Grad transfer RHP Issac Bracken discusses decision, role at Arkansas

Growing up and playing in Colorado his whole life, Issac Bracken has gotten used to the fact that the thin air of the Rocky Mountains isn’t friendly to pitchers.

Even decent contact by opposing hitters might be enough to get the ball over the fence - especially at a park like Northern Colorado’s that plays tiny to left - which can inflate your ERA.

So when given an opportunity to finish his career at Arkansas as a graduate transfer, the right-hander took advantage of the chance to satisfy his desire to play in the south - something he got a taste of with the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League in North Carolina last summer.

“When people would hit the ball, a lot of them in Colorado would just fly out,” Bracken said. “But we had guys catching them in the outfield (in North Carolina), which is an awesome feeling.”

Much like fellow graduate transfer Lael Lockhart Jr. from Houston, a perfect confluence of things had to happen to make it possible for Bracken to come to Arkansas.

A weekend starter for the Bears since his freshman year, this was supposed to be Bracken’s final collegiate season. He got off to a solid start, going 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA, 19 strikeouts and only five walks in 25 1/3 innings across four starts, before the coronavirus pandemic halted sports across the country.

Bracken got the news from his coach while eating at a restaurant with his teammates, but he said it took some time for him to process it. For a while, he was worried that his career was over, but those fears thankfully didn’t come to fruition, as the NCAA granted eligibility relief to all spring athletes.

With a business accounting degree in hand, Bracken decided to take advantage of the extra year and enter the transfer portal.

“As soon as I heard that, I wanted to go experience something new,” Bracken said. “Just try grad school at a different place because I think it’s good to experience some different areas, not spend your whole life in one area like I have been.”

Several schools reached out when his name popped up in the portal, but he used some old-fashioned connections to get in touch with the Razorbacks.

The volunteer assistant at Northern Colorado is Shane Opitz, the older brother of Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz. Bracken said he talked to the elder Opitz about it and then he put him in touch with Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs.

“He called Coach Hobbs for me and from there, Hobbs looked at video of me and I started talking to him,” Bracken said. “I heard a podcast Hobbs did and I really like his philosophy. I love the facilities there and I’ve always wanted to play in the south. After all of that, I was like, ‘Yeah, I think I want to go to Arkansas and be a Razorback.’”

Restrictions because of the coronavirus prevented him from visiting Fayetteville or meeting the coaches in person, but that didn’t make a difference. Despite never stepping foot in the Natural State and not having any other ties to the school, Bracken committed in mid-April.