Arkansas completed it’s fifth scrimmage of the preseason on Monday, getting a glimpse of what the season holds.
The Arkansas baseball team is beginning to ramp up toward Opening Day on Feb. 16, and held it’s fifth open scrimmage of the preseason on Monday afternoon.
The intrasquad clash lasted just four innings, but gave a glimpse of the young, yet loaded, roster. The White team benefited from three home runs to beat the Cardinal team, 10-7.
The two biggest standouts of the day were returning senior third-baseman Peyton Holt and incoming sophomore shortstop Wehiwa Aloy.
Holt, a 5-foot-10 Greenwood product, had two homeruns in two at-bats, with three RBIs for the Cardinal, including a mammoth 415-foot shot over the left field wall in the first inning. He and Richmond-transfer Jared Sprague-Lott then launched back-to-back dingers in the third.
Aloy, a 6-foot-2 shortstop, transferred in from Sacramento State this season and has already flashed his bat and glove. The native Hawaiian went 2-for-3 for the White on Monday, with a 417-foot bomb and three RBIs. He has gone 7 for 12 in the scrimmages, with a walk, four runs scored and six RBIs.
Arkansas did get a bit of a scare when junior second-baseman Peyton Stovall was hit in the foot by a pitch, leading off the bottom of the first. He continued to hit in the game, going 2 for 3 with an RBI, but was replaced by a pinch-runner each time he reached first.
Head Coach Dave Van Horn sent five freshman pitchers to the mound, including both starters, left-hander Colin Fisher for the White team, and righty Tate McGuire for the Cardinal.
Both youngsters struggled early, as Fisher surrendering the three-run homer to Holt, and McGuire gave up four earned runs in the first, including Aloy’s long ball. Fellow freshman Diego Ramos relieved McGuire with two out in the first and promptly gave up a 388-foot, two-run homer to sophomore infielder Reese Robinett. Ramos then struck out Hunter Grimes to end the inning.
All four of the primary catchers got base hits in the game, as seniors Parker Rowland and Hudson Polk, and freshman Ryder Helfrick, each smashed doubles. Junior Hudson White had a single, but also scored a pair of runs. Helfrick also showed his defensive prowess by throwing out a base-runner at second-base.
Van Horn confirmed that this was the most depth at catcher that he has ever had here, and is still unsure what each player’s role will be.
“Usually you just hope that you have one real good one, and then one that’s going to be,” Van Horn said. “But having, really, four guys that can catch is a great situation, but it’s also a hard situation.”
Arkansas will open the season at Baum-Walker Stadium on Feb. 16, in the first of a four-game series with James Madison.
