FAYETTEVILLE — Dave Van Horn wouldn’t say it earlier in the week, but Arkansas announced Wednesday Blaine Knight will be the starter against Oral Roberts on Friday.
Honestly, it would have been a surprise if anyone else started.
“We play really good (defense) behind him,” Van Horn said Monday. “It seems we make play after play and he makes pitch after pitch, and when he gets in a jam he seems to find a way out of it and keep us in the game. He doesn’t give up big innings.”
Even thought Van Horn had dropped some hints that Kacey Murphy, normally the second-day starter, might go in the first game, nobody was really buying it.
Knight, who is 10-0 with a 2.78 ERA this season, has been steady all season.
“He’s very mature and whether it’s going good or bad, you really can’t tell,” Van Horn said. “A couple of years back it wasn’t that way. I think he realizes he has the stuff to get out of jams and stay under control.”
The Razorbacks are 12-3 when Knight has started this season. They haven’t lost with him pitching since April 20 at Mississippi State.
“He’s very mature on the mound and whether it’s going good or bad, you really can’t tell,” Van Horn said last week. “A couple of years back it wasn’t that way. I think he realizes he has the stuff to get out of jams and stay under control.
A year ago most felt Knight was headed to the major leagues, but the demand for a big signing bonus dropped him to the 29th round of the draft and he decided to stay in school another year.
“I’m happy I’m back and I’m happy that we got a regional here again,” he said this week.
Van Horn, too.
“I’m just glad he came back,” he said.
Oral Roberts (38-18) is expected to throw senior left-hander Miguel Ausua against Arkansas on Friday.
Ausua was the losing pitcher in the Golden Eagles’ 3-0 regional-opening loss to the Razorbacks last season when he went 6-1/3 innings and allowed one earned run. He is 8-1 on the season with a 3.27 ERA.
“He held us down pretty good last year,” Van Horn said. “It was a tight game. He’s a good pitcher.”
