Introducing Arkansas baseball's 2010s All-Decade Team

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The votes are in.

A week after releasing the ballot, HawgBeat has crunched the numbers and determined a 2010s All-Decade Team for Arkansas baseball.

We received an incredible 589 responses in the fan vote, which was combined for one ballot. It was thrown in with ballots of 17 media members, creating a total of 18 votes.

The 17 media ballots were cast by local newspaper, internet, television and radio personalities who regularly cover the team, current and former members of the Arkansas baseball radio broadcasts, members of the UA’s media relations department and even national college baseball media.

Without further ado, allow us to introduce Arkansas baseball’s 2010s All-Decade Team…

Years at Arkansas: 2009-11

Stats this decade: 120 G/117 GS, .296/.380/.455, 20 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 72 RBI, 67 R, 42 BB/54 K, 17 HBP, 14-22 SB, .993 FLD%

Notable: First and foremost, Van Horn wants a solid defensive catcher behind the plate. He had several of those over the past decade, but none also brought the offensive component that McCann brought. Grant Koch had the power - 22 career home runs - and usually had a pretty good average during the first half of the season, but wore down and ended up with a career .258 average. McCann hit just under .300 over his two seasons in this decade and also had power - as seen on his memorable walk-off home run against LSU in 2011.

That was the highlight of what proved to be McCann’s best season with the Razorbacks. He hit .306/.388/.469 with six home runs and 38 RBIs and even stole 11 bases in 2011. Defensively, he threw out 20 of 58 (34.5 percent) would-be base stealers - which is a great rate when compared to players not named Casey Opitz.

Professional success doesn’t factor into the All-Decade Team, but McCann also has that. He was named an MLB All-Star for the first time this season with the Chicago White Sox. That came after spending his first five big-league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, which picked him in the second round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

Receiving votes: Grant Koch (2)

Fan vote: McCann - 73.9%, Koch - 15.3%, Casey Opitz - 9.0%, Jake WIse - 1.5%, Tucker Pennel - 0.3%

Years at Arkansas: 2015-17

Stats this decade: 135 G/113 GS, .275/.362/.511, 22 2B, 3 3B, 26 HR, 105 RBI, 73 R, 51 BB/136 K, 12 HBP, 3-4 SB, .981 FLD%

Notable: Throughout the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Van Horn kept telling fans and media members alike about this guy who hit bombs during batting practice. However, Spanberger did more striking out than anything during his first two years at Arkansas, batting just .239 with 71 strikeouts in 209 at bats.

It seemed like he was destined to have a similar junior season until the light came on a few weeks into the year and he became one of the most feared hitters in the SEC. Spanberger got his batting average all the way up to .305 and had a team-high 67 RBIs. What everyone remembers, though, was his raw power. He became just the sixth player in UA history to hit 20 home runs in a season, with many of them moon shots. He earned SEC Tournament MVP honors despite the Razorbacks finishing runner-up because of a tear he had in which he had five home runs, two doubles and three walks in a span of 12 plate appearances. His final home run came in the Fayetteville Regional and traveled an estimated 472 feet.

That monster performance vaulted Spanberger up draft boards and made him a sixth-round pick by the Colorado Rockies. He has since been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays organization and is playing for Double-A New Hampshire.

Receiving votes: Dominic Ficociello (5), Trevor Ezell (2), Andy Wilkins (2)

Fan vote: Spanberger - 40.9%, Ficociello - 24.8%, Ezell - 18.2%, Wilkins - 12.9%, Clark Eagan - 1.7%, Eric Fisher - 0.7%, Cullen Gassaway/Jordan McFarland - 0.3%, Jared Gates - 0.2%

Years at Arkansas: 2015-18

Stats this decade: 219 G/185 GS, .316/.405/.523, 39 2B, 7 3B, 32 HR, 149 RBI, 149 R, 85 BB/202 K, 30 HBP, 16/28 SB, .943 FLD%

Notable: Although he’ll probably be remembered for being one of the three players involved in the foul pop up that cost Arkansas a national championship, Shaddy was a tremendous college baseball player. He always had the bat, but couldn’t find a position early in his career, bouncing between catcher, third base and all three outfield spots.

