The Good, Bad and Ugly from Arkansas Baseball After James Madison

Three Arkansas catchers pick up wins behind the dish, Dave Van Horn talks to ace about dog, Hogs' base running blunders

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sweeping a four-game series is hard. In 132 four-game series in the MLB last year, there were just 12 sweeps (9.09%). 

Baseball is too weird not for something to go wrong. Errors will be made, people will be picked off and runners will be stranded. However, it's never too early to overreact to four games of Arkansas Baseball with the good, bad, and the ugly.

The Good: Both Ends of the Catcher-Pitcher Battery Show Signs of Life 

Coach Dave Van Horn had some fun at my expense, astutely pointing out that I routinely ask him questions about the catchers. After a season where Parker Rowland started 42-of-61 games, it's a welcome surprise that the Razorbacks were able to start three catchers and they all won a game behind the plate. 

Hudson White went 5-for-14 with two starts at both DH and catcher with four doubles. Ryder Helfrick hit a homer in his collegiate debut and reached base three times. Parker Rowland drew a walk out of the eight-spot. 

The versatility and depth of the catcher room should pay dividends down the stretch. Last year, Rowland was hampered by a bad back that caused him to miss games in the thick of the SEC play. 

As for the pitchers, Will McEntire shined in both appearances, combining for 72/3 of one-run ball. Colin Fisher outshined all three weekend starters with five scoreless innings and Koty Frank returned from a season-ending injury to pitch a scoreless inning. 

"You’re working on that catcher thing aren’t ya man?" Van Horn said.  "Every time hitting me with that catcher [question]. Hey, you know I just felt like we had a freshman going today and put our veteran catcher back there and let him handle it and I thought he did a great job. That’s kind of the thinking. Is there a pecking order? I mean, it depends on what you’re looking for. Is it all about defense? Is it mix in some offense? They’re all good, it’s just they’re not all the same." 

The Bad: Hagen Smith:

Let's just call a spade a spade. After all the hype and build-up of Smith hitting near-triple digits in the preseason, which the media was no doubt partly responsible for, his start on Friday was an abject disaster. If it wasn't for the heroics of Will McEntire acting as a defacto bulk man, the Razorbacks could be sitting at 2-2. 

Bad luck mixed with suboptimal conditions with temperatures in the 30s and a 25 mph wind blowing out contributed to the lack of command. Smith's outing lasted just one inning with two walks, a three-run homer aided by that wind, and 42 total pitches. 

His ERA sits at a crisp 27.00. A bad opening-day start will do that. Still, Van Horn has no doubt he's ready to bounce back. 

"My conversations with Hagen are 'Hey, look forward to watching you pitch Friday night,'” Van Horn said. "I ask him how his dog is doing. I don’t talk about pitching with Hagen. Hagen knows how to pitch. He’s fine. I’m not worried about it."

The Ugly: Base Running 

The math probably indicates this was solely responsible for the loss in Game 3. Ty Wilmsmeyer was thrown out twice in the series (one technically is recorded as a pickoff) after getting gunned down only twice the entire 2023 season at Missouri. 

White was picked off in the first inning of the loss after a lead-off double. Kendall Diggs got caught stealing second in a four-run game in the bottom of the ninth. Although, on the bright side, it's better to have these growing pains in Game 3 of the season rather than Game 53. 

"That first inning was an inning killer on my part," White said after Saturday's loss. "You can't get picked off if you're no outs, one out... whatever it was, but I'm excited to see how we bounce back tomorrow." 

The Razorbacks now face a loaded team for the first time when they face No.7 Oregon State Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The game will be streamed exclusively on FloBaseball. 

HOG FEED:

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