Tennessee baseball suffered a 4-3 loss to Arkansas in a tight game one of the Fayetteville Super Regional Saturday in Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas starting pitcher Zach Root led the Hogs with a superb 7.0-inning start in which he allowed just one hit and two runs. Root allowed just five total baserunners and struck out six. The junior no-hit Tennessee through the first four innings.
Despite solid pitching of their own, the Vols’ offense couldn’t find enough to knock off the Hogs in game one of the super. As a result, Tennessee will be fighting for its season Sunday in Fayetteville.
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After Arkansas’ win Saturday, Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn met with the media to discuss what he saw from his team and from Tennessee’s effort.
Everything Van Horn said in the post-game press conference is below.
Opening Statement:
“What a well-pitched game by both teams. I mean, (Marcus) Phillips… He was throwing that sinker and we were hitting into double plays. We set up some good innings and then he did a great job pitching his way out of it, and he kept it close. And then obviously, they got a big swing and took the lead and then we get a big swing and took the lead. We really had three big swings after a great base runner move with two outs, we score. We scored all of our runs with two outs. And [when] (Charles) Davalan singled we knew we needed another run or it felt like we did. Left on left and I thought Charles (Davalan) did a great job staying over the pitch and slapping it the other way. But Zach (Root) was outstanding. (Gabe) Gaeckle was outstanding. Just a real pitcher’s duel.”
What was the thought process sending Zach Root out for the 7th?
“Well we didn’t feel like he was done. We felt like he still had something left, and he showed us that he did. As a matter of fact, he could go back out there in the eighth, but he was hitting 95 and we were getting ready to go through their lineup again. I guess we had to go through 7-8-9 and then we were back to the top. We thought let’s just get Gaeckle in there and get him rolling before we get to the top of that order, because we knew that would be tough.
Do you like seeing that kind of emotion from your starting pitcher:
“Not really. Not that much. I mean, I want him to stay under control so they can pitch longer. You can only do so much adrenaline. It’s going to end up backfiring on you after a while, but his stuff was tremendous, and you know, he was just competing like he said. I think the crowd probably got him going a little bit, and all that was going on. I like the fact that he could still throw the ball over the plate, and spin it and still throw it over the plate. He did a great job. He gave us seven strong innings.”
Any consideration giving Ryder (Helfrick) the take sign before the home run:
“No. We just felt like the ball was flying to left today with the breeze and with the wind blowing out. Ryder’s been swinging the bat pretty good. Just give him an opportunity to swing. I don’t remember if he hit the first pitch or the second pitch, or whatever, we weren’t going to give him the take sign.
(It was the first pitch)
How good was Root tonight one more time? [Was he] what you envisioned when you brought him to Arkansas?
“Yeah. I mean, he’s really made a jump. He’s gotten better. Pitching coaches, Coach (Matt) Hobbs have done a great job with him. Zach’s a super competitor and he wanted to get better. I mean, his outing last weekend was outstanding as well. I feel like he came here because he felt like he could get better. He wanted to pitch for Coach Hobbs, and you know, he’s been everything we were hoping, and more honestly.
What was the umpire’s explanation to you about what happened in the sixth?
“Both teams had a warning on them. That was about it.
First outing against (Liam) Doyle you rocked him… What do you expect tomorrow?
“Kind of what you saw this past weekend. I mean, he’ll do anything he can to help his team win. Pitched two different times, started and then came in relief on Monday. He’s going to compete hard, we just got to do a good job. When we get a chance to hit one we got to square it up, and he’s hard to square up. So I told our guys to get some rest because we’ll get their best shot tomorrow.”
You bounced back after some missed chances, how big was that?
“It was real big. We knew everybody in the stands was thinking the same thing. We left a lot of runners out there, we hit into a double play with the bases loaded, we hit a double play in the first inning. It looks good when you see that they’ve got no hits and we’ve got, what, six or seven at the time. But we only had a one-run lead and that was because Cam Kozeal made a great read and scored a run for us there. Usually it comes back to bite you, I feel real fortunate that we scored enough runs and that our pitchers did the job they did.”
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Discussion about (Stone) Lawless catching instead of (Cannon) Peebles on the (Cam) Kozeal play (score on wild pitch)?
“No, we talked about who was catching. It’s about what you do when you are practicing and you’re working and you’re getting your… basically a slow-type walking lead and you finish on your right leg with your weight forward. You don’t want to be too far down so they pick you off but if you see something, you’re still in a position to break. He had his weight forward when the ball was in the hitting zone, he gave himself a chance. The ball kicked away and he didn’t hesitate. Even if he would have been out, I wouldn’t have been upset with him if it would have been bang bang because he made a commitment to do it and he did it. He did a great job.”
Confidence to have nine innings of starter stuff with Root and Gaeckle?
“Whenever you’ve got pitchers like the two guys we threw today, you’re confident that you can keep teams down, even a great hitting team like Tennessee, They did it, so to answer your question, it gives me a lot of confidence. I had no problem when Coach Hobbs and I were talking at the end of seven. I didn’t know exactly what his pitch count was. Root, he says what do you think? I said what is it at? 85, 90? He said 96, I said let’s get him because Gabe is awesome, let him have his turn.”
Notice the velo jump for Root?
“Yeah. A lot of times guys this time of year fading a little bit. He seems to be maybe getting a little stronger. He can reach back and get a little more when he needs it. He doesn’t have to pitch at 96, but he can go to 96 a lot, he can go to 97, maybe a little more. You saw it, but I like the fact that he’s throwing that changeup and that breaking ball for a strike. It keeps you off balance just enough.
On if Gage Wood will definitely start Sunday’s game:
“Yeah.”
