Wegner named SEC Player of the Week
With so many new faces on the 2023 Arkansas Razorbacks squad, it can be difficult to learn everyone's name during Opening Weekend. One name that Arkansas fans for sure know now is Jared Wegner.
The Diamond Hogs' starting left fielder earned SEC Player of the Week honors after his performance at the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas. Wegner went 6-11 at the plate with two homers, eight RBIs, four runs scored, one double, one triple and just two strikeouts.
A transfer from Creighton, Wegner's name might have gone overlooked as he announced his intentions to transfer to Arkansas on June 7, when the 2022 season was still going on. A First Team All-Big East player in 2022, Wegner showed he can perform on the big stage at Globe Life Field over the weekend.
In Arkansas' 18-1 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, Wegner drove in five runs on two hits. His bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the second inning was his second hit that drove in three runs in as many contests.
"That was a thing of beauty," head coach Dave Van Horn said. "I would've loved a grand slam, but other than that, that's what I wanted to see — it going to other way."
The 6-foot, 220-pound graduate transfer was 3-4 at the plate with a three-run home run, a double and a single in the Hogs' 18-6 loss to TCU on Saturday. He came just a triple shy of the cycle in the matchup.
Wegner played in a big-time ballpark during his time with the Blue Jays, who play their home games at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska — the home of the College World Series. He made playing at Globe Life Field look like just another day at the office all weekend.
"They tried to get him out all weekend," Van Horn said. "The pitchers, they were going away, they were coming in. He got hit twice I think at least this weekend. He just kept taking good at bats and taking good swings and he saw a lot of good pitches."
Wegner told reporters that he just took a veteran approach at the plate all weekend, looking for the best pitches possible to put his bat to.
"I think it comes down to just swinging at good pitches, pitches that you can drive," Wegner said. "I think that my plate discipline was really well. When it was there I was able to either foul it off or get my swing on it."
Arkansas will play its home opener Tuesday against the Grambling Tigers at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT and it will stream live on the SEC Network Plus.