FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ starting pitchers allowed Kentucky to reach base in 16 of 19 innings they pitched last weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium.
But the Wildcats’ lineup, which ranked in the top 12 nationally in batting average and runs scored before the series, managed only 4 runs total against Connor Noland, Hagen Smith and Jaxon Wiggins, who pitched a combined 18 1/3 innings.
The Razorbacks’ pitchers, including relievers, were masterful with runners on base during their first SEC series. Kentucky finished 6 for 44 with runners on base and 4 for 24 with runners in scoring position. Arkansas pitching stranded 25 base runners in three games.
Most of the Wildcats’ struggles came against Noland and Wiggins, the starters in Games 1 and 3. Both held Kentucky to 1 for 13 with runners on base.
“They’re both tough kids and they both don’t really get rattled by those types of things, in terms of having guys on base or runners in scoring position,” Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs said. “They also both have pitches that can get them out of these types of jams.
“Both of those guys have done a really good job of pitching in traffic; Hagen, too. Obviously we would like them not to pitch in traffic, so it’s certainly something we need to work on and get better at, is eliminating some of the base runners.”
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Noland, who pitches to contact, expects base runners. In 108 at-bats against him this season, 47 have been with runners on base. Hitters have a .279 average (17 for 61) against him with the bases empty, but that average falls to .213 (10 for 47) with runners on.
“Connor, with his breaking stuff, can get out of those types of jams because he’s got elite breaking stuff,” Hobbs said.
Base runners against Wiggins and Smith have been more self-inflicted. Wiggins’ 16 walks in 26 2/3 innings are the most on the team, and Smith is second with 12 walks in 26 1/3 innings. The three starters have combined to hit 10 batters.
“Some of it is just we’re adding those base runners and we’re not making them earn it as much as I would like them to,” Hobbs said. “Especially with Jax and Hagen, they will sometimes put a runner on base kind of randomly and then all of a sudden…it makes it a lot tougher on yourself.
“It’s something we need to work on as a pitching staff is eliminating some of these base runners, but they’ve done a really good job of battling through some adversity when they’re out there and making huge pitches.”
Wiggins has faced more base runners than any other pitcher this season, but he has also been the most effective in those situations among heavy-use pitchers. Teams are batting .122 (6 for 49) with runners on base against Wiggins as opposed to .205 (9 for 44) with the bases clean.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn and Wiggins were asked after his last outing if he was more comfortable with base runners, which often leads to him pitching from the stretch. Both said that was not the case.
Van Horn said he thinks Wiggins is comfortable with runners on because he was a reliever for much of his freshman season last year when it was common for him to inherit runners in the middle of an inning.
“For him, I think it’s part of his DNA,” Van Horn said. “He doesn’t get rattled and he trusts his stuff. He knows that when runners are on base, it doesn’t mean they’re going to score.
“He had at least one runner on base every inning in his last start and he pitched really well. We made a couple of nice plays behind him and it all added up to them not scoring.”
Hobbs said Wiggins’ off-speed pitches have served him well with runners on base. Primarily a fastball pitcher a year ago, Wiggins is more comfortable throwing an off-speed pitch first in an at-bat.
“I think Jaxon is very aware that it’s tough to get through an SEC lineup with 1 1/2 pitches, which is kind of what he was doing last year with the fastball and a changeup that was good, but wasn’t always in the zone, and then a slider that was OK, but not always in the zone,” Hobbs said. “He’s spent a lot of time working on these pitches and developing them over the course of the last 18 months with us. I can say that he has definitely improved in all areas as a pitcher.”
Arkansas’ bullpen also contributed to Kentucky’s blues with runners on last week.
Zebulon Vermillion walked the first batter he faced in the seventh inning of the second game, but retired three straight. Evan Taylor stranded two after he replaced Noland in the seventh inning of the first game, and stranded a runner in the seventh of Game 3. Brady Tygart worked around a base runner in both innings he pitched last Sunday.
Kentucky’s only time to string together successful at-bats came in the ninth inning of the series opener, when Kole Ramage allowed a two-out double to the Wildcats’ leadoff hitter after a one-out single.
“I think it’s a big boost for our guys to say, ‘All right, that’s the best offense we’ve had to go up against other than our own,’ which is really the reason I think we were more prepared, because we have to get our hitters out in intrasquad games. That helps us quite a bit,” Hobbs said. “(The Wildcats) are really good and those guys are going to win a lot of games.
“It’s certainly nice to be able to see that as a coach, that some of those guys are able to do it against the highest of the highest levels. I know the guys were excited about the way they pitched and they should be.”