The Diamond Hogs enter the season ranked No. 5 in the country, according to NCAA baseball. After back-to-back seasons of being eliminated in their own regional tournament, Arkansas looks to return to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series. The Hogs will host Washington State for a four-game series to begin the season.
Arkansas is led by head coach Dave Van Horn, who is entering his 22nd season. Van Horn has taken the Razorbacks to the College World Series seven times and has been named SEC Coach of the Year three times. The Diamond Hogs are bringing in one of the top transfer and recruiting classes in the nation, along with retaining talent from last year.
“I think pretty much everybody in our clubhouse is excited to get this season underway and see what this team can do,” Dave Van Horn said. “Last year didn’t finish the way we wanted, so it’s another opportunity and a lot of new players.”
Diamond Hogs Weekend Pitching Rotation
Sophomore right-hander Gabe Gaeckle will make his official leap from bullpen to rotation and start the season opener on Feb. 14, with first pitch set for noon CST. Touted East Carolina transfer lefty Zach Root will start game two, which will begin 30 to 45 minutes after the first game.
Junior righty and Batesville (Ark.) native Gage Wood will start game three on Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. CST. Former Ohio State left-hander Landon Beidelschies will start game four on Feb. 17 at noon CST.
“We have four games this weekend,” Van Horn said. “The difference between three and four is more about going with a righty in the first game. Then a lefty, then back to a righty and a lefty. There’s no science to it, so to speak.”
Who Else to Look For
Field starters are not official yet, but key players include Wehiwa Aloy, who started all 60 games at shortstop last season and will likely retain that role. Nolan Suza, who started 31 games as a freshman, is expected to play second base. Brent Iredale, a transfer from New Mexico Junior College with 25 home runs and 78 RBI last season, will likely be the third baseman.
Rocco Peppi, a transfer from Fresno State, was named the starting first baseman. He tallied 69 hits, 14 home runs, and 56 RBI last season. Ryder Helfrick, who appeared in 31 games with 15 starts at catcher, will likely take over behind the plate.
In the outfield, Charles Davalan, who started all 56 games for Florida Gulf Coast last year, is expected to play center field. Justin Thomas, a transfer from Florida Southwestern State with 14 home runs and 49 RBI last season, is the leading candidate for left field.
The right field and designated hitter spots are a toss-up between Kendal Diggs and Logan Maxwell. Maxwell, a TCU transfer, started all 46 games last season, splitting time between left field and DH. Diggs started 53 games in right field for Arkansas last season but also has experience as a DH, having started 38 games in that role during his sophomore year.
Broadcast Information
Location: Baum-Walker Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark.
TV: SEC Network+
Discover more from Inside Arkansas
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.