Finally, for his final two seasons, Shaddy settled in at second base and became a solid defender by the time he was a fifth-year senior. Excluding his redshirt junior season in which he hit .279 and his career batting average jumps up to .332. His best season was unquestionably 2018, as he hit .330 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs while helping Arkansas reach the College World Series finals. A Fayetteville native and second-generation Razorback baseball player, Shaddy was the heartbeat of that team and earned All-America and first-team All-SEC honors.

He was picked in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and spend just one season in the Washington Nationals system.

Receiving votes: Brian Anderson (3), Bo Bigham (1)

Fan vote: Shaddy - 56.2%, Anderson - 19.7%, Jack Kenley - 11.0%, Bigham - 9.5%, Rick Nomura - 3.1%, Jacob Mahan - 0.5%

Years at Arkansas: 2009-10

Stats this decade: 59 G/59 GS, .429/.505/.609, 14 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 67 R, 34 BB/37 K, 4 HBP, 11-12 SB, .912 FLD%

Notable: With a two-year Arkansas career that spanned two decades, Cox put together one of the best seasons in school history in 2010. Highlighted by a 24-game hitting streak, he notched a school-record 102 hits to also break the single-season school record for batting average.

At .429, Cox not only led the SEC in hitting, but posted the highest batting average in nine years for the conference. That helped him earn All-America and first-team All-SEC honors at third base.

The St. Louis Cardinals made him the sixth first-round pick in UA history when they took him with the 25th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. Although he never reached the big leagues, he did make it to Triple A in the Cardinals and Marlins organizations.

Receiving votes: Matt Reynolds (4), Casey Martin (1)

Fan vote: Cox - 49.9%, Martin - 22.4%, Reynolds - 15.8%, Bobby Wernes - 7.6%, Jacob Nesbit - 2.2%, Jared Gates - 2.0%

Years at Arkansas: 2018-19

Stats this decade: 133 G/128 GS, .314/.389/.551, 35 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR, 106 RBI, 117 R, 57 BB/143 K, 11 HBP, 18-21 SB, .910 FLD%

Notable: This was one of the tightest votes on the ballot. Martin edged out Jax Biggers 10-6 in the media vote, but Biggers squeaked by Martin 248-245 to earn the fan vote. Interestingly, their careers actually overlapped at Arkansas.

Martin began his career at third base because Biggers was the returning second-team All-SEC shortstop in 2018. Playing that position, Martin hit .345 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs to became a Freshman All-American and second-team All-SEC selection.

When Biggers left - as an eight-round draft pick by the Texas Rangers - Martin slid over to shortstop, as Van Horn liked the athleticism he brought to the position. Although his range was evident in some spectacular plays, he struggled with the routine ones and made an SEC-high 23 errors. Martin also experienced a sophomore slump, with his batting average dipping to .286 and strikeouts spiking to a school-record 79. However, he still hit 15 home runs - three of which were of the inside-the-park variety. Even with those struggles, Martin is still projected to be a first-round pick following his junior season.

Receiving votes: Jax Biggers (7), Tim Carver (1)

Fan vote: Biggers - 42.1%, Martin - 41.6%, Carver - 8.0%, Michael Bernal - 7.8%, Brett McAfee - 0.5%

Years at Arkansas: 2014-15

Stats this decade: 126 G/124 GS, .326/.431/.525, 21 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR, 84 RBI, 107 R, 74 BB/52 K, 15 HBP, 41-49 SB, .984 FLD%

Notable: One of only two truly unanimous selections on the All-Decade Team, Benintendi also garnered the highest percentage of fan votes at 97.6 percent. It’s easy to see why.

A prized recruit out of Cincinnati, Benintendi actually struggled as a freshman in 2014. He hit just .276 with only one home run and 27 RBIs. However, he played well enough to eventually take over the starting center field job and earn Freshman All-SEC accolades.

His sophomore season is what everyone remembers. Flirting with .400 late into the year, Benintendi finished the year hitting .376 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs while leading the Razorbacks to the College World Series. He also had 24 stolen bases, giving him college baseball’s first 20/20 season since 2009, before the bats were changed. That led to him receiving both of college baseball’s “Heisman Trophy” awards - the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Going seventh overall to the Boston Red Sox in the 2015 MLB Draft, Benintendi became just the third top-10 draft pick in school history. It took him only a year to reach the big leagues and he’s already won a World Series ring.

