In break from past, catchers compete in batter's box

Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz celebrates during a scrimmage Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- For the first time in Dave Van Horn's starting 17 years head coaching Razorbacks baseball, offense more than defense may determine his regularly starting catcher.

Van Horn and Arkansas coaching predecessor Norm DeBriyn (1970-2002) both started some good hitting catchers.

But none started regularly if they couldn't proficiently catch, throw and have the confidence of the pitching staff.

If the regular skidded into a hitting slump, he still caught. Even if the slump skidded season long.

Jake Wise hit .152 for Van Horn's 40-25 Hogs of 2014. Yet Wise proved vital, the glue for the pitchers and defense named to the All-SEC defensive team.

Grant Koch actually hit better (.276) as the freshman part-time catcher on the struggling 26-29 Razorbacks of 2016 than his .264 and .245 seasons as starting for Arkansas teams finishing 2017 as a Fayetteville Regional finalist and 2018 as the national runner-up at the College World Series.

Koch moved on as a draft choice of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

So for the first time, Arkansas fourth-year junior Isaiah Campbell starts a spring not throwing to Koch since both were freshmen together in 2016.

Campbell's 2017 time with Koch was limited to one game. An injury caused Campbell to hardship and preserve that season's eligibility.

"It was awesome throwing to Koch," Campbell said. "He's a great catcher."

But Campbell, elevated from No. 3 to No. 1 starter with Blaine Knight, 14-0, and Kacey Murphy, 8-5, turned pro, and Van Horn express no defensive qualms about last year's backups, sophomore Casey Opitz and senior second-year transfer Zack Plunkett from TCU.

While remarking, "Somebody may take the job after awhile," Van Horn said Opitz and Plunkett commence the season like co-catchers.

Both are defensively proficient yet unequal.

"If you look at just the throwing part of it, Plunkett's as good as anybody in the country," Van Horn said. "As far as receiving, catching and blocking, Opitz is as good as anybody. He doesn't have the arm strength of the other guy, but they both bring something."

Their hitting contrasts, too.

"Opitz can handle the bat, hit and run," Van Horn said. "I think he can advance runners and make contact."

And Plunkett?

"Plunkett's actually a very good sac bunter, and he can hit home runs," Van Horn said. "But he's probably not going to hit for a high average. Zack's going to swing and miss a little bit. So we'll mix and match. There'll be some cases where a pitcher likes to throw to one guy more than the other guy. So maybe at the beginning of the season that's what we do."

Don't expect Campbell to be among the choosy.

"I like throwing to both of them," Campbell said. "I think that's what a lot of the pitching staff will say. They both are really good catchers. It's going to be who performs better in the batter's box who gets more of the starts. That's what I see with both of them."

Sports on 01/26/2019