FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has won a baseball game on Easter Sunday every year year since 2010.
That streak will end this year.
The Razorbacks scheduled this weekend's home series against Georgia to begin on Thursday so that it will end before the holiday. The teams are scheduled to play at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
"It has to be agreed upon by the two schools," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "I called our administration - I don't know - eight months ago and asked them if it would be all right. Once they approved it, I called (Georgia coach Scott) Stricklin and he talked to his admin, and they were all for it as well."
The Arkansas-Georgia series is one of five in the SEC this weekend that will begin a day early. Thursday-through-Saturday series aren't uncommon in the SEC as the league schedules some marquee series early to accommodate an exclusive TV window on the SEC Network or another ESPN affiliate.
The Razorbacks will play four series that begin on Thursdays this year. In addition to Georgia, Arkansas will host Ole Miss in such a series in two weeks and play at Tennessee beginning May 4.
All SEC teams play their final regular season series beginning on Thursday to provide an extra day of rest before the start of the league's tournament the following Tuesday. The Razorbacks play their finale at Texas A&M.
"It doesn't matter when we play," Arkansas outfielder Jake Arledge said. "I'll play on Monday, Wednesday - doesn't matter, I'll play. I think it's good we get Easter off to spend tim with families, go to church or whatever. Everyone's got their agendas.
"It's just a day we don't get to practice, but we'll be ready for this weekend."
Arkansas has played five home games on Easter since a 2009 game against Vanderbilt was rained out.
Attendance has been significantly lower for the Easter games than other Sundays. For instance, last year's Easter Sunday game against Auburn had only 2,087 in attendance to watch the Razorbacks sweep the series.
"We might get a good crowd on Easter Sunday, but who's to say if families, people are going to come out here?" Van Horn said. "If the weather's nice on Thursday night and we have a good team, we feel like the fans are going to come out. I mean mentally, to us we have to take it as Friday night. Then Friday night is Saturday night. It's a chance for a couple of night games and then a day game on Saturday.
"We feel like it's nice to have Easter off, to be with your family."
The No. 15 Razorbacks (26-8, 8-4 SEC) will keep its pitching rotation the same for the series against Georgia (15-19, 4-8).
Arkansas pulled Blaine Knight after six innings and 97 pitches in a win over LSU last Friday. Van Horn said Knight didn't make the trip to Missouri State on Tuesday and feels refreshed.
"Blaine's been adamant since Sunday that he felt good," Van Horn said. "Monday he felt good. Yesterday, we didn't take him or (Saturday starter Trevor) Stephan on the trip. They stayed back and did all their work.
"Blaine told me that he was really good to go a couple of days ago. It's because he's stronger, much stronger than he was last year. We thought, 'Well, everybody's good to go. Let's not change it up.'"
Van Horn has not announced a Game 3 starter for the series, but reiterated Wednesday that sophomore right-hander Jake Reindl could get his first SEC start if he isn't needed beforehand. Reindl hasn't allowed an earned run and has struck out 14 in 11 innings against SEC opponents this season.