Suggs eying single-season saves record

Arkansas pitcher Colby Suggs throws during practice Wednesday afternoon Baum Stadium.

— As Arkansas enters its weekend series at Kentucky on a five-game win streak, Razorbacks closer Colby Suggs is riding a hot streak of his own.

The hard-throwing right-hander has recorded a save in each of Arkansas' last four games. Suggs, rated one of the top 20 MLB Draft prospects by Baseball America prior to the season, has eight saves this year and is just four shy of the school record of 12 set twice in the 1980s.

"That was one of the goals I set at the beginning of this year," Suggs said. "I got off to a slow start, but I feel like I'm all the way back now. The team is playing great, so I'm getting the opportunity to get some saves in tight ballgames."

After a solid sophomore campaign and stellar summer in the Cape Cod League, Suggs struggled with his command early this year, carrying an earned run average of more than 5.00 through the first three weeks of the season.

He has been solid for Arkansas since SEC play began, however, having not allowed a run in his last 11 appearances on the mound. Seven of Suggs' saves have come in the Razorbacks' 13 SEC wins. His ERA has dipped to 1.98, having not allowed a run since March as a member of college baseball's top statistical pitching staff.

"Early this year I was searching and wasn't sure what I was doing as far as attacking hitters," Suggs said. "Now I'm confident and able to pound the strike zone early.

"I feel like I'm more consistent in my delivery. I've really been working on it pretty hard because I really need consistency at this point in the season. I've really been trying to throw first-pitch strikes. Coach (Dave) Jorn really preaches first-pitch strikes so we can get ahead in the count. I've been locating the off-speed better these last couple of outings and that has been a big help."

With a fastball that has been clocked in the upper 90s on the radar gun, Suggs has developed a better curve ball this season as his best secondary pitch.

"It's hard to call it a curve because it breaks at 85 miles per hour," said catcher Jake Wise. Added Suggs, "It doesn't matter what you label it. It's a hard off-speed pitch that breaks."

And it works. Complimenting his fastball, Suggs has needed only 50 pitches to record 10 outs over the last four games.

"The last batter he faced against Missouri State on Tuesday was probably the best stuff I've seen from him," Wise said. "His fastball was down in the zone and he threw a breaking ball that almost buckled my knees, and I called it. He's gotten focused. We need a guy who in a 2-1 ballgame can come in and shut down the game. He's settled down from his early struggles and he's been nails for us."

A look at Suggs is perhaps a snapshot of Arkansas' team as it goes down the stretch in 2013 - refocused and seemingly back on track. As Suggs struggled, so did the Razorbacks, losing four straight games at a tournament in Surprise, Ariz. to find themselves 7-5 after entering the season ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll.

While a 30-15 record wasn't what Arkansas' players expected at this point in the season, it's still good enough to have the program in contention for hosting an NCAA regional next month. A series win at Kentucky would help the Razorbacks' No. 53-ranked RPI - well below their No. 14 ranking in this week's coaches' poll. The No. 23 Wildcats have a national RPI of 27.

"I feel like if we go up there and prove we can win on the road, and beat a tough opponent two out of three, that would really help us out," Suggs said.

Arkansas has been superb on the SEC road recently, having won 12 of its last 13 SEC games away from Baum Stadium dating to last year. Half of Suggs' saves this season have come on the road, including two last weekend at Georgia.

"I feel like there's no pressure," Suggs said. "We don't have to go to school when we're on the road, so we don't have to focus on that as much. We get some rest, sleep in a little bit and that's really nice.

"Last year we spent the last month away from home and felt like the underdog. I feel like we have that same mentality at this point in the season. We're going into someone else's park and trying to ruin their home stand. I feel like that's something we really pride ourselves on is beating people at their own place. We're confident right now and know what we have to do."