AP Sports Preview: Arkansas at Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Interstat) — The Arkansas Razorbacks (34-18) visit the Kentucky Wildcats (30-18) on Thursday afternoon at Kentucky Proud Park to open a three-game Southeastern Conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. under cloudy skies with temperatures near 71 degrees.

Arkansas enters having lost its most recent game, a 15-10 slugfest Sunday against Oklahoma in which third baseman TJ Pompey went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. The Razorbacks have won six of their last eight but have struggled on the road, dropping two of three at Missouri two weeks ago.

Kentucky also comes off a loss, falling 9-6 at Florida on Sunday. First baseman Will Marcy homered and drove in three runs in that game. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four and are 3-5 in their past eight.

Players to Watch

Pompey has been Arkansas’s most consistent bat. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .333 (8-for-24) with four home runs and 10 RBIs. Over the weekend series against Oklahoma, he collected six hits, three homers and five RBIs in three games. He has multiple hits in six of his last nine starts.

Marcy has been streaky for Kentucky. Over his past 10 games, he is batting .167 (4-for-24) but has shown power with two home runs and eight RBIs. He drove in three runs against Florida on Sunday and also homered against Vanderbilt on April 18.

Projection

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-4 Arkansas victory, with the ELO system giving the Razorbacks a 56.4 percent probability of winning.

Up Next

The teams continue the series Friday and Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park, both with 6 p.m. starts.