FAYETTEVILLE — College baseball has proposed another rule change and Dave Van Horn said he expects the SEC to be among the first conferences to implement it.
Last month, the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee recommended a 20-second pitch clock that, unlike the current one, will continue to be used when runners are on base.
If the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves the experimental rule when it discusses it Aug. 26, conferences across all three NCAA divisions will have the opportunity to apply to implement it.
The SEC was the first conference to use the current 20-second pitch clock, when it was used during the 2010 SEC Tournament.
“We’re usually one of the first conferences to do most everything that’s new,” Van Horn said. “We adopted that pitch clock and I think it worked great. As a matter of fact, it never really came into play.”
If a pitcher doesn’t start his pitching motion or a batter isn’t ready to hit before the clock expires, a warning will be issued. On the second violation, a ball will be called if the pitcher is the offender and a strike will be called if the batter is the offender.
With runners on base, the proposed pitch clock would reset to 20 seconds and immediately restart if the pitcher fakes a pickoff attempt or steps off the rubber.
Van Horn said he thinks the proposal is a response to Virginia’s style of play at the College World Series, in which the Cavaliers took an “almost ridiculous” amount of time between pitches.
While he is in favor of the current pitch clock as a way to decrease the length of games, he isn’t sold on the recommended on for when runners are on base.
“I think the issue would be when you’re holding runners on and you have plays on – pick plays and different things – that will be a little bit dicey,” Van Horn said. “I think the pitch clock is good with no runner on. With a runner on, I don’t know.
“We’ll just have to see how that will go.”
Schlesener Signs with St. Louis
Despite saying in June that he thought Jacob Schlesener coming to Arkansas was about 50-50, Dave Van Horn said he wasn’t shocked when the 12th-round draft pick signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“We kind of expected him to sign,” Van Horn said. “It was very wishy-washy with the numbers on what he wanted. It started out higher, then it went back down a little bit.”
Van Horn also said Schlesener was struggling with his command this year and was concerned about how much he would pitch for the Razorbacks.
According to MLB.com, Schlesener, a left-handed pitcher from Rogersville, Missouri, signed with the Cardinals for $325,000 – more than three times the value for his slot in the draft.
Benintendi, Wernes Settling Down In Minors
Playing in the New York-Penn League, former Arkansas stars Andrew Benintendi and Bobby Wernes are having nice rookie seasons.
Benintendi, coming off one of the most prolific seasons in school history, has a low average (.229) with the Lowell Spinners, but his four home runs are tied for fifth most in the league. He also has two triples, one double, 10 RBIs, 11 runs scored and three stolen bases through 21 games.
While he made a name for himself with his glove with the Razorbacks, Wernes is thriving at the plate with the Tri-City ValleyCats, as his .333 average is second in the league. His only extra-base hits have been a pair of doubles, but he has 13 RBIs, 14 runs scored and three stolen bases through 28 games.
“They’re kind of feeling their way through and learning the routes of pro ball, but it’s good to see those guys having some pretty good days,” Dave Van Horn said. “I think they’re all prepared physically and mentally to have success. I’m glad for what they did for our program and wish them the best.”
Arkansas’ other two players selected in this year’s MLB draft – Trey Killian and Tyler Spoon – have not fared as well as Benintendi and Wernes.
Killian is 1-2 with a 5.81 ERA, 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 26 1/3 innings through six starts with the Grand Junction Rockies. He has also allowed four home runs.
Spoon has appeared in only nine games, going 3-for-27 (.111) with one RBI, four runs scored, three walks and four strikeouts with the GCL Red Sox.