Arkansas junior left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith picked up his third national pitcher of the year honor Monday, as he was named the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings National Pitcher of the Year following a stellar season for the Razorbacks.
The 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year, Smith is just the second Arkansas pitcher to earn the honor, as he joins right-hander Kevin Kopps (2021). Arkansas is the only program in the country with multiple winners of the pitching award, which began in 2018.
Smith has also been honored as national pitcher of the year by the College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game. He's been named a first team All-American by four different outlets so far, as well.
A native of Bullard, Texas, Smith posted 11 quality starts and 11 double-digit strikeout games this spring. He earned a 9-2 record, 2.04 ERA and 161 strikeouts across 84.0 innings.
Part of Smith’s historic season included him becoming the Diamond Hogs’ new career strikeout king by passing Nick Schmidt (2003-06, 345 strikeouts) with a total of 360 strikeouts across his three seasons in Fayetteville. Smith’s 161 punchouts were also enough to pass David Walling (1999, 155 strikeouts) for the most in a single season in program history.
"Smith was the guy," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said June 2 after the season-ending loss to Southeast Missouri State. "He was a rock. He carried us. The whole season, that guy carried us."
The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, which Georgia's Charlie Condon won Saturday as the top amateur baseball player in the United States based on their athletic ability, sportsmanship, character, and overall contribution to the sport.
Smith made an early statement against Oregon State in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 23 when he struck out 17 batters in six innings of work — including sitting down fellow Golden Spikes Award finalist Travis Bazzana on strikes three times.
"He’s one of the best pitchers I’ve ever had," Van Horn said June 2. "He’s such a difference-maker for our team. Without him pretty much taking us 5, 6, 7 innings in Game 1 of every SEC series and giving us an opportunity to save our bullpen.
"Most of time we end up winning that game and we’d find a way to win another game. Swept a few series here. You take him off our team and we’re just really average. That’s the way it is."
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Smith was also one of five finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is given to the top player based on two rounds of voting by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association members. Condon won that award on June 13.
Rated as the No. 6 overall prospect for the 2024 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline, Smith is a virtual lock to go in the first round of next month's draft, which will begin at 4 p.m. CT on July 14 in Arlington, Texas.
