Bring on Razorback Baseball

WPS


Isaiah Campbell threw Wedneday against live pitching in the Arkansas baseball teams individual workouts. The result was breath taking, a consistent velocity of 95 to 96 mph and with great command.

Campbell missed most of last season because of bone spurs in his pitching elbow. The pitching was in the Fowler Center, not outside. But he faced regular position players.

"It was good to be throwing," Campbell said Thursday. "I was really pleased."

It may be that some of the hitters weren't pleased. Campbell is a different pitcher now than what they saw last fall.

"I added another pitch, a cutter/slider and I was pleased with how it worked yesterday. I'm still pleased that I have the downhill fast ball."

Campbell has an enhanced change-up and over-the-top curve to go with those other two pitches, making him tough on hitters from both sides of the plate.

Sophomore outfielder Dominic Fletcher didn't like hitting against Campbell on Wednesday, but took delight in knowing he's going to be in center when the big righthander is on the mound.

"There won't be many teams score runs off of him," Fletcher said. "He was 95 to 96 with consistency yesterday. He's just not nasty stuff."

Lefty junior pitcher Kacey Murphy was working in the bullpen nearby when Campbell took on live hitters.

"I stopped," Murphy said. "I just had to see it. I'm sure he's still got more work to do before the opener, but I'd say he's 100 percent back and better.

"He looked really good. He looked confident."

Catcher Grant Koch wanted to be behind the plate for Campbell's session.

"I had to see it," Koch said. "His stuff got progressively better every pitch. It was electric, more electric than he's been. It was premier stuff.

"He always had that downhill fast ball that jumps and a 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock breaker. Now he's got a change and that cutter. All of it is off a downhill plane. You don't want to face that."

Campbell has more than some new pitches. He's got a new body. The 6-5 redshirt sophomore from Olathe, Kan., has lost 22 pounds from the start of the school year.

"I haven't done anything different workout wise," he said. "Same things there. It's what I'm eating."

It's more like what he's not eating.

"I quit eating the fries," he said. "I'm eating a lot of grilled chicken. I cheat about once a week with my favorite thing, some type of ice cream.

"I wanted to get lean muscles. It's helped my velocity and my endurance."