Years at Arkansas: 2008-10

Stats this decade: 60 G/58 GS, .333/.446/.718, 17 2B, 22 HR, 71 RBI, 66 R, 39 BB/55 K, 9 HBP, 3-3 SB, .986 FLD%

Notable: Much like Cox at third base, Eibner’s career actually began in the previous decade, but his best season came in 2010. Riding the momentum of his famous home run against Virginia at the College World Series the year before, he finally had a consistent year at the plate as a junior.

In addition to his .333 batting average, Eibner also hit 22 home runs and had 71 RBIs. Those are tied for the best single-season marks at Arkansas in the post-1990s Gorilla Ball era. When he wasn’t playing in center, Eibner was on the mound as one of the Razorbacks’ weekend starters. His numbers as a pitcher weren’t great (3-5, 4.34 ERA), but they were enough to help him earn All-America and second-team All-SEC honors as a utility player.

His bat also made him a second-round pick by the Kansas City Royals and took him to the big leagues, where he played parts of two seasons with the Royals, Athletics and Dodgers.

Fletcher

Years at Arkansas: 2017-19

Stats this decade: 194 G/189 GS, .298/.360/.497, 47 2B, 2 2B, 33 HR, 147 RBI, 143 R, 65 BB/143 K, 15 HBP, 4-9 SB, .981 FLD%

Kjerstad

Years at Arkansas: 2018-19

Stats this decade: 134 G/134 GS, .330/.409/.564, 29 2B, 1 3B, 31 HR, 109 RBI, 118 R, 47 BB/120 K, 30 HBP, 8-8 SB, .963 FLD%

Notable: This was such a close race that it actually ended in a tie, as Fletcher and Kjerstad each received 11 votes. If you combine their outfield and designated hitter votes, they were separated by only 33 votes - or just 5.6 percentage points - in the fan vote. It’s probably appropriate they tied because both are deserving of inclusion on the All-Decade Team.

Fletcher was a three-year starter in center field, where he routinely made difficult plays look easy and was named to the SEC’s All-Defensive Team twice. He was a good hitter his first two years, with a .290 batting average, but took it up a notch last season by hitting .313 and earning second-team All-SEC honors. With double-digit homers each year, Fletcher finished his career with 33 long balls - tied for 10th in UA history.

Kjerstad has played on either side of Fletcher, first in left and then in right field. However, he isn’t known for his defense. Rather, he has a chance to be the best hitter in school history. Already with 31 home runs, Kjerstad needs just 12 more to break the three-year record at Arkansas (held by Eibner, Andy Wilkins and Jeff King), plus he’s doing it while hitting at a .330 clip.

Receiving votes: Anderson (1), Tyler Spoon (1)

Fan vote: Benintendi - 97.6%, Fletcher - 67.2%, Eibner - 50.3%, Kjerstad - 43.0%, Spoon - 12.2%, Anderson - 9.0%, Eric Cole - 8.5%, Luke Bonfield/Joe Serrano - 3.2%, Matt Vinson - 1.9%, Collin Kuhn - 1.4%, Jake Arledge - 0.8%, Sam Bates - 0.7%, Christian Franklin - 0.5%, Eagan - 0.3%, Kyle Robinson - 0.2%

Years at Arkansas: 2012-14

Stats this decade: 171 G/157 GS, .318/.418/.467, 30 2B, 8 3B, 13 HR, 98 RBI, 109 R, 76 BB/109 K, 30 HBP, 17-23 SB, .932 FLD%

Notable: With so many great players to choose from, we opened up the All-Decade Team’s designated hitter spot to players of all positions. Luke Bonfield was a true designated hitter and got a lot of love with four media votes and finishing second in the fan vote, but Anderson edged him out.

It’s probably an appropriate pick because Anderson was one of the more versatile players at Arkansas over the past decade. He made a couple starts at DH, but also started games at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield. If this were an actual team, he could replace virtually anyone in the field in case of emergency.

On top of that, Anderson was an extremely consistent hitter. After hitting .283 as a freshman, he hit .325 and .328 the next two seasons. Despite not having a ton of power, Anderson still hit 13 home runs and used his speed with eight triples and 17 stolen bases.

The Miami Marlins took him in the third round of the 2014 MLB Draft and he finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last season.

