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Y'all, I've been going to Arkansas Razorback baseball games for a long time and I can't remember the last time the Hogs had this little depth pitching.
After a midweek sweep by Gonzaga, who was picked to finish 4th in the West Coast Conference, I can't give the Hogs much hope for any other midweek games this season.
Earlier this week, Dave Van Horn said that a lot of these pitchers aren't SEC ready. Well, 13 walks, three HBP, and four wild pitches later, there is not doubt in anyone's mind that is the case.
Of the 15 runs score, 10 of them reached base because of a walk or being hit by a pitch. If that is taken away it's a tie game. Gonzaga only needed 10 hits to get their 15 runs.
If Van Horn wanted to, he could have used weekend guys to try to salvage the damage. Instead, he opted to ride some guys a little longer than he would in a conference game. That inflated the score a bit, but it still wouldn't have been close even if Van Horn did try to salvage it.
Even as bad as getting swept in the midweek is, there is no reason to hit the panic button. Yesterday, Van Horn played some guys who don't get much playing time. Today, he went with a more traditional line up, but again the pitching struggled. To his credit, I thought Jackson Lowery did a good job out of the bullpen. He threw three innings and only gave up one earned run.
The Bulldogs started a freshman that had a 7.20 ERA coming into the game. Welp, he went seven strong and only gave up three earned runs to the Hogs' bats. Andrew Benintendi lead the hitting with a home run and three RBIs. Clark Eagan added a solo home run and freshman Chad Spanberger had an RBI double.
Without actually recording an out, Parker Sanburn got the loss. He walked the only two batters he faced, becoming the pitcher of record.
It doesn't get any easier for the Hogs, as SEC play begins this weekend. They have a three game series with defending national champion Vanderbilt Commodores. Vandy is 12-4 on the season. First pitch of the Friday game is at 6:30 and is scheduled to be carried on SEC Network Plus.