Tag: Matt Hobbs

Update on status of Freshman pitcher Brady Tygart

Tygart did not suffer an injury as many feared in Friday’s game against Florida, according to a reliable source.

Arkansas fans were discouraged while watching the Razorbacks fall to Florida, 7-5 on Friday, a loss that would end their stay at the SEC Tournament.

During the 6th inning of Friday’s game, fans’ disappointment turned to worry as one of the most reliable arms in the Arkansas bullpen left the game after facing just four batters.

[autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag], a freshman from Hernando, Miss. who has been used primarily as the Arkansas closer, left the game in the 6th inning in what seemed to be earlier than anticipated.

During the SEC Network broadcast of the Arkansas-Florida game, cameras showed Tygart exhibiting signs of discomfort during a mound visit with pitching coach [autotag]Matt Hobbs[/autotag]. After chatting with Hobbs briefly, Tygart exited the game and [autotag]Zebulon Vermillion[/autotag] entered from the bullpen.

While most feared that Tygart had suffered an injury, fans can now breathe a sigh of relief now that a reliable source, Tygart’s mother Belinda, has shared that Tygart was just feeling lightheaded.

Head coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag] confirmed after the game that Tygart felt nauseated during the game, and that there was no injury.

In his first year at Arkansas, Tygart has recorded eight saves while striking out 47 batters in 34.0 innings of work.

Next up for Arkansas is the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The announcement of Arkansas’ post season destination will be revealed Monday morning.

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Hagen Smith named Freshman of the Week by the SEC

Smith had one of his best outings on the mound in Friday’s 4-0 win over LSU, which allowed him to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

Arkansas freshman [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] was honored by the Southeastern Conference on Monday, by being named the SEC Freshman of the Week.

The freshman left hander pitched lights out in Friday’s 4-0 win over LSU, playing an instrumental role in Arkansas winning their fourth SEC series of the season in five opportunities.

In game two’s win, Smith tied his career-highs in innings pitched (7.0), hits allowed (2), strikeouts (7), and walks issued (1).

Arkansas head coach [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag] says that Smith used more change-ups and worked on hitting targets against LSU, which was one of the many things that he did differently following a tough loss at Florida in his previous start.

“It didn’t go good for him last weekend in Florida. He took it personal,” said Van Horn following Arkansas’ win on Friday. “He worked extremely hard this week. He got with coach ([autotag]Matt Hobbs[/autotag]) and they did a lot of talking. He had a great bullpen session. He’s on a mission. He really spotted it up and did a nice job.”

Smith has a 3.88 ERA and a 6-2 record through nine starts in a Razorback uniform, with 52 strikeouts in 48.2 IP.

Lion Tamers: Meet the Firm of Smith, Wiggins, and Ledbetter

Pitching coach Matt Hobbs and longtime skipper Dave Van Horn pushed a “next man up” mentality amongst the men of the bullpen after projected ace Peyton Pallette went down preseason with Tommy John surgery. The group has clearly embraced the challenge. 

The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team has won 7 of its first 10 games, but you’d hardly know it by monitoring the levels of concern on Hog Twitter. Only one of the seven wins has been a true laugher (a 15-3 win over Omaha on Wednesday), and the losses have been marred by a dormant offense. The 2021 Hogs used gorilla ball and Kevin Kopps to ride to a 50-win season and near wire-to-wire #1 ranking. That squad pounded 109 homers to lead the SEC, outscoring their opponents by more than 3.5 runs per game.

The 2022 squad has a long way to go to reach those heights. Through 10 games the Sooieville Sluggers have only 8 home runs and are averaging just 5.5 runs/game – about 2 runs/game fewer than last season.

Yet they’ve scraped and clawed their way to those seven wins thanks to a deep and talented pitching staff. Pitching coach Matt Hobbs and longtime skipper Dave Van Horn pushed a “next man up” mentality amongst the men of the bullpen after projected ace Peyton Pallette went down preseason with Tommy John surgery. The group has clearly embraced the challenge.

Several performances jumped off the page over the weekend, but we’d be remiss if we failed to acknowledge the work put in by senior Connor Noland. He took the loss in a weird game on Friday, a result he earned but just barely. Noland has looked brilliant at times, and his steady presence at the top of the rotation gives Arkansas a chance each weekend. The loss to Southeastern Louisiana not withstanding, Noland’s control has set the tone. He throws strikes, strands runners, and looks like a Friday night guy. Hats off to the Greenwood product who has remade himself on the mound and looks ready to fulfill the lofty expectations laid out for him as a freshman.

How does Arkansas adjust with Pallette out for the year?

Razorbacks baseball opens the season four weeks from today, and the young man expected to throw the first pitch is out for the season. Peyton Pallette will miss the 2022 season thanks to a UCL injury that will reportedly require Tommy John surgery

Razorbacks baseball opens the season four weeks from today, but the young man expected to throw the first pitch won’t be there. Peyton Pallette will miss the 2022 season thanks to a UCL injury that will reportedly require Tommy John surgery. That leaves the Omahogs without a clear Number One starter.

Recent history suggests they will adjust, and at least one pitcher will emerge. And it’s as likely as not that it will be a kid who isn’t grabbing many headlines this winter.

Matt Jones at WholeHogSports dives deep into how the Razorbacks have replaced valuable starters and relievers over the past few years. Pitching coach Matt Hobbs knows a thing or two about rebuilding a staff. And most observers believe the talent on the Arkansas pitching staff is at or near an all time high.

As Jones points out, this team is far more than one pitcher.

What Pallette’s injury doesn’t change is the perceived strength of this year’s Razorbacks, the lineup. What it lacks in experienced pitching, Arkansas has in position veterans like Robert Moore, Brady Slavens, Jalen Battles, Cayden Wallace, Braydon Webb and Zack Gregory.

The 2021 Razorbacks had a special run. Expecting them to repeat that in 2022 only sets fans up for disappointment. But the one thing that team did not do is certainly attainable for this year’s team: getting back to the College World Series.