Arkansas pitching got roughed up over the weekend, and the bats were not able to overcome that.
This past weekend was a brutal one for Arkansas baseball. Playing at home in Baum-Walker Stadium, the Razorbacks were excited about a showdown against a fellow SEC contender. However, only the Florida Gators looked the part. Arkansas looked like a team which was not ready for prime time.
To be clear, losing all three games of an SEC baseball series at home would hurt in any combination, fashion, or set of circumstances. There is never a good way to get swept in a series. However, the way Arkansas did get swept has to raise real questions about the ability of this team to be a true College World Series contender. It's just one series, but if a series could cause real alarm, this one certainly has.
Arkansas averaged almost five runs per game in the three-game set against Florida. The Razorbacks totaled 14 runs in the three games. They weren't dynamic, but they weren't dominated, either. Yet, Arkansas went 0-3 in the series. This points to the reality that the pitching staff -- widely believed to be not as strong as last season's rotation -- has a lot of work to do in order to give this team a chance of making the super regionals and then Omaha.
There is no way to sugar-coat or hide from a three-game set in which the opponent scores seven or more runs in every game. Florida scored a total of 23 runs in the three games, an average of just under eight runs per contest. Arkansas starters and relievers both failed to get high-leverage outs, while Florida pitching -- though not overwhelming -- was able to limit damage in every key moment of the series.
Arkansas and Dave Van Horn have to be worried about the possibility that UA will need to score at least seven or eight runs to win conference games this season. Occasionally, the gusher flows and all is right with the world, but a good baseball team can't go into conference games against quality competition thinking they have to score seven runs to have a realistic chance. That's not sustainable.
The Arkansas pitching staff doesn't have to be spectacular. No one is saying or thinking this team has to win games 3-2 or 2-1. UA has to get to a point where good SEC teams with talented hitters aren't able to post crooked numbers and get above five runs per game. UA has to be limiting opponents to three or four runs per contest. It's a lot more realistic to think five runs scored will win a game than to bank on scoring seven.
Arkansas knows what the task is after Florida took care of the Hogs this past weekend.