Arkansas Baseball Star Smith Gives Back Through Exclusive NIL Apparel Launch

Razorbacks' ace Hagen Smith to donate NIL Store earnings to the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter.

Arkansas starting pitcher Hagen Smith pitches against LSU during the SEC Tournament elimination game / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA

The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball program has enjoyed plenty of success over the years, including a current No. 2 ranking and 37-7 record this season.

For the Razorbacks, it's been a team effort this year. The pitching staff has done a fantastic job, but the bats have come alive when it matters during parts of the season, too. On the bump, arguably no one in the country has been better than junior ace Hagen Smith.

The left-handed pitcher has thrown in 60.0 innings in 2024, allowing just nine earned runs, good for an ERA of 1.35. He also has 111 strikeouts, owning a nearly two-strikeout per inning average.

And now, Arkansas fans can show off their favorite merchandise for Smith as he released a t-shirt and sweatshirt collection with the Arkansas NIL Store that supports a cause close to the ace's heart.

-NIL FOR GOOD-

Arkansas Ace @hagensmith32 has pledged donate 100% of the commissions on his latest drop to @NWAChildShelter ❤️

Support: https://t.co/dZFFflXtWB@ArkansasNIL pic.twitter.com/hIhY3eLOUK

— The NIL Store (@nil_store) April 26, 2024

All of the commission from the merch drop will be donated to the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter, a private, non-profit organization that provides a safe place of healing for children throughout Arkansas who are victims of abandonment, abuse, neglect and trafficking.

The apparel launch is through Smith's partnership with Campus Ink's NIL Store, who added Arkansas to their vast network of schools in March. The brand - backed by Mark Cuban - creates officially licensed NIL merchandise and promotes industry leading payouts to athletes.

A member of the United States Collegiate National Team, Smith has earned many honors during his time at Arkansas including a first-team All-American selection, Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, and the College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award Semifinalist, among many others.

Expectations are high for the ace as he looks to lead the Razorbacks to Omaha. After that, Smith is looked at as a consensus top-10 pick in the 2024 MLB draft. In a recent mock draft released by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, Mayo has Hagen being the first true pitcher off the board with the No. 7 pick.

With a fastball that's around 100 mph and has 2,400-plus RPM, it's no surprise to see him high on draft boards.