Arkansas set to host first baseball practice of season
FAYETTEVILLE — Northwest Arkansas has known nothing much more than snow, ice, rain and cold for the first three weeks of 2024, but the calendar says it’s time for college baseball practices to start, and when the Arkansas Razorbacks get going it’s a big deal.
The defending SEC champion University of Arkansas is No. 2 in Perfect Game and No. 3 in D1Baseball in preseason rankings under 22nd year Coach Dave Van Horn. The Razorbacks went 43-18 last season while winning the SEC for the second time in three years and the SEC West for the fourth time in the last five years.
The Razorbacks will open practice today with a first pitch at 2 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium with a slight break in the weather, take Saturday off then really get going next week with a better forecast on the horizon.
Speaking of forecasts, the Razorbacks, who have participated in the College World Series three of the last five full seasons, are again well regarded despite losing six starting position players.
“We’ve been very fortunate that some of the freshmen have developed into good sophomores and now they’re good juniors,” Van Horn said on a video conference on Thursday. “And our pitching staff, our young guys have gotten better, we’ve plugged in a portal guy here and there, starter, reliever.
“Then position player-wise, through the portal we’ve gone and gotten a few guys that look like they’re going to be good players for us. I just think the polls reflect that a little bit. They feel it’s good and it’s deep and there’s a lot of potential there with the offense.”
The Razorbacks could be sitting on one of their top pitching staffs ever with holdovers like Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart, Will McEntire, Gage Wood and others supplemented by a supremely talented class of arms such as likely left-handed starter Mason Molina, Gabe Gaeckle, Tate McGuire, Hunter Dietz and a deep cast.
Arkansas will open spring semester practices relatively healthy, with second baseman Peyton Stovall (torn labrum) and pitcher Koty Frank (torn lat muscle) recovered from injuries. The 6-6 lefty Dietz could be ready by April and pitchers Dylan Carter and Adam Hachman are well advanced in their rehab efforts from ligament surgeries.
Van Horn said returning pitchers like Ben Bybee, Parker Coil, Jake Faherty and Cooper Dossett have made big jumps during the offseason, adding further layers to the number of pitchers competing for innings.
The Razorbacks plan to test a lot of them during the season-opening fourgame set against James Madison Feb. 16-19 followed by an appearance at the College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas, against Oregon State, Oklahoma State and Michigan.
The Razorbacks look set at a few spots with Stovall at second, Wehiwa Aloy at shortstop, Kendall Diggs in right field and Ty Wilmsmeyer in center. Texas Tech transfer catcher Hudson White had a big fall at a crowded spot.
Ongoing battles are in place particularly at first and third base and left field.
At first base, Ben McLaughlin and Jack Wagner provide left- and right-handed bats and could wind up in a platoon. Jayson Jones, Will Edmundson and Ross Lovich have been working in left field and Jones is among several players who could play third base along with Peyton Holt and transfer Jared Sprague-Lott, who Van Horn said might be the most versatile infielder.
Asked what he wanted to see before Opening Day, Van Horn brought up chemistry on the infield, particularly between Stovall and Aloy.
“Getting Stovall back, man he’s been amazing,” Van Horn said. “Fielding, accuracy of his arm has been great. Getting him and Wehiwa to play together, play catch together every day, get to know each other. That’s one thing, because you just want the middle infielders to just kind of know what they’re doing before it happens. Just getting that infield squared away.”
Van Horn said he thinks the mix of right-handed and left-handed arms, both starters and in the bullpen, could be something special.
The lefties Smith and Molina could be weekend aces with the righthander Tygart and lots of other possibilities to fill in starts and relief roles.
“[We] took a step forward this year with returning some really good pitchers, bringing in some really good young freshman pitchers that I truly believe are going to help us this year,” Van Horn said. “I mentioned their names, I didn’t say their roles, but talked about the bullpen a little bit. But they’re going to be starters here one day, maybe a couple of them this year.”