Arkansas Trying to Keep Arms Fresh to Avoid 2024 Repeat

Razorbacks trying to use what people expecting to be deep pitching staff to advantage this season

Zach Root (33) throws a pitch during Arkansas' opening weekend sweep of Washington State / Nilsen Roman - Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' first weekend of the post-Hagen Smith era went about as well as it could possibly go. The starters put together 20 innings and allowed just four earned runs.

"If we keep pitching the way we did this weekend," coach Dave Van Horn said. "We'll give up some offense to put defenders in there that are a little bit better."

Gage Wood (14) delivers a pitch in Arkansas' 12-2 win over Washington State / Nilsen Roman - Hogs on SI Images

13 different pitchers took the mound and compiled a staff ERA of 1.91 across 33 innings. There are more pitchers such as Colin Fisher and Steele Eaves still looking for their first inning of the year.

Van Horn is hoping that the increased depth can keep Arkansas from suffering a similar fate down the stretch in 2024. For the first 21 games of SEC play in 2024, Arkansas had a team ERA of 3.37 ERA across 187 innings. For the final nine games of the regular season, the Hogs had a 6.00 ERA in 78 innings.

"We’ve got a lot of good arms," Van Horn said. "I don’t think we have to double up too many guys early this season unless we were just trying to get them ready to do that in league play."

The coaching staff is also confident that the walks won't spike like they did last year. In SEC play, Arkansas' staff had a 4.7 BB/9 and spiked even higher down the stretch. The same warning signs that were there last fall aren't there this year.

"That’s one thing that we do here is we throw the ball over the plate," Van Horn said. "Last year, we did fade a little bit. But the guys that were walking people at the end of the year, they walked guys in the previous fall. We didn’t see that this fall from our guys. They threw strikes and they got better."

Arkansas heads to Arlington, Texas to take on Kansas State 7 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Field. The entire event will be streamed on FloCollege.

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