A 'coach's dream': Hagen Smith pumps gas in 14-strikeout game
Arkansas junior left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith pumped gas and took names in the Razorbacks' 10-3 win over No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, on Friday.
When asked about Smith in the middle of the game, head coach Dave Van Horn referred to the hurler as "a coach's dream."
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound ace was electric all throughout the ballgame, as he racked up 14 strikeouts with only three hits, two walks and one earned run in six innings of work against the Wildcats.
"Like I told the team, great pitching performance by Hagen," Van Horn said after the game. "A lot of contributions offensively up and down the lineup. It was just a really good team win on the road. Hagen’s stuff was amazing, especially from about the third inning on. He ramped it up a little bit. He was amazing."
It was Smith's ninth double-digit strikeout game of the year — a single-season program record for Arkansas. His 14 punchouts were the most since recording 17 in a dazzling performance against Oregon State on Feb. 23.
"I thought I threw the ball well," Smith said after the game. "There was few guys or an inning where I kind of lost my stuff, walked a few guys or I think I walked a guy, can’t remember what exactly happened. Defense played really well behind me and the offense was unbelievable tonight."
Smith's lone earned run probably shouldn't have even happened, as a missed tag by second baseman Peyton Stovall in the bottom of the third for the would-be final out was followed up with a run-scoring double.
"What I saw was a guy who was determined to not let them score," Van Horn said. "It was great to see. He got after them."
Following his performance, Smith raised his season ERA to 1.36 and he has now recorded 125 strikeouts, 25 walks and 29 hits allowed in 66 innings pitched.
“I mean, 14 punches tonight," right fielder Kendall Diggs said after the game. "It’s just nothing new, right? But no, it’s always an amazing feeling. It’s always fun to play defense behind him. I’m really happy that the offense went out there and gave him some runs to work with tonight.”
Up next, the No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks (40-7, 17-5 SEC) will face off against No. 8 Kentucky for a potential series win on Saturday in Lexington, Kentucky. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT and it will stream on SEC Network+.