No. 24 Arkansas baseball (26-15, 9-9 SEC) was poised to pull off another upset win in the three-games series at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville over the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (32-9, 13-5 SEC) after taking a commanding 6-1 lead into the third inning, but the Razorbacks played sloppy in the field, commiting six errors, and received limited support from their pitching staff, leading to an impressive 26-14 Georgia win. Arkansas does not have much time to lick its metaphorical wounds, as it now faces the Missouri State Bears (26-11, 14-4 MVC) tomorrow in Fayetteville.
When the Hogs and Bears first clashed in Springfield this season, the two teams gave fans a thriller, with the Bears winning 15-14 after 10 innings of fireworks at the plate. After Arkansas' pitching staff surrendered 26 runs and 21 hits, including nine homers, to Georgia in Game 3 of the series on Saturday, Dave Van Horn does not want to see Missouri State generate any fireworks at the plate.
Missouri State often poses a robust challenge for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Bears are a dangerous team. Although they are not the most ideal team for the Hogs to encounter after losing the series in Game 3 against Georgia in the way they did, using seven pitchers, the Bears will function as a quick barometer of how impactful the loss is for them.
After losing a competitive Game 2 to Georgia 5-3, the present writer argued that great caution should be exercised in assessing a loss to the Bulldogs, given that the team from Athens has a legitimate chance to win the national championship, and one would find it nearly impossible to identify a lineup as potent as Georgia's. Even as excellent as the Bulldogs are, especially at the plate, the Razorbacks proved their talent when they won Game 1 6-3. Also, Razorback Nation needs to reflect on its joyous social media posts after Arkansas upset Georgia.
If Missouri State were to upset Arkansas again tomorrow, this time at Baum-Walker Stadium, then the Razorbacks will, in fact, have lost their momentum. Both teams have much to gain and much to prove in tomorrow's battle. Recognizing this, three keys to an Arkansas win against Missouri State are worth exploring.
Arkansas baseball vs. Missouri State: 3 key to a Razorbacks win
Tate McGuire must set the tone
When Tate McGuire takes the mound, he must send the Bears a clear message that the Arkansas pitching staff is the one it defeated in the previous contest and not the one Georgia torched in Game 3 on Saturday. One cannot be certain that the Hogs' batters are ready for another explosive performance at the plate as they were required to have against the Bulldogs on Saturday.
If Arkansas is to remain a legitimate contender for the SEC and national championships, the team's pitching must improve. The pitching staff should use Hunter Dietz's performance in Game 1 against the Bulldogs as its model going forward. Although the Bears' bats are not as explosive as the Bulldogs', they are still explosive.
Keep the bats hot
Most in the Razorback Nation want to banish Game 3 against Georgia from memory. However, not everything about that game was negative, especially how the Hogs performed at the plate, scoring 14 runs on 14 hits, which was good enough production to defeat nearly any team in the nation. The problem was that the Razorbacks' pitching surrendered 21 hits, generating 26 runs for the Bulldogs.
As Arkansas prepares for a three-game series in Columbia, Missouri, against the Missouri Tigers (20-20, 3-15 SEC), the team has an opportunity to keep the fire going from the plate. The Razorbacks must remain committed to small ball and avoid swinging for the fences during every plate appearance.
Baum-Walker must be electric
Razorback Nation must arrive at Baum-Walker Stadium to create an electric environment for the Razorbacks and to help them regain any momentum some contend they have lost after losing the series to Georgia, especially after their performance in Game 3. The team needs to know they have the support of fans ready to fuel it from start to finish.
Without question, the Hogs' performance in Game 3 against Georgia was disappointing. Arkansas' players do not need to feel that their fans have lost any confidence in them. A critical part of momentum is the intensity of support a team receives. An excellent way to send the Razorbacks on the road to Missouri is with the tremendous power of their fans' full energy operating as a fierce wind at their backs.
The Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri State Bears will square off at 6 p.m. CT at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Fans unable to attend the game can watch it on the SEC Network+ (SECN+).
Add us as a preferred source on Google