BASEBALL MEDIA DAY

Goals remain same for Van Horn, UA

Arkansas position player Clark Eagan speaks Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, during Media Day activities for the team at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks open the season when they host Central Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas baseball team would like last season's unlikely trip to the College World Series to serve as an inspiration more than a blueprint.

That Razorback team was 11-12 on March 24 last season -- after a 9-2 start -- before improving rapidly down the stretch and finishing 40-25 with a trip to Omaha.

"The main focus for this year is to not be in that situation and get off to a good start, because my first two years we haven't gotten off to good starts," junior Clark Eagan, the likely center field starter and three-hole hitter, said at the team's media day Saturday.

"It was brutal to be around at the beginning of the season," sophomore infielder Carson Shaddy said. "Everybody was depressed. We couldn't band together and play as a team, and finally we just started to remember to have fun while playing baseball and then it just took off. This year, we're really having a mindset on coming out, taking care of business early and taking care of the teams we need to take care of."

Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn enters his 14th season having taken each of his previous clubs to an NCAA regional and leading four teams to the College World Series.

"We're excited for 2016, moving on from the great season we had last year, at least the great finish we had last year, and seeing what this team can do," Van Horn said.

"I think it was just the makeup of the team that took us so far," sophomore right-hander Keaton McKinney said. "We're a close-knit group playing all for each other. We had one goal, and that's how it was all year. We just got hot at the right time."

Catcher Tucker Pennell, one of four returning starters in the field, said the goal for the Razorbacks never changes.

"Expectations are really high here, and to fulfill those expectations we need to play every game and we can't give any away," Pennell said. "Everybody's talking about Omaha and, I mean, we've got to focus on Central Michigan first."

The Razorbacks open the season Friday at 3 p.m. with the first of a three-game series against Central Michigan.

Arkansas brings back several key pitchers from last year's team, including right-handed starters McKinney (6-2, 3.21 ERA) and Dominic Taccolini (6-4, 4.32), who are both coming off surgeries.

"I threw like 70 pitches yesterday, and I felt like I threw a lot of strikes," Taccolini said. "It was definitely my best outing of the spring."

Zach Jackson (5-1, 2.10), who had 89 strikeouts in 60 innings, is targeted to start the year in the bullpen, where he notched a team-high nine saves last year.

Freshman right-hander Blaine Knight of Bryant, who allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings against the starters in Saturday's scrimmage, has a shot at earning a job in the rotation.

"It's amazing that they're going to give me an opportunity to earn that," Knight said. "It's been kind of an unreal experience. It's had its ups and downs, like anything else, but thanks to these older guys, they've helped me to get the chance to start next weekend."

Junior James Teague, who worked as a starter and in long relief last year, is taking the weekend off after experiencing soreness in his forearm.

"Not throwing this weekend will be a good break," Teague said. "As of right now, I want to be one of the first two guys out of the pen. I want to be a guy who can maybe throw Friday and Sunday."

Pitching coach Dave Jorn said he feels better about this year's pitching.

"I think we have a lot more depth than we had last year," Jorn said. "We have more inexperience. The kids with the inexperience seem to have pretty good aptitude about their position. Their stuff is plenty good enough. It's a matter of being consistent with what they're trying to accomplish."

The Razorbacks have experience returning with shortstop Michael Bernal (.269, 30 RBI) and second baseman Rick Nomura (.298, 20 RBI), the top returning hitter among regulars.

Arkansas will have to replace its starting outfield of SEC player of the year and Golden Spikes winner Andrew Benintendi, Tyler Spoon and Joe Serrano. The leading candidates to start in the outfield are sophomore Luke Bonfield in left, Eagan in center and speedy freshman Eric Cole in right field.

"The biggest issue for me right now is the consistency of our position players and then determining the roles of the pitchers," Van Horn said.

Sports on 02/14/2016