The RoundHouse | 3/30/2025 9:04:00 AM
By
Paul Suellentrop
Aaron Arnold is 11-and-a-half months removed from elbow surgery. Those months taught him to anticipate and appreciate moments like Saturday at Eck Stadium.
He made his second start of the season and threw 5 1/3 innings in Wichita State's 6-2 win over UAB to take the series. With 66 pitches, Arnold took a step in his recovery from repairing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and solidifying the weekend rotation.
Most important, he played baseball.
"(The injury) really made me grateful for the game," he said. "You go out there every day and it's a new chance to be able to play the game."
WSU (10-16, 3-2 American Athletic Conference) finishes the series vs. UAB (15-12, 1-4) at noon today (Sunday).
Arnold, a junior from Bentonville, Ark., held UAB to four hits and one run. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter. His fastball ranged up to 94 mph (by the scoreboard reading) and his off-speed pitches in the high 70's.
While his curveball wasn't sharp, his fastball-changeup combination worked to get the Blazers to pop up frequently. Arnold's delivery for all three pitches is similar, which keeps hitters from locking in on a pitch.
"As a hitter, they all look like fastballs," catcher
Mauricio Millan said. "The curveball drops. Changeup fades, with some run. They all come out of the same slot."
Arnold started his sophomore season at Crowder (Mo.) College in the rotation and made four starts before the injury. He rehabbed at maximum speed with days like Saturday in mind. He sat out last fall. After nine relief appearances this spring, he made his first start last weekend at Tulane and went two innings.
"I was trying to get ready really quickly for this season, and I think it's working so far," he said. "Getting after it in rehab and the weight room so I could get back early."
Arnold signed with Wichita State before the injury. The surgery didn't dissuade coach
Brian Green from thinking Arnold could help the Shockers in 2025.
"We recruited him to be a starter, but he just wasn't ready to do that (earlier this season) coming off an injury," coach
Brian Green said. "The timing was fine where he could come back and pitch. He was so good."
Grant Adler is locked in as Wichita State's Friday starter. Green needs two more pitchers to lock down weekend spots. Arnold's performance on Saturday is promising, both for the rotation and how it keeps left-handers such as
Jace Miner and
Tyler Dobbs in relief to strengthen the bullpen.
"That's really big for us to be able to have a left-handed presence in the bullpen," Green said. "We just didn't have that three weeks ago."
Like Friday, the Shockers built an early lead against the Blazers.
Josh Livingston's home run in the first tied it 1-all. WSU made it 4-1 in the second inning on RBIs by
Gannon Snyder,
Ryan Callahan and
Camden Johnson.
"Our hitters are playing with some confidence right now and we're having good at-bats," Green said. "Lot of hard contact. When you get relaxed, you start using the middle of the field more."
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
