Arkansas' weekend rotation set for College Baseball Showdown
The Diamond Hogs will begin their season at the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas, this weekend and head coach Dave Van Horn announced the team’s starting rotation Wednesday.
Sophomore lefty Hagen Smith will start Friday night against the Texas Longhorns, senior right-hander Will McEntire will get the nod Saturday night against TCU and junior lefty Hunter Hollan will start his first game as a Razorback on Sunday afternoon against Oklahoma State.
For the second straight year, Arkansas lost its projected ace to a preseason UCL injury when news broke Thursday that junior right-hander Jaxon Wiggins will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL, which likely means that his career as a Hog is over.
Righty Connor Noland was thrown into the Friday night role when Peyton Pallette suffered a preseason UCL injury last season, and this year Smith will have the same fate as Noland.
As a freshman in 2022, Smith was Arkansas’ Saturday starter for a majority of the season. The 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound native of Bullard, Texas, earned Freshman All-SEC honors after he went 7-2 with a 4.66 ERA, 90 strikeouts, 46 walks and two saves in 77.1 innings.
Smith’s fastball has heat, his breaking ball has improved and he’s added a cutter to his repertoire. He was named preseason First Team All-SEC by the coaches and Perfect Game listed him as a preseason Second Team All-American.
After not throwing until April 12 last season, McEntire was one of Arkansas’ most reliable arms down the stretch. He logged a pair of starts in the postseason that went extremely well.
McEntire’s first postseason start was in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, when he threw 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless ball, allowing just three hits and striking out four. His next start came against Auburn in the College World Series, and he allowed just one run on three hits, while striking out nine in seven innings.
Entering last year, the expectations for McEntire obviously weren’t as high as they are going into the 2023 season. He told reporters on Saturday that he’s not worried about that.
“I’d say I’m more ready now,” McEntire said. “As in like, I’m more confident in myself knowing that I’m going to try and get off on the right foot right off the bat in the season, instead of being halfway through the season. I have a better routine, I’m more confident in myself and I’m just excited.”
McEntire said he’s improved with locating pitches in the strike zone better, and he also mentioned that he’s developed his changeup more and he plans to use it at a higher rate than he did last year.
Hollan is a new face as a transfer from San Jacinto College, but the scouts already know his name. MLB.com lists the left-hander as its No. 81 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft. He said there is no added pressure for him to succeed, even with the lofty expectations.
“I’ve always wanted to be in this position,” Hollan said Jan. 27. “Now that I’m here, I’m going to go get it. Honestly, I’m grateful for it. Hopefully I just keep on doing what I’m doing and everything else will work itself out.”
As a sophomore in 2022, Hollan started 18 games and posted a 9-3 record with a 3.59 ERA, 96 strikeouts and 28 walks in 80.1 innings of work.
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Hollan in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but he turned them down to go the JUCO route. He’s added velocity to the fastball and his curveball is nasty. He will also mix in a changeup and a slider, both of which sit in the low-mid 80s.
"Hunter is a strike-throwing lefty," Van Horn said Wednesday. "I don’t feel like he’s intimidated by too much. He knows this is a big year for him personally. He’s worked extremely hard and takes it serious. He wants to have a big year."
Arkansas’ first matchup at Globe Life Field in Arlington will be against the Texas Longhorns at 7 p.m. CT Friday. The game will be streamed on FloSports.