Receiving votes: Bonfield (4), Eibner (3), Kjerstad (3), Fletcher (1), Spanberger (1), Wilkins (1)

Fan vote: Kjerstad - 20.7%, Bonfield - 18.7%, Matt Goodheart - 13.1%, Spanberger - 8.3%, Anderson/Benintendi - 4.6%, Eibner/Ezell - 3.9%, Wilkins - 3.6%, Cox - 3.4%, Other (30 players) - 15.2%

Years at Arkansas: 2016-18

Stats this decade: 54 G/42 GS, 24-5, 1 save, 3.01 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8.74 K/9IP, 2.11 BB/9IP, 4.14 K/BB, .240 opp. avg., 251 1/3 IP

Notable: Perhaps more than any sport, baseball has a unique relationship with numbers. The mere mention of 755, 61 or 56 - without labeling them with the statistic - brings to mind Hank Aaron, Roger Maris and Joe DiMaggio. For Arkansas fans, 14-0 is synonymous with Knight - the other truly unanimous selection on this team.

Already a good pitcher his first two years with the Razorbacks, Knight had an opportunity to leave school as a draft-eligible sophomore. However, the Bryant native turned down the money to return as the staff ace and try to win a national championship - and nearly did it.

In 2018, Knight won all 14 of his decisions while posting a 2.80 ERA in 112 1/3 innings. His school-record 14th victory came in Game 1 of the College World Series finals against Oregon State, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats.

The Baltimore Orioles took the All-American in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft and he’s currently picking for Single-A Advanced Frederick.

Years at Arkansas: 2011-13

Stats this decade: 48 G/45 GS, 22-8, 1 save, 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.19 K/9IP, 3.65 BB/9IP, 1.97 K/BB, .216 opp. avg., 254 IP

Notable: Nearly a unanimous selection for the All-Decade Team, Stanek almost didn’t make it to campus as a third-round pick out of high school. Van Horn and the Razorbacks had to sweat it out until the last minute, but he ultimately came to college and became a rare three-year weekend starter.

In his first two years at Arkansas, Stanek had a 3.27 ERA. He thought he might be a draft-eligible sophomore, but his birthday barely missed the deadline. Instead, he put together one of the most dominant seasons in school history on one of the most dominant pitching staffs in college baseball history.

As the ace of a staff that posted the lowest Division I team ERA in three decades, he went 10-2 with a minuscule 1.39 ERA while holding opponents to a .207 batting average. That cemented him as a first-round pick and he eventually helped the Tampa Bay Rays revolutionize the sport as a flame-throwing “opener” - essentially a closer who starts games. He was traded to the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline this week.

Years at Arkansas: 2016-19

Stats this decade: 50 G/51 GS, 20-9, 3.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 9.15 K/9IP, 2.57 BB/9IP, 3.56 K/BB, .229 opp. avg., 220 1/3 IP

Notable: As dominant as Knight was in 2018, Arkansas somehow had - statistically - an even more dominant ace this past season in Campbell. Much like his predecessor, he could have taken the money and turned pro earlier, but chose not to and it paid off in a big way.

Having missed almost the entire 2017 season because of an arm injury, Campbell returned to the mound as the Razorbacks’ No. 3 starter on the national runner-up team in 2018. Although he had some great moments, such as against Florida in Omaha, he was largely inconsistent and when the wheels fell off, they fell off in a hurry.

Instead of beginning his professional career as a redshirt sophomore, though, Campbell came back to Arkansas in 2019 with the intent to better his draft stock and help get the Razorbacks back to the College World Series. He accomplished both goals by going 12-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings.

That earned him All-America honors and made him a second-round pick by the Seattle Mariners, as he was taken 11 spots earlier than Knight a year earlier.

Receiving votes: DJ Baxendale (3), Drew Smyly (3)

Fan vote: Knight - 90.5%, Campbell - 72.2%, Stanek - 57.6%, Smyly - 39.6%, Baxendale - 16.8%, Trevor Stephan - 9.8%, Jalen Beeks - 3.7%, Kacey Murphy - 3.1%, Trey Killian - 2.5%, Barrett Astin - 2.2%, Randall Fant - 1.2%, Chris Oliver - 0.5%, Colin Poche - 0.3%

Years at Arkansas: 2011-13

Stats this decade: 65 G/0 GS, 9-2, 13 saves, 1.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 9.83 K/9IP, 5.99 BB/9IP, 1.64 K/BB, .162 opp. avg., 79 2/3 IP

Notable: The vote for relief pitchers proved to be tougher than the starting pitchers, as evidenced by nine different players receiving at least one media vote and a 10th finishing tied for fourth in the fan vote. However, the three relievers selected by the fans emerged as the top three players for the All-Decade Team.

