Tag: Arkansas baseball

Arkansas finishes outside top 10 in final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

Here’s where Arkansas placed in the final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Tuesday, June 25.

Arkansas had a disappointing end to the 2024 college baseball season, and their spot in the final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll reflects that.

The Razorbacks, who went 44-16 overall but sputtered down the stretch and were eliminated in their on-site regional of the NCAA Tournament, were ranked No. 12 in the final coaches poll, released Tuesday, June 25.

Tennessee, which defeated Texas A&M in Game 3 of the College World Series Finals on Monday to win the national championship, was ranked No. 1 with the Aggies ranked No. 2. Kentucky (No. 3), Florida State (No. 4) and North Carolina (No. 5) rounded out the top five.

Five SEC teams finished ahead of Arkansas in the final poll. In addition to the top three of Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky, Florida finished at No. 6 and Georgia was No. 10. The Razorbacks finished one spot below No. 11 Oregon State and one ahead of No. 13 Oregon.

It’s the second straight season that Arkansas has finished outside the top 10 in the final coaches poll. The Diamond Hogs were ranked No. 11 in the final coaches poll of 2023.

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Arkansas stays busy in transfer portal, adds Fresno State outfielder

Arkansas continues to stay busy in the transfer portal with the commitment of Fresno State outfielder Rocco Peppi.

Arkansas baseball has netted its second addition via the transfer portal this week by picking up a commitment from former Fresno State outfielder Rocco Peppi.

Peppi’s commitment comes just a day after the Razorbacks added pitcher Landon Beidelschies, a left-hander who committed to Arkansas after spending two seasons at Ohio State. Peppi confirmed the news of his commitment in a social media post to X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday.

RELATED: Arkansas lands Ohio State pitcher in transfer portal

After entering the transfer portal on June 7, Peppi will be a redshirt senior for the Diamond Hogs in 2025. A right-handed batter, he hit .327 with a team-leading 14 home runs for Fresno State in 2024. He had a .994 OPS, 16 doubles and 56 RBIs in 56 games (53 starts).

Listed as 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, Peppi totaled a season-high four hits twice — against Washington State on April 28 and against New Mexico on April 13 — and collected three hits in a game on four different occasions for a Bulldogs team that finished 33-29 overall and 16-14 in Mountain West play.

The bulk of Peppi’s playing time was in left field, where he made 38 starts.

Arkansas will the third team Peppi has played for since entering the college ranks out of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. He committed to Long Beach State and spent two seasons in the Big West conference, batting .278 with six home runs, 14 doubles and 33 RBIs in 2023. He started all 55 games that year in left field.

In 2022, Peppi was an All-Conference honorable mention in his redshirt freshman season. He led the team with a .321 batting average while making 54 starts.

Peppi is the seventh Division I transfer to join Arkansas since the transfer portal opened. In addition to Beidelschies, the Razorbacks have also gotten commitments from transfers Kuhio Aloy (BYU), Charles Davalan (Florida Gulf Coast), Carson Hansen (Milwaukee-Wisconsin), Maximum Martin (Georgia State) and Logan Maxwell (TCU).

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Arkansas lands Ohio State pitcher in latest transfer portal move

The Diamond Hogs stayed busy in the transfer portal with the addition of Ohio State left-hander Landon Beidelschies.

Former Ohio State pitcher Landon Beidelschies has committed to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2025.

A left-hander, Beidelschies announced his decision in a social media post to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. He is the sixth Division I transfer to commit to Arkansas this off-season — and the first pitcher.

“These past 2 years at Ohio State have truly been the best years of my life, and I am extremely thankful for my time as a Buckeye. With that being said I am transferring to the University of Arkansas! Thank you to everyone who stood by me throughout this process,” Beidelschies posted to X.

Listed as 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Beidelschies was rated the No. 5 overall player available in the transfer portal by On3.

In his sophomore season with Ohio State in 2024, Beidelschies made 15 starts and compiled a 6-7 record with a 4.15 ERA. He led the team with 84 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 91 batters while walking 31 for a 1.20 WHIP. Opponents batted .231 off Beidelschies.

An Ohio native, Beidelschies pitched a season-high seven innings in four different starts for Ohio State last season. He struck out a season-high 12 batters in a March 15 start against West Virginia. In his second to last start of 2024, Beidelschies held Rutgers to one run over seven innings in a no-decision.

Ohio State finished its season 29-26, 12th among the 14 Big Ten schools who field baseball programs. Arkansas’ season ended in its on-site regional after losing to Kansas State and Southeast Missouri State.

The addition of Beidelschies is a big pickup for a Razorbacks team who figures to lose all of its 2024 high-end starting pitchers to the Major League Baseball Draft.

