By Harold McIlvain II

Arkansas baseball head coach Dave Van Horn can’t quite figure out Razorback starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger.

When announcing a potential starter for the Saturday night opener at the Tempe Super Regional, Van Horn said he wasn’t sure what kind of performance the team would get from the senior.

It could be the Bolsinger that has picked up four road wins while posting a 0.90 ERA in 30 innings of work—or the one who has a 1-3 record with a 8.04 ERA in performances at home.

“I know who is probably going to pitch—Bolsinger,” Van Horn said. “Which Bolsinger it is we don’t know. Mike has had great outings this year and most have come on the road.”

Bolsinger, who was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 15th round of the MLB Draft, has stepped up for the Razorbacks when the team needed it the most on the road this season.

When the Razorbacks were battling for the Western Division title down the stretch, the McKinny, Texas, native pitched eight innings of shutout baseball while striking out 11 on the road.

The week after that Bolsinger allowed just one earned run over eight innings against Vanderbilt during the last Southeastern Conference series of the year, picking up his fourth road win in four starts.

After being drafted lower than expected last year in the 33rd round of the draft, Bolsinger had a decision to make. But heading to the big leagues last year just didn’t work out.

“That played on him mentally last year,” Van Horn said. “He got over it and has another outing left—hopefully two. I think where he got drafted this year is where he should have been taken last year, which is still a mystery to me.”

But Bolsinger made it clear at the start of the year he came back for his last year to finish school and to bring the Razorbacks back to the College World Series.

He will get that opportunity when he faces No. 1 Arizona State—who are advancing to the Super Regionals for the fourth straight season—this weekend in a best of three series where he pitches best—on the road.

“It’s that time of the year,” Van Horn said. “You either win two or go home—and we don’t want to go home.”

He didn’t have his best stuff during the Fayetteville Regional, when he allowed seven runs and nine hits pitching 4.1 innings and forced an elimination game for Arkansas.

But Bolsinger’s next appearance will be at Packard Stadium, the same site he pitched two shutout innings against the Sun Devils in 2008 while striking out four during a 7-4 loss.

The experience of facing the national top seed in Arizona State four times in recent seasons will provide confidence to Bolsinger and the Razorbacks.

“You know what you are getting into when you play them four times in the last two years,” Van Horn said. “We know some players there still. It helps a little bit knowing we have played well against them.”

The program fired 15-year head coach Pat Murphy just weeks before the season. But the Sun Devils then responded to start the season with a school-record 24 straight wins under Tim Esmay, who was a former player and assistant at the university.

“They’ve rallied around coach Esmay,” Van Horn said. “I think they went into the season with a little chip on their shoulder and something to prove. They’ve kind of banded together and have had a tremendous season.”

But for Bolsinger, he could be pitching in the right venue—on the road—to continue his success this season for the Razorbacks.

“I don’t have any idea,” Van Horn said of finding a reason for Bolsinger’s road success. “But we need him to step up this weekend if we have a chance to win this thing.”

Tempe Super Regional

Saturday, June 12

Game 1 – Arizona State vs. Arkansas – 8 p.m. on ESPNU

Sunday, June 13

Game 2 – Arizona State vs. Arkansas – 9 p.m. on ESPN2

Monday, June 14 (if necessary)

Game 3 – Arizona State vs. Arkansas – 6 p.m. on ESPN2