Arkansas’ Smith picks up SEC award
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas ace Hagen Smith has been named the 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year.
Smith, the third Razorback in program history to be named the conference’s Pitcher of the Year, has made his case as the best pitcher in all of college baseball this season, posting a 9-0 record with a 1.52 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 77 innings over 14 start.
The Bullard, Texas, native currently leads the country in ERA (1.52), hits allowed per nine innings (4.1) and strikeouts per nine (17.5).
Seven Hogs were named to All-SEC teams by the league’s head coaches, led by Smith’s first-team selection at starting pitcher and Peyton Stovall and Wehiwa Aloy’s second-team recognition at second base and shortstop, respectively.
Smith, who earned first-team honors from the conference for the second consecutive season, is the second two-time first team AllSEC starting pitcher in school history.
Aloy and Stovall, the 58th and 59th All-SEC selections in program history, made up one of the best middle infields in the country.
Aloy, the only Razorback to start all 55 regular-season games, slashed .276/.368/.495 with a team-high 12 home runs and 54 RBI on the year, while Stovall, who missed the first 12 games of the campaign due to a preseason injury, slashed a team-leading .339/.404/.548 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.
Pitcher Gabe Gaeckle and infielder Nolan Souza both garnered Freshman All-SEC praise, while third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott and outfielder Peyton Holt were named to the SEC All-Defensive team.