Suggs was left off just one ballot, as he also received a vote for closer. Unlike the other two relievers, he was never used as a starter. Instead, he was dominant out of the bullpen with a career 1.36 ERA.

After posting a 1.22 ERA as a middle reliever his first two seasons with the Razorbacks, he became the closer on the famed 2013 pitching staff. Suggs racked up 13 saves that year, breaking a 14-year-old single-season UA record, with a 1.74 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.

A second-round pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2013 MLB Draft, Suggs’ professional career was cut short by an elbow injury. He returned to Fayetteville as Arkansas’ bullpen coach before taking a job in the Minnesota Twins’ front office this year.

Years at Arkansas: 2014-16

Stats this decade: 69 G/10 GS, 10-8, 15 saves, 3.24 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 11.39 K/9IP, 5.72 BB/9IP, 1.99 K/BB, .208 opp. avg., 155 2/3 IP

Notable: Although his career numbers aren’t quite as good as his counterparts on this team, Jackson was just as dominant as a reliever. His stats are slightly skewed by a rough junior season in which the Razorbacks tried to turn him into a starter.

Take out his 2016 numbers and he has a 2.28 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. Jackson also limited opponents to a .191 batting average during his first two years. Including the four he picked up as a junior, his 15 career saves are tied for third in UA history.

Despite finishing his collegiate career with a season in which he had a 5.09 ERA, Jackson was still taken in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He is knocking on the door of the big leagues with a successful year at Triple-A Buffalo.

Years at Arkansas: 2011-13

Stats this decade: 77 G/20 GS, 12-11, 15 saves, 2.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 8.27 K/9IP, 2.80 BB/9IP, 2.95 K/BB, .241 opp. avg., 209 IP

Notable: Before Suggs took over as the closer, the role was held by Astin. He came close to breaking the single-season saves record in 2012, when he notched 11, and might have been able to make a run at the career record had he not moved to the starting rotation as a junior.

In addition to his 11 saves, Astin also had a 1.99 ERA and 61 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .210 batting average in 58 2/3 innings in 2012. His ERA actually improved to 1.79 as a starter the following year, when he was part of the famed 2013 staff.

A third-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2013 MLB Draft, Astin actually reached the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds, making six relief appearances in 2017.

Receiving votes: Jalen Beeks (4), Michael Gunn (4), Matt Cronin (1), Brandon Moore (1), Jake Reindl (1), Nolan Sanburn (1)

Fan vote: Jackson - 45.2%, Astin/Suggs - 39.2%, Beeks/Barrett Loseke - 35.0%, Cronin - 30.2%, Reindl - 28.0%, Sanburn - 11.2%, Moore - 8.8%, Kevin Kopps - 6.5%, Gunn - 5.6%, Trent Daniel - 4.8%, Jackson Lowery - 2.9%, Poche - 2.5%, Cade Lynch - 2.4%, T.J. Forrest/Oliver - 1.5%, Jacob Stone - 0.5%

Years at Arkansas: 2017-19

Stats this decade: 65 G/0 GS, 6-3, 27 saves, 2.74 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 12.46 K/9IP, 3.78 BB/9IP, 3.30 K/BB, .154 opp. avg., 95 1/3 IP

Notable: Cronin was basically a unanimous selection for the All-Decade Team, but one of his votes was as a reliever, with all of the others picking him as the closer. It wasn’t surprising to see him run away with this vote, though, as he is arguably the best closer in school history.

As a sophomore in 2018, Cronin broke the UA’s single-season saves record with Suggs as the bullpen coach. The record-breaking 14th save came in Game 1 of the College World Series finals. Unfortunately, he blew a chance at No. 15 that would have won the national championship, allowing a game-tying hit and go-ahead home run in the ninth inning after a pop up fell between three of his teammates in foul territory.

He bounced back nicely, though, with 12 more saves this season. His 27 career saves rank second only to Phillip Stidham, who had 33 as the primary closer for three years from 1989-91. Known for his fastball, Cronin held opponents to a minuscule .154 batting average during his career.

The Washington Nationals took him in the fourth round of this summer’s MLB Draft.

Receiving votes: Suggs (1)

Fan vote: Cronin - 71.8%, Jackson - 14.8%, Suggs - 11.5%, Astin - 1.9%