Razorbacks Don’t Have Chance Now, Which May be Best Spot

This Arkansas team has lost the openers of series before and come back to win so it may not all be doom and gloom

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has seen this picture play out before.

Don't forget they lost the first game at the end of April and welcomed May with a series win over Ole Miss.

But the Rebels aren't playing like that team. The Razorbacks weren't until Monday night.

Now after a 13-5 loss Monday night, the Hogs face a big hill to reach a final series that could be an all-SEC affair. Four of the six teams still standing are from the league where "it just means more."

But before Arkansas can overcome that rather boring loss to Ole Miss, they'll have to get past Auburn on Tuesday with pitching getting rather thin, but Dave Van Horn still hasn't pulled Hagen Smith or Brady Tygart out of the bullpen.

He wasn't wasting them. When he saw the direction things were headed Monday night he may have been asking for volunteers.

Smith and Tygart, who finished the season along with starter Connor Noland as the strongest pitchers on the staff, haven't thrown a pitch.

Now Van Horn won't have many options if things are tight with the Tigers on Tuesday night. The Hogs won't be playing on Wednesday if they don't win.

Unless there's something we're not aware of there's not much point in saving them for the remainder of the summer and fall practices.

Who he puts out to start against Auburn is a mystery. He honestly probably didn't know after the loss to the Rebels which way he's going, although the initial guess is Will McEntire will get the start.

Razorbacks first baseman Peyton Stovall watches his homer against Ole Miss in Monday's game at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. (Crant Osborne / allHOGS Images)

The interesting scenario would be starting Smith or Tygart, then putting the other one in about halfway through the game to hopefully finish.

That might be stretching things to expect either to go that far, but his is the time of year when you start by planning ahead and work backwards.

All of that, though, won't mean much if they don't hit the ball at people. That happened a lot against Ole Miss.

But it has made for some interesting morning discussions this week.

---

HOGS FEED:

LIVE UPDATES: HOW THE HOGS LOST TO OLE MISS ON MONDAY NIGHT

NEWS & NOTES: CWS ROUND 1

FACES IN CROWD: RAZORBACKS STEAMROLL PAST STANFORD IN OMAHA

PREVIEW: ARKANSAS TO MEET SEC WEST FOE OLE MISS IN OMAHA

DIFFERENT MONTH, DIFFERENT TIME FOR HOGS, REBELS

HOGS SET RECORDS IN BLOWOUT OPENING WIN OVER STANFORD

RESEEDING THE CWS FIELD

---

Return to allHogs home page.

• Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the allHOGS message board community today!

• Follow allHOGS on Twitter and Facebook.