Tag: Arkansas baseball

Golden Spikes Watchlist Includes Pair of Hogs

Two Arkansas Razorbacks have been tabbed as potential successors to their former teammate as the Golden Spikes Award winner.

Two Arkansas Razorbacks have been tabbed as potential successors to their former teammate as the Golden Spikes Award winner. Last year Kevin Kopps put up a magical year, coming from way off the board to win the “Baseball Heisman.” This year Robert Moore and Cayden Wallace will enter the season on everyone’s radars.

These two Hogs join 53 other players on the preseason watch list. As we noted earlier in the week, both are clearly among the best returning players on a Top Ten team. And both should hear their names called early in the MLB draft.

Arkansas opens its season this Friday in Fayetteville when they host Illinois State University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00pm.

A Look at the Omahogs Top Returning Everyday Players

Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, we can finally say it: Welcome to baseball season. 

Now that the Super Bowl is behind us, we can finally say it: Welcome to baseball season.

The Omahogs begin their SEC championship defense this Friday when they host Illinois State for a three-game set at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks open the season ranked in the Top Ten in most polls. There are three groups – D1Baseball, Baseball America, USA Today Coaches – widely regarded as the best of the bunch when it comes to assessing the college baseball world. In those three the Hogs rank #2, #8, and #4, respectively.

So why do the national pundits and coaches regard this team so highly? It’s a combination of coaching, returning players, and new blood. Combine those things with the recent success the team has had under Dave Van Horn and the tradition of winning in Fayetteville, and anyone can see that it would be unwise to overlook the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Today we will take a look at the core of this team – the returning offensive firepower.

Andrew Benintendi? Zack Cox? Hogs 3B Cayden Wallace forging his path

Arkansas sophomore Cayden Wallace compared to some of the Diamond Hogs all-time greats.

Less than a week out from the beginning of Arkansas baseball season, Diamond Hogs infielder/outfielder Cayden Wallace is already drawing comparisons to some of the all-time Razorbacks greats.

Great sophomores, anyway.

Andrew Benintendi won most player-of-the-awards as a sophomore less than 10 years ago. Zack Cox raked to the tune of a .429 batting average as a sophomore in 2010.

Wallace, who hit .279/.369/.500 last year as a freshman, is expected to start at third base and hit in the middle of the Diamond Hogs order this year. Baseball America rates him as the No. 12 overall college prospect when it comes to next year’s MLB draft. Whether Wallace is eligible for the draft, however, is up in the air.

“Believe me, we know that,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said.

Players can enter the draft as long as they turn 21 within 45 days of the draft. Last year’s draft came in July, which was unusual because of COVID. Normally it’s held in June. If it were in July again next summer, Wallace would be back with Arkansas for a junior season. If not…

“I’m not worried about if it’s my last year or if there could be another year,” Wallace said. “I’m just worried about this year and trying to win a national championship.”

Arkansas spent most of last season as the No. 1 team in the country before North Carolina State stunned Razorbacks faithful in the Super Regionals in Fayetteville. A bulk of the team’s lineup returns, though, led by All-American second baseman Robert Moore and Wallace, who is shifting back to a position he’s more comfortable with after playing last year in right field.

That should liven up at the plate even more.

“Cayden is elite,” hitting coach Nate Thompson said. “He’s got a lot of talent and has a great swing, a great approach right now.”

Arkansas opens the 2022 season Friday at home against Illinois State.

Omahogs Preseason No. 4 According to Coaches

The final of the big three college baseball polls was released yesterday, and Arkansas is once again in elite company.

The final of the big three college baseball polls was released yesterday, and Arkansas is once again in elite company. Long after the announcement that expected ace Peyton Pallette would miss the season due to injury the USA Today Coaches Poll still ranks Arkansas at #4 in its preseason poll. This speaks volumes about Dave Van Horn’s respect amongst his peers and recognizes the tremendous depth on this Razorbacks baseball team.

Last month D1Baseball ranked Arkansas at #2 – before Pallette’s injury – and Baseball America slotted the Hogs at #8 – only days after the injury.

Texas held down the top spot, making the Longhorns the consensus team to beat in 2022. Vanderbilt was ranked second, and defending national champions Mississippi State came in third. Stanford, a team Arkansas will face the second weekend of the season, is pre-season #5 according to the coaches.

The SEC led all conferences with eight teams in the poll.

Moore, Wiggins, Stovall all named Preseason All-Americans

Arkansas freshman Peyton Stovall was named All-American – not Freshman All-American, but the big team – with Robert Moore and Jaxon Wiggins on Monday.

Three different Arkansas baseball players were named All-Americans on Monday by Baseball America.

Second baseman Robert Moore, freshman infielder Peyton Stovall and sophomore pitcher Jaxon Wiggins were all tabbed by the publication. Voters for the team were members of scouting departments from 14 different Major League Baseball franchises.

All three players are considered potential future first-round picks.

Moore was the least surprising pick. He hit.283/.384/.558 last year and led the team with 16 home runs while batting in 53. He was postseason All-American by Baseball America last year.

Stovall is considered one of the five best freshman in the country. He largely played middle infield in high school, but Arkansas’ press release states coach Dave Van Horn will use him at first base most often when the season begins in six weeks.

Wiggins started four games as a freshman last year, posting a 5.08 earned-run average, striking out 28 in 23 innings. He is expected to be in the mix for a weekend starting role as a sophomore.

Arkansas opens it season February 18 against Illinois State at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Razorback Baseball Names Captains for 2022 Season

Cayden Wallace, Zebulon Vermillion, and Zack Gregory were named captains of the 2022 Arkansas Baseball team, the program announced Thursday.

Every great program needs great leaders.

