CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Junior right hander Connor Noland will start the first game of Arkansas’ super regional against North Carolina on Saturday.
It is anyone’s guess who will throw for the Razorbacks afterward.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn did not name a starter past Noland on Friday when he met with reporters following a 90-minute practice at Boshamer Stadium. The Razorbacks (41-19) and the Tar Heels (42-20) are scheduled to play Sunday and will play Monday if necessary.
Noland (6-5, 4.13 ERA) has been the top starter all season for Arkansas. He was the pitcher on the All-NCAA Regional team in Stillwater, Okla., after he pitched seven innings and allowed one run in a victory over Grand Canyon last Friday.
“I think that having an older guy pitch the first day out can be big for both teams,” Van Horn said. “I just think the confidence that brings to the coaching staff, the players in the field, it’s a good feeling. He’s been steady Eddie all year. He always gives us a great effort.
"He doesn't make excuses and I think the team really likes playing behind him.”
Starting pitching has been shaky beyond Noland in recent weeks, including in Stillwater. Hagen Smith and Jaxon Wiggins each had 1 1/3-inning starts against Oklahoma State, and the Razorbacks’ best start other than Noland came from left-handed reliever Zack Morris, who pitched 3 1/3 innings against the Cowboys in his first career start Monday.
Smith earned the save Monday with two shutout innings in his third relief appearance of the year.
“I think we just feel like we’ve got a bunch of really good pitchers,” Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs said, “and they can kind of fill a bunch of different roles.”
Van Horn was complimentary of Smith as a reliever following Monday's game. Hobbs said Smith can potentially give Arkansas “another bullet” in the bullpen, but did not rule out a start for the freshman left hander.
“If you start looking at it and you have Hagen doing what he did, it’s like that gives you another guy that can potentially finish games or throw in the middle of the game or start games,” Hobbs said. “He’s always been one of those guys you look at and just say, boy, if you’re good enough that that guy can finish the game because you feel that good about your other starters, what an unbelievable position to be in.”
Noland, Smith or Wiggins started 29 of 30 regular-season SEC games for the Razorbacks. Redshirt sophomore right hander Will McEntire started a game on the final regular-season weekend at Alabama while Smith rested his arm, and McEntire also started a game against Alabama at the SEC Tournament.
McEntire, who became the team's midweek starter in April, has been key at other times in relief. He pitched a combined 6 1/3 strong innings out of the bullpen late in the regular season in games against Auburn and Vanderbilt, and threw 81 pitches in relief over two appearances at Oklahoma State.
McEntire threw 67 pitches after Wiggins was taken out in the second inning of the second game against the Cowboys.
Van Horn and Hobbs said Friday that no pitcher is off limits in Game 1 at North Carolina.
“Every single pitcher except for Connor Noland will be available in the bullpen,” Hobbs said.