Tag: Hunter Hollan

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.

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Hollan is first Razorback off board on day two to Reds

Cincinnati is adding to its pitching arsenal, selecting Arkansas’ Hunter Hollan with the 76th overall pick on Monday afternoon.

The Cincinnati Reds have had a resurgence in 2023, currently leading the National League Central at the All-Star break.

On Monday, they may have added another piece to the puzzle that gets them back in pennant contention.

Arkansas southpaw Hunter Hollan was their selection in the third round, with the 74th overall pick.

Hollan was tremendous for the Razorbacks in 2023, going 8-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 80.2 innings pitched over 17 appearances.

The slot value for the 74th pick is $975,100, according to MLB Pipeline.

Look: Arkansas pitcher Hunter Hollan has successful surgery for knee injury

Hollan is expected to be selected in next month’s MLB Draft, but could return for another season with Arkansas.

Arkansas left-handed pitcher Hunter Hollan had a successful surgery for a knee injury Friday.

The surgery was considered minor and was to repair a nerve entrapment, per a report by HawgSports. It isn’t expected to be a long-term issue and Hollan’s recovery time should be between three and five weeks.

Hollan went 8-2 with a 4.13 earned-run average with 74 strikeouts and 29 walks in 2023 with the Razorbacks. It was his first season at Arkansas after transferring in from San Jacinto College. It may have also been his only one.

The lefty is the No. 83 prospect for this summer’s MLB Draft, per MLB Pipeline. Hollan said earlier in the week, however, he had not yet made a decision about whether to turn pro or return to Fayetteville.

The MLB Draft differs from the NBA and NFL one in that a player can choose to return to schools, assuming eligibility remains, even after he is selected. Most of the time, it comes down to money and slotting, where the player is taken in the draft.

Hollan played most of the 2023 season through numbness in his foot as the injury began to bother him during Arkansas’ opening weekend in the College Baseball Showdown, the report stated. Hollan told reporters he had a nerve issue during Arkansas’ weekend series win against Missisippi State.

“I physically couldn’t use it,” he said then. “Last week at A&M, it got to the point to where I was going to end up getting hurt just having to throw all arm. It was something that we needed to get taken care of and just stay off it as much as possible.”

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Van Horn tabs Hunter Hollan to start opener against Santa Clara

Hunter Hollan has pitched in two World Series before. Junior-college World Series, but enough where Dave Van Horn trusts his lefty.

Hunter Hollan has never pitched in the NCAA Tournament before. Well, he will not have until Friday afternoon.

The NJCAA Tournament, though? Yep. Plenty.

The Arkansas left-hander, in his first season with the Razorbacks after arriving in the offseason from junior-college, will get the ball to start the Diamond Hogs’ stint in the Fayetteville Regional against Santa Clara. Arkansas, the top seed, will play No. 4 Santa Clara at 2 p.m.

Hollan has been a staple in the Razorbacks’ rotation since his arrival. No on the roster has started more than his 14 games this year. All year long, he was Arkansas’ second-best among starters, only bested by All-SECer Hagen Smith.

But pitching with a national title in sight isn’t new to Hollan. He struck out 10 batters in five innings last year for San Jacinto College in the Junior College World Series and he pitched in two games in the Series the season before, as a freshman.

Results in recent weeks have been mixed. Hollan was good against LSU last time out in the SEC Tournament, giving up just two runs in 5 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. In the finale regular-season series against Vanderbilt, though, he lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits.

But it’s the weekend before that showed what Hollan can do when on his game. Against South Carolina, he pitched a complete game five-hitter while giving up just a run and striking out 10.

In his three games against non-SEC opponents – Eastern Illinois, Wright State and Louisana Tech – Hollan pitched 16 2/3 innings, allowing 13 hits, four earned run and he struck out 16.

A win against the Broncos on Friday would set up an Arkansas game against either No. 2 Texas Christian or No. 3 Arizona. A loss would pit the Hogs against that game’s loser.

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Hollan nabs national Pitcher of the Week award

Arkansas’ left-handed starter has been a workhorse during SEC play for the Diamond Hogs.

Hunter Hollan’s dynamite weekend had already earned him SEC Pitcher of the Week honors. Now he has a national one to go with it.

