Three things to know before series

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas baseball has one other large sequence because it hosts Vanderbilt for 3 video games starting Friday (6:30 p.m. CT, SECN+). The No. 4 Razorbacks will play their final regular-season video games at Baum-Walker Stadium in opposition to the No. 21 Commodores.

There may very well be postseason play in Fayetteville, nonetheless, and the matchup may play a job in deciding whether or not there will probably be June baseball at Baum-Walker. Vanderbilt (32-15, 12-12 SEC) is ranked No. 5 in RPI, whereas Arkansas (36-12, 16-8) sits at No. 23. 

Successful the sequence would give the Razorbacks an RPI increase that might assist their case for incomes a top-eight seed within the NCAA Match and the proper to host a regional.

This is what to learn about Vanderbilt earlier than the Commodores play the Razorbacks.

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Season outlook

If Arkansas’ final opponent, Auburn, was overperforming, its subsequent one is underperforming relative to its preseason expectations.

Vanderbilt was ranked No. 2 within the preseason coaches ballot and now finds itself at  .500 in SEC play after a sequence win in opposition to Georgia final weekend. In different phrases, this isn’t the Vanderbilt group followers are used to seeing. However the Commodores are nonetheless a great group, and so they’ve received 4 of their final 5 SEC sequence. 

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Pitching modifications

Vanderbilt has finished some shuffling in its weekend rotation of late. The Commodores have sometimes began righthander Chris McElvain on Fridays and lefthander Carter Holton on Saturdays. Sundays have featured a rotating solid of starters.

Final weekend, although, Vanderbilt pitched McElvain on Saturday and Holton on Sunday. The Commodores gave Christian Little his first ever begin on Friday, and he was stable.

This week, nonetheless, Vanderbilt may very well be making extra modifications. Its regular midweek starter, Devin Futrell, didn’t begin within the Commodores’ Tuesday sport. He will probably be on the mound Friday, in keeping with the Tennessean.

Futrell is statistically one of many league’s greatest pitchers, main the SEC in ERA (2.03) and sitting at third in opponent batting common (.184). The Razorbacks, nonetheless, will be his first SEC opponent.

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Main hitters

Vanderbilt’s offensive struggles have been much like Arkansas’ by way of leaving males on base and never capitalizing with runners in scoring place. Arkansas (.235) and Vanderbilt (.253) are the league’s second- and third-worst groups in batting common with runners in scoring place in SEC play.

The Commodores’ offense options some spectacular particular person hitters, nonetheless. First baseman Dominic Keegan’s .398 common is second within the SEC behind Auburn’s Sonny DiChiara, whom Arkansas managed to restrict on the plate final weekend. Keegan ranks third within the league in on-base proportion (.478) and slugging proportion (.696).

Proper fielder Spencer Jones is one other hitter to look at. He is on an 18-game hit streak and has the SEC’s fifth-best batting common with .364. He sometimes bats third in Vanderbilt’s lineup, with Keegan at cleanup.

Christina Lengthy covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You may e mail her at clong@swtimes.com or comply with her on Twitter @christinalong00.