The No. 3 Arkansas baseball team is just two days away from the beginning of the 2024 season, but there are still a few question marks surrounding the construction of the Diamond Hogs' batting order.
With junior second baseman Peyton Stovall expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a broken right foot, a chain reaction of lineup changes has fans wondering where their favorite players will be slotted when the Razorbacks take on James Madison in a four-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium this weekend.
Head coach Dave Van Horn previously stated that Stovall was going to be Arkansas' leadoff hitter, so to reconcile that, the esteemed skipper is planning to "move everybody up" in the lineup.
"We’ll probably hit our catcher (Hudson White) leadoff," Van Horn said on Wednesday. "Might be the first time I’ve ever done that. White’s a tough out if he’s catching. If he’s not catching, then we’ll flip it around. But if White’s not catching, he’ll be DHing on Friday or Saturday. That’s what we’re looking like. Probably I’ll go left after that and then right, then left and then pretty much right after that.
"If Stovall was in the lineup, he might be hitting leadoff for us and then you go left-right-left-right-left-right probably and then you shuffle a few right-handers at the end. If we get into the game and we feel like the righties are struggling with the right-handers, then I’ll bring a couple of these lefties off the bench and let them hit."
Through Arkansas' recent spring scrimmages, White slashed .304/.333/.348 with seven hits, one double, six RBIs, three strikeouts and one walk in 23 at-bats, according to stats compiled by Arkansas media members. He may not be a conventional leadoff man, but his experienced bat should help set the table for what could be one of the most dangerous top-of-the orders in the SEC.
Assuming the Razorbacks do look at a left-hander for the two-hole, right fielder Kendall Diggs makes the most sense to fill in at that position. Named to the Coaches Preseason All-SEC First Team, Diggs is one of the best-kept secrets in college baseball after finishing the 2023 season with a .299 average, 12 home runs and a team-leading 63 RBIs.
After Diggs, look for Sacramento State short-stop transfer Wehiwa Aloy to bring a power bat to the three-hole. Named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA, Aloy has been by far and away Arkansas' best hitter in the spring with a .474 average and nine hits, one double, four home runs, eight RBIs, three strikeouts and two walks.
Continuing with Van Horn's ideal right-left alternating lineup structure, the only lefty that makes sense for the cleanup spot is first baseman Ben McLaughlin. In his first year with the Razorbacks last season, the former JUCO standout raked with a .346 average and just 11 strikeouts to 11 walks. He didn't show a lot of pop in his bat, but Van Horn expects that to change in 2024.
"We’re excited that we’re going to have him plugged in the middle of our lineup, because I think he’s going to drive in a lot of runs," Van Horn said at February's Swatter's Club luncheon. "He’s a contact guy. He’s got some power. He caught one pretty good the other day and hit it over my office so that was kind of fun to watch. Coach Hobbs didn't like it much but I kind of liked that."
After the top four hitters, things start to get murky. Do the Hogs turn to spark-plug Peyton Holt? What about the versatile power bat in Tarleton State transfer Jack Wagner? No matter what Van Horn decides on, multiple changes throughout the non-conference should be expected.
"Again, I told the team yesterday the lineup will change throughout the year," Van Horn said. "Just because you make the starting lineup Day one doesn’t mean you’re going to be there in the 15th game. So you’ve got to keep working. I can’t say that one individual has really jumped himself up. I think there’s been some separation already going into spring."
To close out the bottom third of the lineup, the most likely answer is some combination of Richmond transfer utility infielder Jared Sprague-Lott, left fielder Jayson Jones and Missouri transfer center fielder Ty Wilmsmeyer.
"I think for the last two weekends I’ve kind of put together the starting lineup a couple of times and the lineup has done pretty well and outscored the other team pretty good, which is a good thing," Van Horn said. "It doesn’t mean everybody in the lineup has done great, but as a team they played pretty well together."
Arkansas will host James Madison at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday for Opening Day. The first game of the season is set for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch and it will be streamed on the SEC Network+.
