He may have an ‘L’ next to his name on Thursday’s box score, but that certainly isn’t indicative of how Connor Noland pitched in what could be his final appearance in an Arkansas uniform.
Despite pitching on short rest, the former quarterback-turned-ace gave the Razorbacks a chance by limiting the eventual national champs to two runs in eight innings, but their season still came to an end with a 2-0 loss to Ole Miss in the College World Series semifinals.
“He pitched his heart out for us just like he did all year,” teammate Cayden Wallace said. “We knew he was on short rest. We knew he was going to give it everything he's got, just like he does every outing.
“Our offense and defense knew he was going to give up the littlest amount of runs possible. He's been a great leader for us all year and has been a huge role in our success.”
Noland had just held No. 2 Stanford’s potent offense to two runs in 7 2/3 innings the previous Sunday and, with only four days off, sliced up the Rebels’ dangerous lineup.
Ole Miss managed seven hits, but several either deflected off or just missed the gloves of Arkansas’ infielders — including Kevin Graham’s fourth-inning RBI double, which was the only extra-base hit of the game after grazing Peyton Stovall’s glove.
In the seventh inning, the Rebels’ back-to-back singles included a sharp grounder that got under a diving Wallace and a would-be double-play ball that beat the shift.
Those were the only two innings Noland didn’t face the minimum, as he had four perfect innings and another two 1-2-3 innings with the help of a double play.
“He had that curveball working, his cutter and would throw the fastball in there, too, to keep you off balance,” Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko said. “Just hat's off to him. He pitched really well. Kept us on our toes.”
It was the fourth straight excellent start by Noland in the postseason, which was a dramatic turnaround from how he ended the regular season.
Once seemingly a lock to earn All-SEC honors, as he was putting up numbers similar to Isaiah Campbell in 2019, the Greenwood native struggled mightily down the stretch.
Six weeks into the Razorbacks’ conference slate, Noland had a 2.54 overall ERA and was even better in SEC play. In six conference starts, he had a 1.93 ERA while holding opponents to a .178 batting average in nearly 6 1/3 innings per outing.
His next five starts were significantly worse than that. Even with an eight-inning outing against Ole Miss, he averaged just under 5 1/3 innings and posted a 7.62 ERA. Opponents hit .343 and slugged .500 against him.
“I think Connor got a little tired,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “He just hit the wall there about three-quarters of the way through the season and had a couple, three bad weekends — not really bad, he just didn't throw as good as he normally does. He got hit around a little bit and he wasn't commanding his fastball.”
There was a stretch during the season when Noland threw 90-plus pitches in 10 of 11 starts, but his outings at Alabama and against Florida in the SEC Tournament lasted just 81 and 73 pitches, respectively.
Those shorter starts seemed to reinvigorate him as postseason play began. Noland lasted at least 6 2/3 innings in each of his four NCAA Tournament starts and posted an ERA of 1.53 in 29 1/3 innings. The talented lineups of Grand Canyon, North Carolina, Stanford and Ole Miss went just 25 for 106 (.236) with him on the mound.
“I think getting him out of the game early probably got him the rest he needed and he flipped the switch there,” Van Horn said. “I mean, he's a good athlete. He's a competitor. Once he got the rest, I think he bounced back and just did what physically he could do, and he did it.”
It’s unlikely that Noland will be mentioned in the same breath as his predecessors, but his postseason play showed he is at least worthy of inclusion when discussing the Razorbacks’ best pitchers in recent memory.
He hit a rough patch during the regular season that Arkansas fans haven’t been used to seeing, but when pitching on the biggest stage, Noland put up numbers and performances comparable to the likes of Blaine Knight, Isaiah Campbell and Kevin Kopps.
Although he could technically return as a super senior in 2023, Noland is No. 468 on Baseball America’s list of the top 500 prospects, so he’ll likely hear his name called during next month’s MLB Draft.
His comments immediately following the loss seem to indicate he’ll move on and begin his professional career, as he openly discussed his legacy. As good as they may be, Noland doesn’t want to be remembered for his numbers or accomplishments.
“Just to make it to Omaha is a tough feat, so I think for myself, I just want to be a leader,” Noland said. “My freshman year, Isaiah Campbell was a big role model for me, and I got to see him lead that team.
“I just hope that the players here, they think the same — that I was a good leader, a good person, taught them about the game. That's really the most important thing.”
