given that each pitcher knows he will face a limited number of batters and does not need to conserve his arm to pitch several innings.
McGuire was excellent in the 3.0 innings he pitched. He held the Volunteers scoreless, allowing only one hit and one walk, and recording three strikeouts. In relief for McGuire, Parker Coil entered. In 1.2 innings of work for Coil, three runs were scored, but only one was earned, and he gave up four hits and had three strikeouts. Poor fielding made his time on the mound more stressful than it should have been. James DeCremer entered next. He pitched for 2.1 strong innings, surrendering only one run, two hits, and one walk, and recorded four strikeouts. DeCremer will be a reliable player out of the bullpen that the Hogs can employ in the postseason.
Cole Gibler performed brilliantly in the final 2.0 innings. He held Tennessee scoreless and only permitted one batter a hit. With this win, Gibler improved to 5-2. Razorback fans had to be encouraged to see him throw the ball as well as he did. The team needs more performances like this from him as the postseason progresses.
The Razorbacks pounded the baseball in Hoover
When the Hogs commit themselves to it, they know how to set a commanding tone at the plate early. In this game, they punished the baseball, as if they had a passionate hate for baseballs. At one point, it seemed like the bottom of the first inning would never end, as Arkansas scored four runs. In that inning, Cam Kozeal crushed a ball for a homer. However, Zack Stewart scorched a ball even harder and farther than Kozeal.
Although he did not hit a homer in the first inning, he hit a ball with more intensity than both Kozeal and Stewart, resulting in a double and TJ Pompey scoring. At the end of the first inning, Arkansas had a strong 4-0 lead, which helped the team to gain firm control of the game.
In the third inning, the next time Stewart came to the plate, he hit another homer. He torched the baseball. Stewart is heating up at the right time, and his emergence makes Arkansas an even more potent threat in the postseason. Arkansas cemented its hold on the lead in the fifth inning when TJ Pompey belted a three-run homer to left-center field. Ultimately, the Hogs defeated the Volunteers 8-4.
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