Left-hander Hagen Smith is projected by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel to be the top pitcher chosen in the draft. MLB.com lists Smith as the third best pitcher available in the draft behind Florida’s Jac Caglianone and Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns.

All three players were finalists for the 2024 Dick Howser Trophy, which was awarded to Georgia slugger Charlie Condon. Smith recently earned National Pitcher of the Year honors from the College Baseball Foundation.

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Arkansas baseball adds TCU outfielder in transfer portal

Former TCU outfielder Logan Maxwell announced his commitment to Arkansas Thursday.

TCU outfielder Logan Maxwell is the latest college baseball transfer to announce his intent to play for Arkansas in 2025.

Maxwell made the announcement via a social media post to X, formerly Twitter, Thursday. He is the fifth player to join Arkansas via the transfer portal since the Razorbacks’ season ended on June 2 in the Fayetteville Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Earlier this week, Georgia State transfer shortstop Maximus Martin announced that he was joining Arkansas, as did Milwaukee-Wisconsin outfielder Carson Hansen.

Former Florida Gulf Coast infielder/outfielder Charles Davalan and BYU first baseman/designed hitter Kuhio Aloy, younger brother of Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, have also joined the Diamond Hogs via the transfer portal.

Maxwell played in 46 games (all starts) for TCU in 2024. He batted .335 and posted a team-best .929 OPS to go with 12 doubles, three home runs, two triples and 25 RBIs. He was an All-Big 12 honorable mention.

A left-handed batter, Maxwell collected a season-high five hits in a 5-for-6 performance against Baylor on May 4, a 9-7 Horned Frogs victory.

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Hagen Smith wins National Pitcher of the Year award by College Baseball Foundation

Hagen Smith added to his individual accolades on Tuesday.

Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith was awarded National Pitcher of the Year honors by the College Baseball Foundation on Wednesday.

Smith took home the award over finalists Chase Burns of Wake Forest, Ryan Johnson of Dallas Baptist, Jamie Arnold of Florida State and Trey Yesavage of East Carolina.

Smith went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 16 starts for the Razorbacks in 2024. He began the year 9-0 and carried a 1.48 ERA into the NCAA Tournament before allowing six runs in the fifth inning of Arkansas’ 7-6 loss to Kansas State in the Fayetteville Regional.

The left-hander struck out 161 batters in 84 innings, the second highest total in the nation behind Burns’ 191 strikeouts. Smith led the nation in strikeouts per nine innings with 17.25 and finished fourth nationally in ERA.

Smith, who was named SEC Pitcher of the Year, is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which will be announced Saturday. Georgia slugger Charlie Condon and Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana are also finalists for the Golden Spikes Award.

Smith was also a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, which was awarded to Condon last week. He is the second Arkansas pitcher to win the College Baseball Foundation’s National Pitcher of the Year award after Kevin Kopps did so in 2021. LSU’s Paul Skenes, now a rookie with the Pittsburgh Pirates, won the award last season.

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Arkansas adds Georgia State starter via transfer portal

Georgia State transfer Maximus Martin announced his commitment to Arkansas baseball Wednesday.

Former Georgia State shortstop Maximus Martin has announced his commitment to Arkansas baseball.

Martin made the announcement in a social media post to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

He is the fourth known addition to the Razorbacks’ roster via the transfer portal this offseason, joining Wisconsin-Milwaukee outfielder Carson Hansen, who committed over the weekend.

Former BYU first baseman/designated hitter Kuhio Aloy, the younger brother of Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, and former Florida Gulf Coast infielder/outfielder Charles Davalan have also committed to Arkansas.

Martin played in 44 games for Georgia State in 2024 and made 43 starts. He batted .297 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 21 RBIs while posting an OPS of .888. Martin batted leadoff for Georgia State and also played in center field.

Arkansas will be the third team Martin has played for since committing to Rutgers out of Moorestown High School in New Jersey. As a freshman for the Scarlet Knights in 2023, he batted .203 with 12 RBIs in 25 games.

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Alex Collins, Dave Van Horn on Arkansas’ 2024 Hall of Honor list

Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn and the late Alex Collins are two of the nine Razorbacks greats who will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Honor in 2024.

Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn and eight former Razorbacks athletes across six sports are on the University of Arkansas’ 2024 Hall of Honor class.

An induction ceremony will be held at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville on Friday, September 13, the night before the Razorbacks play UAB at Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium. The list of inductees was announced by the university late Tuesday.

Van Horn has been Arkansas’ baseball coach since 2003 and has led the school to seven College World Series and 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. Arkansas was the 2018 College World Series runner-up to Oregon State.

