#2 LSU at #9 ARKANSAS -- NCAA BASEBALL'S BIGGEST MATCHUP OF THE WEEKEND

comments on Arkansas' pitching staff:

Arkansas head coach:
“There’s a lot of competition among the pitchers now, so when they do get on the mound they really feel like they have something to prove. That’s one reason they did so well this week,” Van Horn said. “It didn’t matter who we played. They are trying to earn some innings on the weekend.”

Arkansas pitchers:
"We're (so loaded that we are) all fighting for innings right now," junior preseason All-American Colby Suggs says.
“We’re just trying to do our job and we’ve been able to do it pretty well so far,” Stanek said. “We’re looking to keep at what we’re doing.”

South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook:
“They return an incredible pitching staff, led by (Ryne Stanek), (Barrett) Astin, (Brandon) Moore,” Holbrook said. “They’ve got young guys, too, who are throwing well. I told our guys that we are going to face three Friday night starters this weekend, and I certainly believe that. ... They’re very, very, very good. It’s a staff that reminds you of those Florida staffs that were so good. I don’t know if getting to the bullpen is going to do you any favors either ... “You can make a case that it’s three Friday night guys,” USC coach Chad Holbrook said. “They’re very, very deep. It’s a staff that reminds you of those Florida staffs that were so good. I don’t know, if you get to the bullpen, that there’ll be a chink in their armor. ... I would expect (our) games to be extremely competitive and tight and low scoring this weekend, based on their pitching staff and based on ours. ... It’s not going to be easy (to beat Arkansas),” he said. “We’re going to have to put runners in scoring position as best we can. If we get a guy on first base, we’ve got to either run him or we’ve got to hit and run or we’ve got to use the sac bunt. We’ve got to get guys in scoring position, because I don’t think you’re going to get three hits in a row against these guys.”

Mississippi State head coach John Cohen:
"They do such a nice job,” Cohen said Thursday. “Every guy they throw out there kind of gives you a different look and presents different challenges. That pitching staff, you’ve got to have great at-bats and you just to grind against."

South Carolina pitching coach pitching coach Jerry Meyer:
“It’s not like they’re going to run out of pitching as the weekend goes along,” USC pitching coach Jerry Meyers said. “They’re going to keep running guys out there who have quality experience and quality arms...It comes down to a key play or a key at-bat,” Meyers said. “That’s what you anticipate going into almost every SEC weekend. You have to be prepared for that...You have to be on top of your game and expect to be in a close one.”

South Carolina first baseman LB Dantzler, who leads the team with a .351 average
“That’s the kind of guys you want to face,” Dantzler said. “If you keep playing baseball long enough, those are the guys you run into. They’re why you play the game. You want to be in this atmosphere at this level playing against the best competition to see how you can do.”


Arkansas fans:

honestly there's not a pitcher on our staff this year that Hog fans aren't confident in.

What's great about this staff, is the bullpen may be better than some of our starters. We have so many pitchers DVH can work matchups all night long.

 

Maineiri on radio now

"i hope we play Really well"

"They (LSU players) have been playing well, I'm very proud of them"

"We have a very solid team"

Loves how our players come to play everyday

Loves how our kids take pride in every aspect of game

Nola will feed of off Arkansas home crowd energy, will do will, very confident in him

 

National anthem

 

Hawthorne: this is as good as it gets when it comes to collegiate baseball
His buddy: absolutely

 

Arkansas starting pitcher is Astin

Arkansas has only lost once this year when he started (and he only allowed 2 earned runs in that loss)
Comments from Hog fan on Astin
- reminds me of Greg Maddux. Not an overpowering pitcher but
locates well and has nasty breaking balls. Can put the ball where you can't hit it but is in the zone.
-Baseball America: "Best Changeup (SEC)—Barrett Astin, Arkansas."
-Baseball America:The unflappable Astin already drove hitters bonkers with a 90-92 mph fastball that bumps 94-95 and a disappearing split-change, but he'll be even more dangerous now that he's developed a filthy 87-90 cutter.

 

Top 1

Astin

He knocks LSU down 1 2 3 w a K to the BOSS

Bot 1

Nola returns the favor. Knocks em 1 2 3 with a K

 

Top 2

Astin

Rhymes. Strike one strike two chop out

Big Katz... infield single!

Ibarra...Hit and Run is ON, Ibarra SINGLES ! Katz to 3B! Hawthorne: "can't do it any better than that"

Jones gets K'd, Ibarra stealing 2B...ruled automatically out for catchers interference because Jones got in catchers way. 3 gone

 

Bot 2

Nola knocks em down 1 2 3 w two Ks! ! !

K K K

 

Top 3

Astin

Stevenson reached on a ball that got away, McMullen reached hit by pitch. That was it for LSU

 

Bot 3

again Nola knocks em down 1 2 3 w two Ks! ! ! !

K K K K K