Category: Arkansas baseball

Arkansas pitcher Jaxon Wiggins signs with Cubs, just ahead of deadline

Former Diamond Hogs pitcher Jaxon Wiggins will turn pro after all.

The longer the process played out, the more Arkansas fans’ hopes grew.

Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, Jaxon Wiggins will turn professional.

The former hard throwing Arkansas right-hander signed for $1.4 million with the Chicago Cubs, making him the last player from the Cubs’ draft class to ink a deal. In fact, the $1.4 million was all Chicago had left in its pool.

Wiggins had leverage against whichever team drafted him as many considered him a first-round talent and he could return to Arkansas for another season if he chose. But he also missed the 2023 season with Tommy John surgery, too, meaning the future was a bit muddier than it might be for someone with a clean bill of health.

In 2022, his only season with the Diamond Hogs, he struck out 82 batters in just 66 innings. That is the sort of stuff that put him so high on draft boards, despite his 6.55 earned-run average that year.

Still, coach Dave Van Horn had to anticipate Wiggins turning pro. He picked up Mason Molina, an All-Big 12 pitcher with Texas Tech last year, out of the transfer portal to bolster next year’s rotation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Arkansas baseball will play in Arlington again in February 2024

Razorback fans living in the DFW metroplex, go ahead and get your calendar reminders out for Feb. 23-25, 2024. The Diamond Hogs are coming your way once more.

It’s become a tradition now.

Arkansas baseball begins the season at the home of the Texas Rangers, Globe Life Field in Arlington.

It was announced Tuesday that the Razorbacks will once again play in a season opening showdown series in the DFW metroplex.

The Razorbacks will play Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Michigan in the three-game set.

Oklahoma State got thrashed by Arkansas last year, 18-1, and of course lost a home regional to Arkansas in 2022.

Arkansas hasn’t played Oregon State since the infamous national championship series in 2018.

Michigan and Arkansas have never played on the diamond.

Tickets for the games will go on sale tomorrow to the general public.

Former outfielder Neville announces transfer destination

Former Arkansas outfielder Mason Neville has decided to transfer to Oregon, he announced on his Twitter page.

Arkansas has a lot of talented outfielders, and Mason Neville knew that fact.

Therefore, the freshman put himself in the portal a week and a half ago. A team has already come beckoning for his services.

The former top-100 recruit played in 19 games with Arkansas as a freshman, starting seven. He batted .111 with 20 strikeouts in 27 at-bats, but did record two RBI and drew four walks.

Oregon is a program coming off a Super Regional appearance, and the Ducks came within one win of going to Omaha before being eliminated by Oral Roberts at home.

Arkansas Baseball: The All-2010s team

The amount of absolute beasts we had to leave off this team. Arkansas in the 2010s was unreal.

So far, we’ve traveled back in time to examine the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s decade teams, but the 2010s squad could probably be the best of them all.

During the 2010s, the Diamonds Hogs had three College World Series appearances. They had eight 40-win seasons during the decade, compared to the three they had during Van Horn’s first seven years as manager of the program.

The decade also gave rise to 10 All-Americans, nine Freshman All-Americans, and 29 All-SEC players. All three are the most of any decade.

The lineup is complete with big bats, stud defenders, great starting pitching, and a matching bullpen. Let’s take a look at the All-2010s team.

Arkansas Baseball: The All-2000s team

Arkansas baseball was always good. But in the 2000s it became on a national powerhouse year after year. These player helped get it there.

The 1990s was the last decade of the Norm DeBriyn as Arkansas baseball coach, starting a new regime with Dave Van Horn stepping onto campus the following decade.

Van Horn returned to Arkansas in 2003 to take over for the man who coached him with the Razorbacks. in the 1980s. Van Horn later was a graduate assistant on DeBriyn’s staff  before venturing off on his own.

Since Van Horn has been coach, the Diamond Hogs have elevated to elite levels in college baseball, with Golden Spikes Award recipients, more All-Americans, more MLB draftees, and top recruiting classes.

The Diamond Hogs of the 2000s featured some excellent baseball players, and let’s see who represents the new millennium’s first decade.

Arkansas Baseball: The All-90s Team

Arkansas moved from George Cole Field to Baum-Walker Stadium during the 1990s.