Arkansas’ left-handed starting pitcher was named pitcher of the week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Tuesday.

Hollan pitched a complete game in the series clincher for the Razorbacks on Sunday against South Carolina. Hollan allowed just five hits and struck out 10 in Arkansas’ 5-1 win.

Hollan has been Arkansas’ workhorse during SEC play. He has started during all nine series – the only player on the staff to have done that – and has a 4-2 record with 49 innings under his belt. His stuff has been solid throughout, too, as Hollan carries a 4.41 earned-run average in the Diamond Hogs’ final SEC series of the season on the weekend at Vanderbilt.

An Arkansas sweep in Nashville would clinch a regular-season SEC title. At worst, if Arkansas is swept, the Diamond Hogs would still finish in the top four in the conference.

First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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Hunter Hollan named SEC Pitcher of the Week

Hunter Hollan pitched a gem on Mother’s Day, which landed him an SEC weekly honor. 

Hunter Hollan pitched a gem on Mother’s Day, which landed him an SEC weekly honor. 

The Southeastern Conference named Hollan the SEC Pitcher of the Week after having what could be the best pitching performance from a Razorback on the mound.

Hollan threw the first complete game in the SEC this season, striking out ten batters while only allowing five hits and one walk. After giving up a leadoff home run in the third inning, Hollans retired 19-straight batters. He threw for a total of 113 pitches in nine innings.

“Today I felt good,” Hollan said Sunday. “I felt good, but I’ll pay for it tomorrow.”

This is only the second time since 2016 an Arkansas pitcher threw a complete game against an SEC Opponent—Dominic Taccolini’s 10-inning complete game shutout against Kentucky.

Hollan joins righty Will McEntire as the other Razorback to be named the league’s best pitcher of the week. McEntire threw his own one-run complete game against Louisiana Tech on March 11.

That’s one thus far, Tony: Diamond Hogs take opener from Tennessee

Hunter Hollan had a whale of a start in Arkansas’ series-opening win over Tennessee.

The Tennessee baseball team jumped early. Then never again.

No. 6 Arkansas scored five straight runs in a 5-2 win over the No. 15 Volunteers in Friday night’s series opener from Baum-Walker Stadium. The win kept Arkansas atop the SEC West at 9-4 in league play.

Hunter Hollan and Hagen Smith were the biggest reason why. Hollan gave up two runs on three hits in the first inning to Tennessee. The rest of the way, Hollan allowed no more runs and just two more hits as he worked six total innings, striking out that same number and walking just one.

Smith followed with a three-inning save, retiring seven of the nine batters he faced via strikeout. He gave up just a single knock in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas lineup came back in pieces, though kind of all at once.

The Razorbacks scored three runs in third inning to take the only necessary lead. One scored on an error and Tavian Josenberger plated two with his home run. For good measure, another would score in the fourth on a double-play and Jace Bohrofen would add a solo shot in the fifth to cap things.

The two teams are back at it Saturday at 6 p.m. from Baum-Walker Stadium.

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Photo Gallery: No. 8 Arkansas run-rules No. 9 Oklahoma State 18-1 in seven innings

In their finale from Arlington, the Diamond Hogs shined. Here’s the best photos from their appearance in the College Baseball Showdown.

Arkansas baseball was able to bounce back from a tough loss on Saturday, and destroyed the No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys 18-1 in a run-ruled seven innings. The Diamond Hogs finished their weekend 2-1 with a 3-2 win over Texas on Friday and the 18-1 win over  Oklahoma State yesterday. Their lone loss was 18-6 to No. 15 TCU on Saturday.

“What a great job by the team bouncing back after a tough loss yesterday,” Arkansas head coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag] said. “You learn a lot about your team a lot of times after a bad loss or even just a loss. I told the team it was a great weekend as far as learning.”

In the win against the Cowboys, starting pitcher [autotag]Hunter Hollan[/autotag] allowed just one run on three hits, stuck out five batters and walked just two in four innings of action.

Transfer left fielder [autotag]Jared Wegner[/autotag] continued his impressive start to the season going 2-for-4 with a triple, homerun and 5 RBIs to lead the high-octane Razorback offense.

Here’s some of the best photos from Arkansas’ finale in Arlington on Sunday evening.