Cayden Wallace, Zebulon Vermillion, and Zack Gregory were named captains of the 2022 Arkansas Baseball team, the program announced Thursday.

 

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Cayden Wallace was one of six batters to hit over ten home runs for the Razorbacks last season, knocking out 14 and driving in 44 while hitting .279 in 50 starts.

Zack Gregory was a solid run-producer as well, sending home 19 in 2021.

Zebulon Vermillion made 15 appearances on the mound, including six starts. Three of those starts were against SEC opponents. His best outing against an SEC foe was on March 20 against Alabama. Vermillion tossed 8.0 innings, allowed only one hit, and struck out four batters as the Hogs defeated Alabama, 9-1. Vermillion was key in Arkansas’ “redemption game”. Just one day prior to Vermillion’s start, the No. 1 Razorbacks were smacked by Alabama, 16-1, to open conference play.

The Razorbacks begin their quest for Omaha on Friday, February 18 against the Illinois State Redbirds. First pitch from Baum-Walker Stadium is set for 3 p.m.

Arkansas’s $27 Million Advantage

Coach Van Horn and the Razorbacks athletic department hosted a walk-through yesterday, allowing full media access for the first time.

Over the past 19 seasons Dave Van Horn has transformed a nationally competitive baseball program into a first-rate superpower in the sport. The Omahogs have earned that monicker, visiting the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, six times since 2004. And they enter the 2022 season will aims to return after falling one game short of college baseball’s Land of Oz last season.

And now they have a fully functioning baseball development center to not only help this team reach its goal but to help bring in players who want to train like the best and play with the best.

Coach Van Horn and the Razorbacks athletic department hosted a walk-through yesterday, allowing full media access for the first time. As Matt Jones at WholeHogSports notes, the coaches and administrators are grateful, proud, and eager to show it off.

With all the details $27 million can buy, there are attention grabbing moments waiting around every corner inside the Razorbacks’ new home. They include a clubhouse on par with the highest levels of baseball, spacious meeting and recreational areas for players and a centralized weight room that seems to anchor the building.

The facility is considered to be the best in college baseball and on par with its football and basketball cousins on campus. WholeHogSports has a nice photo gallery from yesterday’s walkthrough.

In addition to becoming the center of the baseball team’s universe, the Hunt Baseball Development Center will play a big role in recruiting. No other program in the country has something like this facility. Coach Van Horn is all too happy to show it off.

“You’ve got to get players,” Van Horn said. “You can coach guys up, but you’ve got to have good players. This building is going to help us get more players.”

The Razorbacks open their season in three weeks on February 18 when they host Illinois State at 3:00pm.

Diamond Hogs Going Back to Arlington

Arkansas started its magical 2021 season with three wins in Arlington, Texas, and will be back again in 2023 and 2024 according to Matt Jones with WholeHogSports.

Arkansas started its magical 2021 season with three wins in Arlington, Texas, and will be back again in 2023 and 2024 according to Matt Jones with WholeHogSports. Last year was the first of what promises to be the premiere early season college baseball tournament. The Hogs went 3-0 at the home of the Texas Rangers, beating Texas Tech, Texas, and TCU last season.

The Omahogs are playing an early season tournament in Round Rock, Texas, this season where they’ll play the Indiana Hoosiers, Stanford Cardinal, and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

Some familiar teams will show up in the ’23 and ’24 tournaments.

Arkansas’ opponents in 2023 will be Texas, TCU and Oklahoma State, Van Horn said. The 2024 opponents will be Michigan, Oklahoma State and Oregon State.

The Oregon State matchup is the first scheduled between the programs since the Beavers beat the Razorbacks twice in three games during the championship round of the 2018 College World Series.

Dave Van Horn will begin his 20th season as the head coach at Arkansas on Friday, February 18 at Baum Stadium against Illinois State.

 

Arkansas No. 8 in Baseball America Preseason Poll

Baseball America, one of the foremost authorities in college baseball, ranks Arkansas at No. 8 in its preseason poll released this morning.

Baseball America, one of the foremost authorities in college baseball, ranks Arkansas at No. 8 in its preseason poll released this morning. The Omahogs are one of six SEC teams in their Top Ten. Like the D1Baseball poll released last week, which had the Hogs at #2, the Texas Longhorns hold down the preseason top spot.

The Hogs likely fell a few spots in the BA poll after news last week that Peyton Pallette would miss the season due to a UCL injury in his pitching arm. He is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Arkansas is scheduled to face six teams ranked in the preseason Top 25. The first of those matchups will come Saturday, February 26 when the Razorbacks take on #7 Stanford in the Karbach Round Rock Classic. That game has a scheduled first pitch of 6:00pm at Dell Diamond.

Dave Van Horn’s squad opens the season three weeks from Friday at home against Illinois State.

Arkansas Baseball Takes First Loss of Year

Projected bullpen ace for Arkansas likely to face Tommy John surgery

Peyton Pallette entered the season with great expectations. He expected to anchor the pitching staff for the defending SEC Champions. Baseball America had him rated as the #13 overall prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft. And he was poised to bounce back from an injury-shortened 2021 campaign.

Unfortunately for him and Hogs fans everywhere, he will not get a chance to meet those expectations. Pallette will miss the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. The junior will requite Tommy John surgery. Kendall Rogers at D1Baseball was first to report this.

Pallette left a relief outing against Florida late last season with an elbow injury. The Hogs would go on to clinch the SEC regular season title that weekend. Head Coach Dave Van Horn told members of the media shortly thereafter that Pallette would be shutdown for the rest of the season. Initial reports indicated that Pallette did not tear his UCL and that he was preparing for the 2022 season.

It is unclear if this recent news is directly related to the 2021 injury.