Tag: Omahogs

Hagen Smith named preseason All-American by D1Baseball

Hogs’ left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith has been racking up preseason awards, the latest is something a Razorback hasn’t done since 2016.

Arkansas pitcher [autotag]Hagen Smith[/autotag] was named a preseason first team All-American by D1Baseball on Monday, becoming the first Razorback to earn the honor since relief pitcher Zach Jackson in 2016.

The left-hander is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign where he was named a consensus All-American. In addition to that, Smith earned first team All-SEC honors and was a semifinalist for both the Golden Spikes Award and College Baseball Foundation’s National Pitcher of the Year Award. He became the first Arkansas pitcher since Ryne Stanek in 2013 to be named All-SEC first team.

Smith made 18 appearances last year as a sophomore, 11 of them being starts. He went 8-2 with a 3.63 ERA and opponent batting average of .217, a team-best 109 strikeouts and two saves in 71 2/3 innings of work.

Against SEC competition, Smith made 11 appearances with five starts. He posted a 5-1 record with 3.07 ERA, opponent batting average of .201 and 65 strikeouts in 44 innings of work.

Smith has been racking up preseason honors as he’s now a first team All-American according to both D1Baseball and Perfect Game. He’s also been picked as the SEC Preseason Pitcher of the Year by both publications.

The [autotag]Diamond Hogs[/autotag] begin their road to Omaha on Friday, Feb. 16 at 3:00 p.m. when they take on James Madison as part of a four-game series.

WATCH: Phil Elson calls Arkansas’ Omaha-clinching walk-off single

Here’s how Brady Slavens’ walk-off single sounded from the voice of Arkansas Baseball

“And you can call them the Omahogs!”

Those words were exclaimed by Phil Elson, the radio voice of Arkansas Baseball, following [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag]’ walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning that lifted Arkansas over North Carolina on Sunday afternoon to clinch a spot in the College World Series for the 11th time in program history.

North Carolina broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning on an RBI single to take the 3-2 lead, hoping that it would be enough to beat Arkansas and force a winner-take-all game three on Monday.

As they have proven all postseason, the Razorbacks were not going to go away that easily.

The inning started with back to back singles by [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag]. In the next at-bat, [autotag]Kendall Diggs[/autotag] would reach on a walk, loading the bases for [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag]. Webb hit a grounder that resulted in a fielder’s choice, allowing Battles to score from 3rd base to tie the game again at 3-3.

With two on and no outs, Slavens delivered the game winning hit that would send Arkansas to Omaha.

Here is how the walk-off sounded from the voice of Elson:

Arkansas will face the winner of Monday’s Stanford Super Regional between Stanford and UConn in the College World Series later this week at Charles Schawb Field in Omaha, Nebraska. Official dates and times will be released at a later time.

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Arkansas Baseball plays “the right way”

Despite his team ending their season on Sunday to Arkansas, North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes was complimentary of the Razorbacks style of play.

Arkansas Baseball claimed a spot in the College World Series for the 11th time in program history on Sunday by defeating North Carolina, 4-3 on a walk-off single by [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag] in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Razorbacks swept the Tar Heels in two games at the Chapel Hill Super Regional. In addition to Sunday’s win, Arkansas defeated North Carolina in game one of the best-of-three series, 4-1 on Saturday behind a strong outing from [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag] on the mound.

North Carolina, who came into the Super Regional as winners of 11 of their previous 12 games, was obviously disappointed in dropping their final game of the year in heartbreaking fashion. However, that did not stop Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes from being complimentary of the Razorbacks led by [autotag]Dave Van Horn[/autotag].

In his postgame press conference, Forbes congratulated the Razorbacks for their Super Regional victory, and says that he sees a lot of his team in Arkansas. 

“What a battle. Two great teams. I want to congratulate Arkansas. (They are) a heck of a team, what a heck of a season that they have had. Coach Van Horn and his coaches all do a tremendous job, and they have always done a tremendous job. It’s like watching our own team across the field. They play the right way. They play hard. They don’t showboat. They keep their mouth shut and play how baseball is supposed to be played. Congrats to Arkansas.” 

Arkansas’ season continues later this week in Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series. The next game for the Razorbacks, as well as their opponent, will be revealed at a later time.

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Round Rock Classic Preview: Stanford

The headline matchup of the Karbach Round Rock Classic features the #2 Arkansas Razorbacks against the #6 Stanford Cardinal. The two will face off on Saturday at 4:00pm, weather permitting.

The headline matchup of the Karbach Round Rock Classic features the #2 Arkansas Razorbacks against the #6 Stanford Cardinal. The two will face off on Saturday at 4:00pm, weather permitting. It’s a delayed meeting, as the two were in line to play an opening round game at the 2021 College World Series before North Carolina State went on its upset run through Fayetteville.

