Offense deserts Arkansas

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches from the dugout as outfielder Joe Serrano bats during the Razorbacks' 4-3 loss to Pacific on Sunday in Surprise, Ariz.

— Arkansas baseball took a No. 2 national ranking and a .312 batting average into its Arizona ambush.

The Razorbacks (7-5), who left Surprise, Ariz., on Sunday after four consecutive losses, struggled mightily to drive in runners, saw their team average drop to .285 and their ranking fall to No. 16 in the Baseball America poll.

“I don’t want to go back to Arizona, I admit,” Coach Dave Van Horn told the Swatters Club on Monday. “I planned on winning at least two out there and hopefully three. It didn’t happen. We’ve got 17 games this month, and we can get it going.”

The busy month of March continues Thursday with a four-game series against San Diego State, and Van Horn said Monday that he intends to shuffle his pitching staff for the weekend.

Right-hander Barrett Astin (1-1, 1.65 ERA) will move to the bullpen, primarily because he has the ability to pitch more than once in a weekend.

“He can come in in the seventh, the eighth or the ninth, three days in a row,” Van Horn said.

Arkansas’ starting pitching has been outstanding, but Van Horn said ace Ryne Stanek needs to throw more efficiently so he can go deeper in games. The entire staff has been feeling the pressure to live up to preseason hype and not let the team down, he added.

“They’re all stressed out,” Van Horn said. “They’re trying to throw the ball through the wall. They’re trying to light up the radar gun instead of pitching. They just need to trust their ability. I think this is starting to settle down.”

Junior Dominic Ficociello, who went 3 for 10 in Arizona in his first action this season, was still limited by his oblique muscle injury that allowed the switch-hitter to bat against left-handers. An update on his status is expected before the San Diego State series.

Arkansas scored six runs in Arizona and batters were 2 for 21 with runners in scoring position. The Razorbacks really struggled to solve Gonzaga left-hander Marco Gonzalez, who struck out nine and walked none while allowing eight hits in a 3-0 victory Friday.

“We did score, by the way,” Van Horn said, referencing what he felt was a blown call at home plate against the Hogs’ Brian Anderson, who tripled and tried to score on a bunt. “We did score, but the umpire didn’t see it that way.”

Van Horn said he hoped “getting it handed to us” in Arizona would pay off with better execution on SEC weekends.

“A couple of tough environments, a couple of preseason All-American types [opposing pitchers],” Van Horn said. “I think more than anything what I take away from it is that we’re going to get better, and I think it might keep us from making mistakes down the road.”

Van Horn said the rotation this weekend would be Stanek (1-1, 2.84) on Thursday, followed by freshman right-hander Trey Killian (1-1, 1.29) and senior left hander Randall Fant (0-0,2.25), with freshman left hander Colin Poche (1-0, 0.00) the most likely choice Sunday.

Because of other events scheduled on campus and to accommodate San Diego State’s travel plans Sunday,the start times have been juggled this week. The series opener Thursday will start at 6:05 p.m., followed by a 3:05 p.m. game Friday, an 11:35 a.m. start Saturday and a 12:05 p.m. start Sunday.

Sports, Pages 17 on 03/05/2013