FAYETTEVILLE — Chase Leavitt is getting his batting stroke down and his batting average up at just the right time for Arkansas. Leavitt has provided a spark from his leadoff spot in the batting order, and the Razorbacks are counting on him to do it again this weekend when they face South Carolina in a critical SEC series at Baum Stadium.

Only the top eight teams advance to the SEC Tournament, which begins May 21 at Hoover, Ala., and Arkansas (28-20, 10-13 SEC ) starts the weekend in ninth place, a half-game behind Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Razorbacks will likely need to make the SEC Tournament to ensure a berth in the NCAA Tournament, so it is essential that Arkansas gets off to a good start against South Carolina (34-15, 13-11 ) when the teams open their series at 6: 35 tonight.

“We need to play relaxed and loose and not worry about how many wins we need,” said Leavitt, whose team closes the regular season next week at Mississippi State. “We’ve got six [SEC ] games left, and we’re going to try our best to win all six of them.”

Leavitt has taken over the leadoff position after being used as a left-handed batter against right-handed pitching for much of the season. He has reached base safely in each of his past 14 games and leads Arkansas in four offensive categories: batting average (. 351 ), walks (32 ), hit by pitch (10 ) and on-base percentage (. 506 ).

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“Chase has been a force at the top of the lineup, and that’s what you want from your leadoff hitter,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “His average has climbed about 20 or 30 points in the last three weeks, and his onbase percentage is good because he takes his walks.

“ I have confidence in leaving him in there against right-handed or left-handed pitching.”

Leavitt, junior outfielder from St. George, Utah, began his college career at Dixie State in Utah before leaving on a two-year Mormon mission to Wisconsin.

He resumed his career at Southern Nevada Community College — the same school where Arkansas found outfielder Casey Coon — but quickly discovered that two years away from the sport had left him more than a little rusty.

Leavitt had to redevelop his timing and hand-eye coordination at the plate.

“We covered the eastern twothirds of Wisconsin, and it was a good experience for me,” Leavitt said of his misson work. “But it was also tough because I couldn’t play baseball. I didn’t hit more than two times out of that two years, and that was off of a pitching machine.”

Arkansas recruited Leavitt as an outfielder after he hit. 355 while playing mostly second base at Southern Nevada. He also stole 31 bases and drove in 73 runs.

His adjustment to Division I college baseball also took some time, but he has been Arkansas ’ hottest hitter of late. Leavitt is batting. 465 in his past 14 games and has reached base 13 times on walks during that span.

“Chase is two years removed from his mission, and his coach at Southern Nevada, Tim Chambers, said it’s the second year when they really kick in,” Arkansas hitting coach Todd Butler said. “Chase has done a great job lately of being the leadoff guy we anticipated when we recruited him.

“ He brings some speed to the lineup, and he’s a table-setter who gets on base any way possible.”

He needs to get on base as much as possible this weekend. Arkansas didn’t schedule any midweek games for the first time this season so players could concentrate on their finals. Now, with most having finished their classwork, they can concentrate on their series against South Carolina and Mississippi State and making a run for a spot in the SEC Tournament.

“It’ll be real nice to come out and just focus on baseball,” said Leavitt, a sociology major. “We’ve been on the road a lot this year and playing five games a week, which is tough. Our mind-set is all about baseball now and doing the things we need to do to get to the SEC Tournament.”