Much like Arkansas, Stanford returns a team that expects to make a run to Omaha in 2022. They are led by Golden Spikes contender Brock Jones, a true five-tool player expected to go early in the MLB draft this summer. Jones plays elite centerfield, hits for both power and average, and adds speed when on the bases. He swiped 14 bags last season to go along with his 18 home runs.

From D1Baseball’s Kendal Rogers:

Jones is hitting .364 and hit a double and triple in the series against the Titans. He’s ultra-athletic, plays his position exceptionally well and has a mature offensive approach. He is the guy in this lineup who will dictate Stanford’s offensive success this weekend.

On the mound Stanford is scheduled to start southpaw Quinn Matthews. The junior is coming off a 5-2 season last year, though he also showed a bloated 6.08 ERA. He took the loss last Saturday against Cal State Fullerton, giving up 3 earned runs in 3 innings. In that outing he walked a pair and allowed 4 hits, though he also struck out 4 of the 15 batters he faced. He should give the Hogs a good test with their left-handed-heavy lineup.

Stanford opens the tournament today at noon when they take on Louisiana.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings – Week 1

Opening weekend packs in tons of excitement, but it is admittedly difficult to learn much about a team. The scheduling approach of all 14 SEC teams has a lot to do with it.

Opening weekend packs in tons of excitement, but it is admittedly difficult to learn much about a team. The scheduling approach of all 14 SEC teams has a lot to do with it. Some programs, like Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, come out of the gates with post-season worthy opponents like Oklahoma State and Long Beach State. Others punch down well below their weights like Missouri and Tennessee. Most try to find the sweet spot (like Arkansas did) where they matchup with a quality opponent that should provide a test without a big risk of losing the series.

With that in mind, wins matter above all else. It doesn’t matter who a teams played, the big question is how they handled the competition. So expect some wild fluctuation in these early season power rankings. The #10 team this week may be at or near the top by next Tuesday.

Hogs Hold on to No. 2 in D1Baseball Rankings

Despite an Opening Day loss to Illinois State the Arkansas Razorbacks retained their lofty ranking in the latest D1Baseball rankings this week. The Hogs rallied to win on Saturday and Sunday and sit at 2-1 on the young season. They head to Texas this weekend for a Top Ten showdown with #6 Stanford (2-1) in the Karbach Round Rock Classic on Saturday. 

Despite an Opening Day loss to Illinois State the Arkansas Razorbacks retained their lofty ranking in the latest D1Baseball rankings this week. The Hogs rallied to win on Saturday and Sunday and sit at 2-1 on the young season. They head to Texas this weekend for a Top Ten showdown with #6 Stanford (2-1) in the Karbach Round Rock Classic on Saturday.

Arkansas opens the tournament on Friday against Indiana (0-3) and wrap up on Sunday against Louisiana (2-1).

Texas held onto the top spot after its weekend sweep of Rice. Ole Miss (3-0), Oklahoma State (2-1), and Vanderbilt (1-2) round out the top five. The Cowboys are riding high coming off taking two of three in Nashville against the Commodores over the weekend. The SEC has 8 teams in this week’s rankings.

  1. Texas
  2. Arkansas
  3. Ole Miss
  4. Oklahoma State
  5. Vanderbilt 
  6. Stanford
  7. Mississippi State
  8. LSU
  9. North Carolina State
  10. Florida State
  11. Arizona
  12. Long Beach State
  13. Notre Dame
  14. Oregon State
  15. Florida
  16. Georgia
  17. TCU
  18. Tennessee
  19. Georgia Tech
  20. Texas Tech
  21. Liberty
  22. Maryland
  23. Duke
  24. Miami
  25. East Carolina

Pitching Matchups for Hogs v. Redbirds

After a stretch of unseasonably warm temperatures, Old Man Winter has once again gotten comfortable in Arkansas. Temperatures will bottom out in the teens across the Ozarks this weekend. At this time of year that can only mean one thing: college baseball season is upon us. 

After a stretch of unseasonably warm temperatures, Old Man Winter has once again gotten comfortable in Arkansas. Temperatures will bottom out in the teens across the Ozarks this weekend. At this point on the calendar that can only mean one thing: college baseball season is upon us.

The Arkansas Razorbacks will host the Illinois State Redbirds for a three-game set this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Redbirds have been picked by league coaches to finish top half of the Missouri Valley Conference. Their starting first baseman, Jake McCaw, and starting centerfielder, Ryan Cermak, were both voted to the preseason all-league team. In his press conference yesterday, though, it was the Illinois State pitching staff that Arkansas’s skipper Dave Van Horn mentioned. Compared to the Hogs, DVH says ISU looks to be more settled on the mound.

You look at Illinois State, they got two of their starters back and their closer’s now their number three starter. So they know where they’re at.

You can watch Van Horn’s full Thursday press conference here.

 

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.

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.

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.