FAYETTEVILLE -- Dominic Taccolini's home in Sugar Land, Texas, is about a 25-minute drive from Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.
It's a drive Taccolini made several times last summer to watch the Astros play.
"I probably went to two games a week," Taccolini said. "On Wednesday nights, it's $10 tickets and $1 hot dogs, so you can go there and sneak around and get close to the game."
Taccolini won't be eating any hot dogs or sneaking around during tonight's game at Minute Maid Park.
The Arkansas junior right-hander (1-0, 1.29 earned run average) will be in the middle of the field pitching for the No. 22 Razorbacks (5-0) against No. 24 Rice (3-2) at 7 p.m. in the Houston Shriners Hospitals for Children Classic.
"I've definitely been looking forward to this for a couple of years," Taccolini said. "I grew up an Astros fan, so pitching on that mound will be a great experience for sure."
Taccolini held Central Michigan to 1 run and 1 hit in 7 innings in Arkansas' season-opening 6-1 victory over Central Michigan. Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn is expecting him to have some extra juice for his homecoming game.
"I know if I was him, I would," Van Horn said. "I'd want to show out in my hometown.
"I'm sure he's pretty motivated. He's a pretty motivated kid anyway."
Tonight technically won't be the first time Taccolini has pitched at Minute Maid Park. In the summer 2012 before his senior year at Kempner High School, he faced a few batters there in a simulated game observed by major league scouts and college coaches, including Van Horn.
"It was a good experience, but it will definitely be the real deal this time," Taccolini said. "It's kind of like it has come full circle going back home and pitching there again at Minute Maid Park."
After playing Rice, the Razorbacks face No. 18 Houston (4-0) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Texas Tech (4-1) at 11 a.m. Sunday.
"I'm excited to get to Houston and face some really good pitching and some really good teams and get to play on the road," Van Horn said. "I'm sure it'll be a little bit of a learning experience for some guys on the team, but there's also enough guys back that have been there, and hopefully they'll lead us these next few ballgames."
It's a big step up in competition from Arkansas' past two games when the Razorbacks beat Mississippi Valley State 21-4 and 20-0 at Baum Stadium, as assistant coach Tony Vitello cautioned the players.
"Coach Vitello was telling us to really put that series in the past and get ready for the next game," Arkansas sophomore third baseman Carson Shaddy said. "I think that's really important for us when we come out with two big wins like this, as many runs as we put up, to restart and have a clean slate for this weekend.
"We can't be complacent with anything that we did."
Wayne Graham, 79, is in his 25th season as Rice's coach. He has a 1,079-444 record with NCAA Tournament appearances the past 21 years, including seven trips to the College World Series.
"Wayne Graham's teams are always tough, and they can always pitch," Van Horn said. "I'm sure we'll get their best shot."
Van Horn was coaching at Texarkana College in the early 1990s when he faced Graham's San Jacinto College team. Their teams last played in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, when the Razorbacks won 1-0 at Rice. In 2001, Van Horn's Nebraska team beat Rice in a Super Regional as the Cornhuskers advanced to the College World Series for the first time.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Wayne Graham," Van Horn said. "He's had a storied career, and I don't know how much longer he's going to coach."
Van Horn said the Razorbacks are excited for a road trip after playing their first five games at home.
"I know we're ready to get out of town," he said. "Are we ready for this type of competition yet? I think mentally we're ready.
"Are we going to match up with them and be able to handle it? That's why we're going, so we can figure it out."
Van Horn said it's a challenge playing three teams in as many days, compared with an SEC weekend series.
"It's hard getting scouting reports, learning somebody's tendency," he said. "On the other hand, it gets you ready for hopefully when you get to a regional, because that can be difficult then as well.
"I kind of enjoy it. I think the players are really looking forward to playing in a big-league ballpark and playing three different quality teams from three different leagues."
Taccolini said he's familiar with several Rice players, most notably first baseman Connor Teykl, who was his high school teammate.
"I used to throw him batting practice, so he's seen me a bunch," Taccolini said. "But he hasn't seen me in a game."
Sports on 02/26/2016