Arkansas baseball head coach Dave Van Horn doesn't always go for a "splash addition" in the transfer portal, but he landed a big transfer when former Texas Tech left-handed pitcher Mason Molina committed to the Diamond Hogs on July 19.
The California native started 16 games as a sophomore during the 2023 season. In 83.1 innings pitched, he posted a 3.67 ERA with 108 strikeouts, 35 walks, 39 runs allowed, 63 hits allowed and five hit-by-pitches.
Batters hit just .207 against Molina and he finished with a 6-2 win-loss record. Molina was selected to the Big 12 All-Second Team after his stellar sophomore campaign.
Molina’s best outing came against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament. He threw 6.0 innings of two-run ball and struck out 10 batters against the Huskies.
The low 90's left-handed hurler was one of the best pickups from the portal, according to Sixty-Four Analytics, which has him ranked No. 8 overall in its portal rankings. This makes sense, as Molina was contacted by as many as 37 Division I schools, according to Van Horn.
"We feel really fortunate that he liked it here," Van Horn said. "I know that he took three visits, he went to Georgia, and I think he went to Texas A&M, and we were his last visit. We didn't know how it was going to go whenever he left.
"We felt like he had a good visit, and I think he liked what we're doing here. We had some of the guys in town, so they got to hang out with him a little bit and talk about our program. I feel like that always helps."
Molina's addition brings experience and production to a pitching staff that already includes proven SEC starters like Hagen Smith, Brady Tygart and Will McEntire. That kind of addition can't be understated, as Arkansas should be in the conversation for one of the nation's top pitching staffs should everyone be healthy entering the 2024 season.
"When you can get a pitcher that has a couple years of Division I experience, especially in a really good conference, it should help," Van Horn said. "If (Molina) is healthy, and I think he is, I think that he is going to be a big part of our pitching staff. That was a big get for us."
A potential big reason why Molina chose Fayetteville was pitching coach Matt Hobbs, who has a long track record of developing pitchers and putting them in the best position to be drafted. The most recent example is left-hander Hunter Hollan, a JUCO transfer from San Jacinto College who spent one season in Fayetteville and was selected in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.
"I think that (Molina) knows about how we handle our pitching and a lot that we do here with our pitching staff and all the technology that we use and he was maybe thinking about coming to pitch for Coach Hobbs," Van Horn said.
Another potential draw for Molina to choose Arkansas was the fact that former Texas Tech starting catcher Hudson White was committed as a transfer to the Diamond Hogs. Van Horn said he hasn't talked to White about whether or not he lured Molina in, but that prior relationship had to have helped the Razorbacks.
"I feel that any time that you have guys that are on one team, it’s just normal or human-nature that they’re going to say 'Hey you’re going there, I might be interested in going there,'" Van Horn said. "So I would say it was definitely a plus on our side. But who’s to say."
With the team first starting fall practice on Sept. 8, according to Van Horn, it won't be too much longer before fans get to see Molina pitch live, as the Diamond Hogs regularly host open scrimmages to the public during the 45-day practice window.
For a full roster outlook for the 2024 Arkansas baseball team, click here.
