Catching up with former Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight
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Former Arkansas pitcher Blaine Knight is a player who fans remember because of how well he performed with the Razorbacks and his role in leading them to the brink of a national title in 2018.
Finishing his career with a 3.01 ERA in 251 1/3 innings, he could have left Arkansas a year earlier than he did when the Texas Rangers picked him in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, but he opted to return to school for his junior year.
What followed was one of the most legendary seasons in UA history, as he went 14-0 with a 2.80 ERA in 19 starts, earning second-team All-SEC honors and a spot on the College World Series All-Tournament Team. That led to him being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Last season, Knight pitched for the Orioles' Class A-Advanced affiliate Fredrick Keys, where he struggled to a 1-12 record and 6.13 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 39 walks over 83 2⁄3 innings.
He did not make the Orioles' initial roster for the shortened season that is getting underway amid the coronavirus pandemic, but they haven't filled out the entire 60-man roster and it's still possible he could be added.
Despite the minor league season being canceled, he said he feels like he'll be able to work on his craft and improve while he is home in Arkansas waiting on a potential call to join the team.
“As far as baseball stands, there is nothing we can do about it,” Knight said. “The minor league side is going to suffer just because of how the game is played and where the money is at, and everything else. It is what it is.
"All of us are just looking forward to getting back on the field, whether they need us in big league coverage this year or they’re starting spring training over again or instructs this offseason, or whatever.”
Knight said a lot of minor league players are waiting for the opportunity to get back with their teams.
“I know a lot of the minor league guys and we’re all itching to get back,” said Knight. “It’s been a long time since we really got to do anything because spring training was cut so short, and we didn’t really get to do a whole lot. We are looking forward to that.”
In the meantime, he has been throwing weekly bullpen sessions and making the trip to Fayetteville once or twice a week to work out while he's been home.
Coming off a rough 2019 season, Knight has been able to hit the reset button and prepare for what he hopes to be a bounce-back year.
“Since I’ve been home, I’ve really got back to the old style of me pitching the way I did in college," Knight said. "I’ve gotten to work with my catcher again from college and he kind of reminded me of some things I got away from.
"It wasn’t on purpose or anything like that, it’s just what happens. You get into professional baseball and things get sped up on you then you lose track of yourself. It’s almost been kind of a blessing to me in disguise. I’m able to get back at doing what I do best.”
Knight said working with his catcher - Grant Koch - and other former teammates has helped him refocus and get back to being the pitcher he was when he left Arkansas.
“Just being able to get back with Grant again – me and Grant have known one another for a long time and he’s caught me for a long time,” Knight said. “To have a familiar face catching me again and someone who knows me really well catching me again is nice. In pro ball you’re not always that lucky.
"Having the year I had last year - starting off good then ending on a bad note - had me questioning some stuff, and I was trying to press the panic button to change some stuff and fix some stuff in a hurry, and in reality I didn’t need to. Being able to go back up there to see Grant and see my former teammates and have them remind me that I didn’t need to change anything just get back to what I was doing. As we worked on that and got to it my stuff has gradually come back and I’m back like I was.”
Another shot in the arm came when Knight saw Heston Kjerstad - who was a freshman on the 2018 College World Series team - get selected second overall by the Orioles in the 2020 MLB Draft.
It won't come this year because the minor league season has been canceled, but the pair could reunite at some point in Baltimore's farm system.
“I talked to Heston the day before the draft and then the day he got picked and I told him I was super excited for him,” Knight said. “I don’t think there was a kid more deserving on the planet than Heston. He is a hard worker and a great kid, and he can flat swing it.
"I think he was definitely worth the No. 2 pick overall. I think he is the best power hitter and lefty bat in the draft this year. I’m super excited for him, and I’m looking forward to playing with him again because I really didn’t want to have to face him.”
He also spoke about some of the things that stand out in his mind as his favorite things he experienced while he played at Arkansas.
“Those three years I spent were the best years of my life," Knight said. "They are three years I’d love to go back and do all over again. I miss being a Hog and being able to wear that uniform and being able to represent our state and do what we did. It was a blast.
"(Dave) Van Horn was incredible, Coach (Wes) Johnson was incredible, Coach (Nate) Thompson, Coach (Tony) Vitello when I had him. You go to Arkansas and you get a solid, solid experience, and I will be forever grateful for them giving the opportunity to go there and experience that and to be able to produce for them.”
The run to the College World Series finals in 2018, despite it not ending the way they had hoped, will always be one of Knight's favorite memories.
Arkansas fans remember his undefeated record on the mound, but he was quick to shift the credit to his teammates.
“It was what we did as a team," Knight said. "Individual stats are what they are, but if it wasn’t for that team, I wouldn’t have had those individual stats. Those guys backed me up all year long and I can’t thank them enough for that.”
As memorable as his final few starts in Omaha were, though, Knight said his first start with the Razorbacks sticks out the most.
A freshman who wasn't highly recruited, he said felt like "everybody kind of counted me out," so he had something to prove.
“Everybody thought I was going to end up going to a JUCO, and I buckled down and was able to win a weekend spot as a freshman and threw on Saturdays," Knight said. "That first start that I got that opening weekend is the one that is going to stick out to me forever because I was like ‘I did it!’ I finally was able to do one of my lifelong dreams of being able to wear that jersey and pitch on that mound at Baum Stadium. That’s the one that will stick out to me forever.”
Blaine’s younger brother, Braden, has graduated high school and will attend National Park Junior College in Hot Springs after going through his own recruiting process.
That process will start over again for the younger Knight, and big brother has been working to offer him some advice as he prepares to begin his college career.
“He’s just got to buckle down," Knight said. "Just because you get there doesn’t mean the work is over. The work is just starting. Everything you’ve done prior to this point in some people’s eyes you may have done okay, but in reality you haven’t done a whole lot.
"College ball is a completely different ball game, then you jump into pro ball and it is even more different than that. Each level you step up, the work gets harder, you have to work more, you have to do more, and you have to prove yourself more to everybody. I just told him to stick to himself, stick to what he does best and show that you’re supposed to be there. You go out and try to cut people’s throats and beat guys out and show them what you can do and it’s going to be a good career for you.”
That mentality led to a great career and legendary final season with the Razorbacks for Knight and he's hoping to use this time off to get back to that level of play in professional baseball.
“This period of time can be a detriment to guys or it can be a good thing for guys,” said Knight. “Right now I’m treating it as it’s giving me the opportunity to get back what I lost last year and I’m on the right track with it. I’ve gained a lot back, and I’m still not done yet.
"I’ve still got a lot of work to do to get back like I was in college, but I’m a lot closer than I was. I’m just treating this time to get back to myself, get 100 percent back, and stay ready just in case I do get a phone call and just stay ready for when they need me again. I just want to carry what I’ve built up in this dead period time into next season and hit the ground running like I did last year, just not have the drop off.”
