Gaffes adding up for Hogs

BY CHRIS COCOLES

Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/220990/

FAYETTEVILLE — Casey Coon couldn’t believe what happened. His coach was even more flabbergasted.

Coon, a fourth-year junior and one of Arkansas’ most seasoned players, looked like a rookie on the bases in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to Centenary at Baum Stadium.

It was a day filled with mental errors and regrettable choices. With the Razorbacks mustering only four hits, there was a slight margin for error, and Arkansas was anything but sound.

“We’ve had a few of those days lately, and it’s kind of gotten frustrating,” sophomore infielder Tim Smalling said of the Razorbacks, who have lost 8 of 12 games after an 11-1 start.

Coon said he felt remorse for his own play in the third. With two outs, Brett Eibner at first and the Razorbacks trailing 1-0, Coon’s grounder to the right side was knocked down at second but trickled into the outfield. Eibner easily reached third and Coon thought about taking second.

“I looked up and there was nobody on second base and the cutoff [throw ] was halfway to third,” Coon said. “I was going to keep going because I felt like there was a free base. Then I turned back and I thought, ‘I don’t want to make the third out.’”

Coon’s hesitation allowed the ball to be fired back to first baseman Cameron Penney, who was waiting to apply a tag.

“I ended up getting the third out anyway,” Coon said. “It’s a mental mistake and it can’t happen, especially with me. That’s worse than going 0 for 8 because it’s not physical.

“ It’s something that better not happen again.”

Coach Dave Van Horn probably added a similar command from his spot in the third base coaching box after seeking out Coon between innings.

“Casey’s mistake, what do you say ? The kid is 22 years old and has been playing the game,” Van Horn said. “I’ve seen it too many times, which I’m kind of getting tired of.” Another Razorbacks veteran, junior second baseman Ben Tschepikow, was thrown out at third in the fifth when Justin Kraft’s pitch bounced in front of catcher Alex Maldonado. Van Horn called it a “hustling mistake” but stopped short of complimenting Tschepikow, citing he should have read the ball better and determined it to be an ill-advised gamble. There was much less to complain about regarding redshirt freshman pitcher Sam Murphy,

1 who worked 5 / 3 innings. The right-hander was charged with three earned runs, but he didn’t get much relief from Eibner, who threw a wild pitch that allowed one run to score and committed a throwing error on a pickoff throw to second that allowed two runners to move up.

Murphy also hurt his own cause with an errant pickoff toss to first in the first inning. Jomar Tabor moved up two bases and eventually scored an unearned run on a groundout.

“We gave them a run without a hit,” Van Horn said.