The legend himself, @KevinBohannon, came in clutch on this one. Enjoy.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Unlike its lineup, the Arkansas pitching staff is set to return some big-time arms next season.
Though the Razorbacks will lose a group of veteran pitchers, the returning arms are very encouraging.
The guys on the way out include familiar faces like Zebulon Vermillion, Kole Ramage, Evan Taylor, Elijah Trest and Heston Tole. Last season’s ace Connor Noland still has his Covid year option to return for a fifth season with the Hogs, and he said there is a possibility he would return during an interview on the ‘Morning Rush’ with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on Wednesday.
As of now, the Hogs will return three starting pitchers that combined for 38 starts last season — left-hander Hagen Smith and right-handers Jaxon Wiggins and Will McEntire.
Along with the starters, the Razorbacks will also return some experienced bullpen arms — Zack Morris (35 IP), Brady Tygart (37.2 IP) and Austin Ledbetter (12.2 IP).
The rest of the returning arms include Nick Griffin, Jake Faherty, Nick Moten, Dylan Carter, Tyler Cacciatori and Matthew Magre.
The staff is set up to have a strong starting rotation, but there will still be plenty of competition, especially with the arms coming in.
"There will be a lot of competition going on...If you don't get the role you want, you just need to do what the team needs you to do to win,” McEntire said on ‘Halftime’ with Phil Elson and Drew Barrett on Tuesday.
Arkansas has one Division 1 pitcher transferring in — graduate transfer Koty Frank from Nebraska. The other two transfer arms are junior college pitchers Hunter Hollan and Cody Adcock, who both will likely transition into bullpen arms for at least their first year.
The rest of the newcomers include 12 freshmen, seven of which are out-of-state arms.
Here is a list of all the incoming pitchers, where they are from, stats on each and an in-depth breakdown on the freshmen from Kevin Bohannon:
Frank is a long-relief guy that can also spot-start. He recorded 11 outs in relief during a victory over Northeastern in the 2021 Fayetteville Regional, and he was charged with the loss following Charlie Welch’s home run that elevated the Hogs to the super regional.
2022 Stats:
14 APP, 7 GS, 5-0 W/L, 3.81 ERA, 59 IP, 54 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 19 BB, 70 K, 10.68 K/9
(click here for more on Frank)
After originally being committed to TCU, Hollan flipped to the Hogs in June. He is another left-hander that can start or provide long-relief out of the bullpen, which is always valuable.
2022 Stats:
18 APP, 18 GS, 9-3 W/L, 3.59 ERA, 80.1 IP, 72 H, 48 R, 32 ER, 28 BB, 96 K, 10.76 K/9
Adcock spent his freshman season as an Ole Miss Rebels and then transferred to Crowder for his sophomore year. He struggles to keep opposing bats from putting the ball in play, but he has the potential to be a solid bullpen piece.
2022 Stats:
14 APP, 14 GS, 4-2 W/L, 6.58 ERA, 67 IP, 70 H, 54 R, 49 ER, 35 BB, 81 K, 10.88 K/9
Phillips saw his draft stock go through the roof in the spring when he reached triple digits in a start in March. Scouts and draft boards see him as a top three round pick even after coming off Tommy John surgery. He could be draft-eligible again in 2024, should he decide to honor his commitment.
Wood was originally committed to Kansas State, but switched to the Hogs after lighting up the showcase circuit last summer. He finished his career at Batesville with an outstanding senior season, going 8-2 with a 0.65 ERA and 121 strikeouts. Teams only managed to hit with an .088 average against him this season.
Wood features a fastball in the 92-94 range with a very tight curveball at 76-78. If he maintains his command, he could push for a rotation spot.
Dossett was one of the earliest commits for the class, and has shown flashes of power and brilliance since then. He has been clocked at 100 mph from the outfield at Perfect Game National Showcase, and he has been up to 95 on the mound.
He led Har-Ber to the 6A semi-finals with a 5-0 record and he struck out 100 hitters over 52.2 innings. He makes hitters uncomfortable in the box, as evident by the .121 average against on the season.
