Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn must have liked what he saw Wednesday from junior pitcher T.J. Forrest. On the Southeastern Conference’s coaches conference call Thursday, Van Horn said Forrest would return to pitching this weekend after resting last weekend.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander, Van Horn said, would either pitch in relief Friday or Saturday, or he would start Sunday’s game against the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers, his former team (2007).

“He’s rested and ready to go,” Van Horn said.

That means junior left-hander Dallas Keuchel will go on Friday night, as usual, and sophomore right-hander Brett Eibner will throw for the second straight Saturday.

Van Horn also talked about the challenges posed to No. 9 Arkansas by LSU. The Razorbacks have won five of their last six games. But they still sit a half-game behind the Tigers, who have won six straight themselves, in the SEC Western Division.

“We know what they have, we’ve been watching them,” Van Horn said. “They have great, great talent up and down that lineup and on the mound. They can hit, they steal bases with great athletes and they are really talented on the mound. They are way up there with strikeouts. We know what we are going to face.”

LSU coach Paul Mainieri said he was happy his Tigers team “got back on the right track” this past weekend by sweeping Auburn. LSU then beat Tulane 13-2 Wednesday night. He sounded like a coach who knew what kind of atmosphere the Tigers would encounter this weekend at Baum Stadium.

“It’s going to be a tremendous challenge,” Minieri said.

Minieri said he didn’t think LSU could afford to try and win any low-scoring games — “we need to put up some crooked numbers” — and also commented about enjoying competition against Van Horn.

“One thing that has struck me in my first two years in the league is that Arkansas plays so hard and plays fundamentally sound baseball,” Minieri said. “I like playing against Dave’s teams because they play the game the right way.”

Tennessee coach Todd Raleigh opened up the conference call and was asked who he favored in the LSU-Arkansas series. The Hogs took two of three from the Vols in Knoxville last weekend, and UT took two of three from LSU in Baton Rouge the weekend before.

“LSU is dynamic when you look up and down their roster,” Raleigh said. “And Arkansas just plays good baseball. They don’t do anything to hurt themselves and they know how to win.”

Eventually, Raleigh refused to choose a favorite.

“I’d have to give the edge to … that’s a tough call,” Raleigh said. “I don’t see a sweep in that series.”