Considering the circumstances, Hunter Hollan may have assembled the best outing by a Razorback pitcher all season Sunday against South Carolina.
Those in the SEC office certainly seemed to think so, as they announced the left-hander as the conference's Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Hollan becomes the second Arkansas hurler to claim that honor in 2023, joining righty Will McEntire, who also earned the honor with a one-run complete game against Louisiana Tech on March 11.
After surrendering a leadoff homer in the third inning, Hollan had the Gamecocks in the palm of his hand for the last six. He retired 19 straight batters before allowing a fifth hit with two strikes and two outs in the ninth. A season-high 10 hitters went down on strikes against the southpaw, and he collected his seventh win of the campaign while shrinking his ERA to 3.75.
"Really the story of the day obviously was Hunter Hollan," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said Sunday. "He was amazing. He gave up a home run to, I think, the eight-hole hitter, and he was lights out after that, honestly."
Hollan's effort came in a crucial spot, as the Razorbacks were facing just their second SEC rubber match at home. No. 6 South Carolina posed a formidable challenge, but the junior was up to the task, despite a lingering nerve issue in his left knee.
"Today I felt good," Hollan said Sunday. "I felt good, but I’ll pay for it tomorrow."
Infielders were on their toes all afternoon, as Hollan lived in the strike zone. Eighty of his 113 pitches were strikes, which is more than 70%.
"We were up on our feet, we kind of thought it could come to us at any point," third baseman Caleb Cali said, "and we were trying to make every single play for this guy because he’s throwing such a gem."
The complete game encapsulated Arkansas' collective pitching performance throughout the series. The Gamecocks earned just five runs all weekend, tying a season-low against the Hogs.
Next up for Hollan and the No. 2 Razorbacks are the No. 12 Vanderbilt Commodores, who just suffered a sweep at the hands of No. 4 Florida. Some combination of three Arkansas wins and Gator losses will result in the Diamond Hogs' second SEC crown in three years. The series in Nashville, Tennessee, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT Thursday on the SEC Network.
