UA starters offer late-season hope

Pitchers Dominic Taccolini (left) and Zach Jackson of Arkansas warm up Friday, Jan. 29, 2016, during practice at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Back-to-back gems from juniors Dominic Taccolini and Zach Jackson last weekend at Kentucky thrust Arkansas back in the hunt to extend the school's bid of 14 consecutive NCAA regionals.

Taccolini's five-hitter in a 10-inning, 1-0 victory Friday was the longest outing of his career and the first complete game by an Arkansas pitcher this season. Jackson followed that with a two-hitter in a seven-inning 2-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader the next day.

"I just think our pitchers did a tremendous job, and we just outscored them a couple of runs," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I mean, we scored three runs and won two games, so you can chalk that up to two great pitching performances."

The Razorbacks (25-16, 6-12 SEC), who have won four out of their past five games, are hoping their pitchers can keep up their recent mastery with heavy-hitting No. 2 Texas A&M (33-8, 12-6) headed to Fayetteville for a weekend series.

"There's four SEC series left, and we've got nothing to lose," Taccolini said.

Taccolini's 125-pitch shutout came after he had thrown a combined 11 innings in his previous five appearances, and it marked the longest outing by an Arkansas starter since Clint Brannon threw 11 innings in the 2004 SEC Tournament against Tennessee.

Taccolini credited the best game of his career to a mechanical adjustment when pitching out of the stretch and pitching with a purpose.

"Confidence can make or break you," Taccolini said earlier his week. "If you're not confident out there then you almost don't have anything. Like if you throw a pitch with conviction, it's almost 10 times better than a pitch without conviction that's better located."

The junior right-hander from Sugar Land, Texas, had been in a weeks-long struggle since opening the season 3-0 in his first four starts.

He credited lengthy work with pitching coach Dave Jorn and a glance at Florida right-hander Logan Shore with improving his approach when pitching out of the stretch with runners on base.

"I shortened up," Taccolini said. "Logan Shore, I know him from just playing him, and I watched him throw and he looked really comfortable in the stretch. So I kind of emulated him a little bit.

"He was able to be on time to the plate, and he looked comfortable throwing strikes, so I picked that up a little bit and added my own twist on it. I was able to feel more comfortable and make better adjustments, which has been a downfall for me this year."

Catcher Tucker Pennell said Taccolini can pitch that way every game.

"When he stays calm and trusts his stuff, that's when he's at his best," Pennell said. "Not when he's trying to overpower."

Jackson, who has struggled to go deep into games because of high pitch counts, was inspired by Taccolini's work and the decision that Arkansas and Kentucky would play two seven-inning games Saturday after a rainout of the April 21 scheduled series opener.

"After my outing on Friday, I was like, 'Man, I can't believe I went that deep,' " Taccolini said. "And Zach was like, 'I'm throwing a seven-inning game tomorrow. I might actually throw a complete game.' "

Jackson had allowed 14 runs, 11 of them earned, in his previous three outings that covered a span of 14 1/3 innings.

"He was a little calmer person out there, just someone who wasn't overthrowing too much," Van Horn said. "Every now and then you would see him overthrow and he would leave it up and out, and then he would gather himself.

"He threw a lot of strikes and was ahead in the count, and when he wasn't he battled back. That's kind of the closer mentality coming out in him. But he just looked a little more calm and a little more polished."

Taccolini and Jackson are scheduled to face Texas A&M on Friday and Saturday. Sunday's starter could come down to sophomore Keaton McKinney and freshman Isaiah Campbell.

Sports on 04/28/2016