Arkansas Lands Premier Weekend Starter out of Portal

After starting for mid-major team, Zach Root looks to fill potential void in starting rotation

Daniel Shi | Jul 1, 2024

Zach Root on the Mound Against Campbell during the 2023 season during a mound visit / Andrew Craft / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has landed its highest transfer portal pick up yet. Zach Root is joining the Razorbacks after two seasons with the East Carolina Pirates, he announced on Instagram Monday.

Root made 12 starts for an East Carolina team as the No. 2 starter with a 3.56 ERA across 68 1/3 innings. The Pirates were ranked inside the top 25 for most of the season and were selected as a NCAA Regional host site as the No. 16 overall national seed. They lost to Evansville in the regional final.

A native of Fort Myers, Fla., Root was named a 2024 Preseason All-AAC Team by both the coaches poll and Perfect Game. Out of high school, he was rated as the No. 26 overall left handed pitching prospect in the nation for the class of 2022 by Perfect Game.

The lefty looks to contend for a starting rotation that will feature new faces after the departure of Hagen Smith to the MLB Draft and the potential departures of both Mason Molina and Brady Tygart.

While Arkansas has focused mainly on position players out of the portal so far, Root is the second pitcher with experience as a starter who the Hogs have grabbed from a reputable baseball program. Earlier in the offseason, Arkansas picked up Landon Beidelschies from Ohio State.

Arkansas Transfer Portal (So far) :
Incoming (10):
Zach Root (East Carolina)
Michael Anderson (Rhode Island)
Aiden Jimenez (Oregon State)
Rocco Peppi (Fresno State)
Landon Beidelschies (Ohio State)
Logan Maxwell (TCU)
Maximus Martin (Georgia State)

Carson Hansen (Milwaukee)
Charles Davalan (FGCU)

Kuhio Aloy (BYU)

Outgoing (3):
Jayson Jones
Hunter Grimes
Kade Smith