Among the eight former athletes who will be inducted into Arkansas’ 2024 Hall of Honor class is the late Alex Collins. Collins passed away at the age of 28 in 2023 and will be inducted posthumously.

Collins is second on the school’s all-time rushing list with 3,703 yards and 36 touchdowns in three seasons. A fifth-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, Collins played in parts of five NFL seasons between 2016-21.

Other Razorback athletes set to be inducted are former quarterback Matt Jones (2001-04), linebacker Ravin Caldwell (1982-85), baseball pitcher David Walling (1998-99), men’s basketball guard Kareem Reid (1995-99), track and field star Matt Hemingway (1992-96), women’s basketball’s Wendi Willits (1997-2001) and softball’s Devon Wallace (2012-15).

Jones was the Razorbacks’ starter from 2002-04, leading Arkansas to two bowl games. Caldwell helped lead the Razorbacks to 32 wins in four seasons (1982-85) before going on to play for the NFL’s Washington Redskins. He was a member of Washington’s two Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1987-88 and 1991-92 NFL seasons.

Here is a full list of accomplishments of Arkansas’ Class of 2024 Hall of Honor inductees.

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Arkansas baseball player enters transfer portal

Arkansas’ Jayson Jones struggled to find playing time in two seasons with the Diamond Hogs. He entered the transfer portal Monday.

Arkansas INF/OF Jayson Jones has entered the transfer portal, WholeHogSports reported late Monday.

Jones played in 23 games with the Razorbacks in 2024, starting 19 games. He batted .194 with four home runs, three doubles and 17 RBIs. Jones struggled to find playing time in an outfield that included Ben McLaughlin, Peyton Holt, Jack Wagner and others.

As a freshman in 2023, Jones battled .196 in 20 games (13 starts). He came to Arkansas via Braswell High School in Savannah, Texas, and will have two years of college eligibility left moving forward.

Jones was a highly touted player in high school and should attract a fair amount of interest in the portal. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 5 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 and the No. 1 overall player out of the Lone Star State.

Jones is the second Arkansas player to enter the transfer portal since the Razorbacks’ season ended with a loss to Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) on June 2 in the Fayetteville Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Outfielder Hunter Grimes, seeking a seventh season of college eligibility, also entered the transfer portal. Grimes did not play in a game in 2024.

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Six Diamond Hogs, four commits invited to MLB Combine

Arkansas has 10 players total invited to the combine, though four have yet to make it to campus.

Arkansas baseball is a national power known for putting players into profesional baseball. The 2024 season will be no different.

Six Diamond Hogs players and four of coach Dave Van Horn’s commits were invited to the MLB Combine, which will be held from June 18-23. Five of those 10 players ranked in the Top 200 prospects for the draft.

The six current players who were invited are pitcher Brady Tygart and Mason Molina, infielder Peyton Stovall, outfielder Kendall Diggs and catcher Hudson White. Tygart is ranked No. 180 and Stovall is ranked No. 74.

The four high-schoolers who are committed to the Razorbacks for next year, but who can turn down college baseball if taken in the draft, are pitchers Carson Wiggins and Cole Gibler and shortstops Tyson Lewis and Gabe Fraser. Lewis is ranked No. 46, Wiggins is No. 77 and Gibler is No. 130. Wiggins is the younger brother of former Arkansas pitcher Jaxon Wiggins.

Hagen Smith, Arkansas’ finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award, was not invited to the combine. He is expected to be a top-10 selection in the draft.

Diamond Hogs land All-Freshman transfer from FGCU

Dave Van Horn has found another piece for the 2024 season.

Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn said immediately after the Diamond Hogs’ season ended that he was fully aware the Razorbacks would need to be rebuilt in 2025.

Step two toward that end began Friday.

Arkansas landed Florida Gulf Coast utility player Charles Davalan as their second commitment from the transfer portal this offseason. Davalan was a member of the All-Freshman team in the Atlantic Sun Conference this year after slashing .288/.414/.514 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles and 13 stole bases.

Technically, Davalan is a utility player, but not because he’s a reserve. He can play both the infield and outfield as he started 30 games at second base and 26 in the outfield in the 2024 season.

Davalan follows former Brigham Young first baseman Kuhio Aloy as the second player the Diamond Hogs have picked up from the portal. Aloy is the younger brother of current Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, who was named All-SEC this season, his first with Arkansas.

Van Horn said he figured he would lose his entire starting outfield, all three weekend rotation pitchers and about half the regulars on the infield this offseason. The Razorbacks saw their season come to an end in the Fayetteville Regional after spending about half the season ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation.