SEC sneak peek for UA, Missouri

University of Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn will reunite with Missouri Coach Tim Jamieson, who was head coach of the USA national team last summer while Van Horn served as an assistant, at tonight's game.

— Arkansas baseball fans can get a sneak peek tonight and Wednesday at the newest member of the SEC.

Missouri (23-19) will play two nonconference games at Baum Stadium after dropping 2 of 3 games at Texas Tech in Big 12 play over the weekend. The Tigers will finish the season in the Big 12 before moving with Texas A&M into the SEC next season in baseball.

Missouri and Texas A&M will become official members of the SEC in all sports July 1.

“It’s going to be a good matchup,” DJ Baxendale said of the two games with the Tigers. “With Missouri moving into the SEC next season, it’s good to kind of see what they’ve got. We’re going to see how they play.”

Arkansas fans should also be eager to see the Razorbacks (31-13), who took 2 of 3 games at Florida over the weekend. Baxendale pitched into the eighth inning Sunday when Arkansas clinched the series with a 3-1 victory in 10 innings over the Gators. Florida won 3-2 Friday before Arkansas tied the series with a 5-1 victory Saturday behind Brandon Moore, who pitched five scoreless innings in relief.

Arkansas moved up to No. 18 from No. 21 and Florida dropped from No. 5 to No. 7 in the Baseball America poll that was released Monday.

“It was a huge series win for us on the road against a very, very good team,” said Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn, who was ejected from Sunday’s game after arguing a call in the second inning. “You have to credit our pitching staff. They kept us in all three games.”

Van Horn hopes the series victory at Florida gives a boost of confidence to the Razorbacks, who will play eight consecutive games at Baum Stadium, including a three game SEC series with No. 5 South Carolina and Auburn over the next two weekends. South Carolina is the two-time defending national champion and the Gamecocks are the hottest team in the SEC after sweeping Alabama to increase their conference winning streak to 11 consecutive games.

But Arkansas must focus first on Missouri, which stretched its winning streak to five consecutive games before losing the final two games at Texas Tech. Right-hander Nolan Sanburn (2-1, 2.45 ERA) will start for Arkansas tonight against Blake Holovach (5-3, 4.47) for Missouri.

“We’ve got two games and we’ve got some pitchers that need to pitch,” said Van Horn, who watched seven Razorbacks pitchers throw a combined one-hitter against Oral Roberts last Tuesday. “We’ll do everything we can to try to win, then we’ve got South Carolina coming in. It doesn’t get any easier.”

Tonight’s game will reunite Van Horn with Missouri Coach Tim Jamieson, who was head coach of the USA national team last summer while Van Horn served as an assistant. Arkansas and Missouri last faced each other in 2004, when the Razorbacks beat the Tigers 10-7 in an NCAA regional game at Baum Stadium. Arkansas advanced to the College World Series that season after beating Wichita State twice to win the Fayetteville Regional.

Up next MISSOURI AT ARKANSAS

WHEN 6:35 p.m. Central today

WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville

RADIO RSP statewide radio network.

Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.

INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com (go to Razorvision link)

Sports, Pages 17 on 05/01/2012