Arkansas Razorbacks baseball had a successful decade in the 1990s under Norm DeBriyn.

DeBriyn, who had been at the helm since 1970, led the Diamond Hogs to three straight trips to College World Series to end the 1980s. In the 1990s the success wasn’t quite the same, but the team did make five NCAA tournaments and won the SEC for the first time in 1999.

Despite some ups and downs, including a few seasons with losing records, the Razorbacks remained a competitive and respected program throughout the 1990s.

Their success laid the foundation for future achievements, including a national runner-up in 2018 under coach Dave Van Horn.

Molina chooses Arkansas baseball as destination

Arkansas’ pitching staff got a gigantic boost overnight with the addition of former Texas Tech left-hander Mason Molina.

Well, it looks like next year’s pitching rotation is set.

Former Texas Tech hurler Mason Molina announced on Twitter late Wednesday evening that he was moving to Fayetteville.

Molina struck out 103 batters in just 83.1 innings of work for the Red Raiders in 2023.

He was 6-2 overall with a 3.67 ERA and will be reunited with former catcher Hudson White, who portaled to Arkansas earlier in the summer.

The rotation, barring anything unforeseen, will most likely consist of Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and now Molina, for 2024.

Diamond Hogs lose starter as Hunter Hollan officially signs with Reds

Hollan’s signing isn’t a surprise, but it’s a blow to the Razorbacks’ pitching staff, anyway.

There was always a chance Hunter Hollan would return to Arkansas in 2024. The chance was miniscule.

And on Tuesday it went by the wayside.

The Razorbacks’ No. 2 starter from 2023 signed with the Cincinnati Reds for $597,000, turning professional in the process. Hollan took less money than his slot value would have suggested as it was $975,000 for going 74th overall in the third round.

Hollan was the only Arkansas pitcher to start in all 10 SEC series this past season, his only with the Diamond Hogs. He led the Razorbacks with 80 2/3 innings and was third on the team with 74 strikeouts.

The left-hander had minor knee surgery immediately after the season ended, though it isn’t expected to hinder his development.

Hollan was expected to leave even before the draft as he was projected as a top-five-round pick. When he went in the third, most in and around the program figured he would turn pro.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Arkansas Baseball: The All-80s Team

The 1980s laid the groundwork for what Arkansas baseball has become today. Here’s a look at the best Razorbacks from that important decade of baseball.

The rich history of [autotag]Arkansas baseball[/autotag] really didn’t start until the 1980s. Legendary Razorback head coach [autotag]Norm DeBriyn[/autotag] put the program on the map during this decade.

The program’s first trip to the College World Series happened in 1979, where they finished runner-up to Cal State Fullerton. That success carried over into the 1980 and ushered in a new era of Razorback baseball under DeBriyn.

During this decade, Arkansas would have seven NCAA Tournament appearances – 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. They would advance to the College World Series in 1985, 1987 and 1989.

Arkansas was still in the Southwest Conference (SWC) back in those days and, ironically, have as many conference tournament championships from the SWC as they do since joining the SEC – one. The Razorbacks won the 1985 SWC Tournament championship and it was the program’s only conference tournament title until 2021.

The 1980s laid the foundation for what Arkansas baseball is today, and there were a lot of talented players that Norm DeBriyn counted on to accomplish that feat.

We took the best players from that decade and put together to form one fictional super-team. Here’s a look at Arkansas baseball’s All-80s team.

Former Hog Jared Wegner signs deal with Yankees

The Yankees hosed former Arkansas outfielder Jared Wegner and he, unfortunately, didn’t have much of a choice.

The thing about waiting until a senior year to enter the MLB Draft is that whatever team selects a player likely won’t offer him the value for where he’s selected.

With few other options, former Arkansas outfielder Jared Wegner found himself in such a position this week, as he inked a deal with the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Wegner, a ninth-round selection, signed for $72,000. The slot value for where he was chosen was $173,000. Still, Wegner is officially a professional outfielder.

He spent just one season at Arkansas after transferring from Creighton. He slashed .313/.457/.673 for the season in 42 games. Those numbers dropped during SEC play, of which he missed about half because of injury, to .245/.403/.491.

All three of Arkansas’ starting outfielders in 2023 were taken in the draft after centerfielder Tavian Josenberger went first and Jace Bohrofen followed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]