5/2/2020 baseball Edit

Diamond Hogs land grad transfer from Houston

Lael Lockhart has been Houston's No. 1 starter for two years. (Houston Athletics)

Andrew Hutchinson • HawgBeat

Managing Editor

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For the third straight offseason, Dave Van Horn has bolstered his roster with a graduate transfer.

Former top-300 recruit Lael Lockhart Jr., who spent the last four years at Houston as a two-way player, announced he would play his final season at Arkansas via Twitter on Friday.

After beginning his career as primarily a switch-hitting utility man, even earning second-team All-AAC honors as a sophomore in 2018, Lockhart became the Cougars’ Friday night starter early last season. The left-handed has held that role ever since, including for four weeks this year until the season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lockhart was a senior this year, but is taking advantage of the eligibility relief granted to all spring sports by the NCAA last month. As a graduate transfer, he’ll be immediately eligible.

In his four starts before the 2020 season was called off, which included a pair against ranked teams, Lockhart was 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA, 19 strikeouts and eight walks in 17 2/3 innings.

The last time he played a full season was in 2019 and he posted a 4-6 record with a 3.58 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 31 walks in 83 innings as Houston’s ace.

Lockhart’s best collegiate season was his all-conference 2018 campaign, when he hit .297/.425/.419 with three home runs, 44 RBIs and a team-high 47 walks while also notching three saves on the mound. That came after a freshman year in which he started 52 games and hit .276/.393/.356 without making a single pitching appearance.

Over the last four years, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Lockhart has started games at first base and both corner outfield spots while also serving as a designated hitter and pitching.

He comes to Arkansas with postseason experience, as well. Houston won The American regular-season and postseason titles his freshman year, earning the right to host a regional, and then won the regular-season crown again his sophomore year to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

As a recruit, Lockhart was the No. 279 overall prospect in the Class of 2016, according to Perfect Game, coming out of Friendswood, Texas. He was also considered the top first baseman in the Lone Star State.

Considering his role as the Cougars’ ace the last two seasons, Lockhart will presumably join Arkansas’ pitching staff as an experienced left-handed arm.

The Razorbacks are expected to return sophomores Connor Noland (2-0, 2.00 ERA) and Patrick Wicklander (2-2, 6.32) from their weekend rotation, but the third starter was very much still in flux when the season ended. Redshirt sophomore Caleb Bolden (1-0, 1.12) and junior Kole Ramage (1-1, 4.40) each made multiple starts. Of those four, all but Wicklander are draft eligible this summer, albeit not likely to be selected in a shortened MLB Draft.

In addition to Wicklander, the only left-handers on the staff who threw meaningful innings this season were sophomore Caden Monke (2.53 ERA, 10 2/3 IP) and freshman Zack Morris (3.18 ERA, 5 2/3 IP). Sophomores Liam Henry, Hunter Milligan and Evan Taylor, and freshman Corey Spain were also on the roster, but did not pitch much or at all.

Transfers have been hit-and-miss for the Razorbacks in recent years.

Two years ago, Trevor Ezell returned to his home state as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Southeast Missouri State. He was a key member of a College World Series team, earning second-team All-SEC honors and a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team as a first baseman.

In 2016, Doug Willey made the jump from DII Franklin Pierce to the SEC as a graduate transfer and was a key bullpen arm for Arkansas.

Last season, Cole Austin was the Razorbacks’ lone senior as a graduate transfer from Arizona State. Like Ezell, he moved to first base a few weeks before the season and played solid defense, but struggled at the plate (.191/.269/.298).

Arkansas has added a pair of traditional transfers from TCU the last few years, but Zack Plunkett was a lightly used backup catcher and Coby Boulware transferred after his sit-out year. Next season, right-hander Miller Pleimann (Wichita State) and infielder Cullen Smith (East Tennessee State) will be eligible after sitting out in 2020.