College students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95! Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to andrewhutchinson413 (at) gmail (dot) com.
FAYETTEVILLE — What was once a major question mark surrounding the Arkansas baseball team has evolved into one of its strengths.
Through the first five weeks of the season, Connor Noland, Hagen Smith and Jaxon Wiggins have far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations for the Razorbacks’ three-man rotation — especially after the loss of projected ace Peyton Pallette.
That trio has a combined 10-2 record, 3.17 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 2.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 82 1/3 innings, while holding opponents to a .218/.324/.306 slash line.
They’ve gone at least five innings in all but two of 15 starts, with nine of them — three by each pitcher — going down as “quality starts.” For a comparison, Arkansas got only 19 starts of at least five innings and 10 “quality starts” all of last season.
One man who isn’t surprised by how well they’ve pitched, though, is head coach Dave Van Horn.
“You never know how it’s going to go with hitters, pitchers, any of them — it’s a tough game — but our pitchers prepare and they prepare hard,” Van Horn said. “The starters know when they get the ball, that’s their time that week.
“They’re all throwing strikes. … That’s one reason they’re starting because they’ve shown they’re going to fill up the zone and attack and they’ve all done it.”
With Pallette — a projected first-round pick — on the shelf because of Tommy John surgery, Noland has stepped into the ace role for Arkansas. The senior right-hander has a 3.07 ERA in a team-high 29 1/3 innings and is tied for fifth in the SEC with 38 strikeouts.
While he may not be as heralded of a professional prospect as recent UA aces Patrick Wicklander, Isaiah Campbell, Blaine Knight and Trevor Stephan, Van Horn said Noland is similar to them in that he embraces his job as the Razorbacks’ Friday night guy.
