Hagen Smith and Brady Tygart weren’t just two of the better freshmen on the Arkansas baseball roster this season. They were two of the better freshmen in the country.
As such, Smith and Tygart have been invited to tryout for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Twenty-six players will be selected for Team USA and will play games next summer, starting June 9, against Japan, Italy, Cuba, Netherlands and Curacao.
Smith spent most of the season as a weekend starter for the Razorbacks during his first college season. He recorded 90 strikeouts with a 4.66 earned-run average of 77 1/3 innings.
Tygart had 51 strikeouts and a 3.82 ERA in 37 2/3 innings as he spent a bulk of the year as Arkansas’ closer.
Team USA will be coached by Mike Bianco. Bianco led Ole Miss to the national championship earlier this month after the Rebels were the last team to get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.