The 6-foot-3-inch righty is ranked as the top pitcher in Colorado, and could hear his name called in the middle rounds of this month’s MLB Draft. Foutch is another mid 90s arm that went 2-0 in eight starts for Chatfield this season. He does possess a splitter in the 80-85 mph range that is his go to pitch.
MLB teams love the size and durability, but some are unsure of the body of work, and that could bode well for the Razorbacks.
Coil is the top rated LHP for the incoming class, and is rated in the top 250 of Baseball America’s Top 500 prospects list for the upcoming draft.
Coil comes in at 6-feet-3-inches tall and has a lot of movement on his pitches. He could be a guy that helps a veteran staff on day one that is looking for more lefty arms. Coil will add weight to his slender frame, and has a chance to work in the low 90s with his fastball.
Sims is not a high-velocity arm, but he may have the most pitchability in this class. He was the first in-state commit for the class and has been one of the top-rated players in the class since hit commitment.
An injury cut his senior year short, but not before we got a glimpse of what he is capable of at the next level. He tossed a complete game against Greenwood on only 73 pitches and maintained his 88-90 mph fastball throughout the game.
Fitzpatrick is smaller in stature than his peers, but may have the nastiest arsenal of anyone in the class.He comes from a low 3/4 slot, and his fastball gets on you quick. He is very deceptive with a fastball working in the upper 80s.
The stuff and movement will remind fans of Evan Taylor and he has the ability to contribute at Taylor’s level before he is done in Fayetteville. In his last season, Fitzpatrick was 5-5 with a 0.75 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 55.2 innings.
Lovell committed to the Razorbacks in 2019, and has only improved since then. He was on an Owasso staff that featured two other power five arms, but Lovell carved out a niche as a ground ball pitcher with his sinking fastball. He may only work in the 86-88 mph range, but he gets outs.
Hyneman has been one of the most productive players in Arkansas the past two seasons for Jonesboro. He helped the Hurricanes to the 5A state championship game in 2021, and led the team in home runs this year primarily playing as a first basemen.
He worked hard the last two years to transform his body and get ready for the rough and tough SEC grind. He has developed his off-speed arsenal to go with his low 90s fastball and will compete for innings sooner rather than later.
The Overland Park area has been good to the Razorbacks, and Bybee could be the next great product from there. The 6-foot-6-inch righty features a low 90s fastball and a power slider that gives right-handed hitters nightmares.
Bybee was named EKL Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-State after leading his team to back-to-back state championships. He recently was invited to the prestigious MLB Draft combine to workout for every MLB club. His size and athleticism are intriguing to clubs, but he likely won't get good enough number to sign out of high school.
Boyd is yet another 6-foot-3-inch power arm for the class with a good resume. He competed for the Team USA Developmental Team at the age of 16, and played for the nationally ranked South Charlotte Panthers on the summer showcase circuit with multiple other SEC commits.
Boyd can be the wild card of the bunch, and if he comes in a performs, he could help right away. The fastball has topped out at 93 and he has some good movement when he is down in the zone.
Arkansas high school teams are ecstatic they do not have to face Jordan Huskey any longer. The Greenbrier-native made life miserable for teams the last couple of seasons, regularly shutting out opponents and silencing offenses.
Huskey works in the 85-88 range with his fastball and consistently misses barrels. He is like the left-handed version of Colton Sims in the way he can beat you by being aggressive in the zone without overpowering hitters.
Looking at Arkansas Baseball's Pitching Staff Turnover for 2023 Season
Taking a deep dive into the turnover for Arkansas' pitching staff heading into the 2023 season.
arkansas.rivals.com
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Unlike its lineup, the Arkansas pitching staff is set to return some big-time arms next season.
Though the Razorbacks will lose a group of veteran pitchers, the returning arms are very encouraging.
The guys on the way out include familiar faces like Zebulon Vermillion, Kole Ramage, Evan Taylor, Elijah Trest and Heston Tole. Last season’s ace Connor Noland still has his Covid year option to return for a fifth season with the Hogs, and he said there is a possibility he would return during an interview on the ‘Morning Rush’ with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft on Wednesday.
As of now, the Hogs will return three starting pitchers that combined for 38 starts last season — left-hander Hagen Smith and right-handers Jaxon Wiggins and Will McEntire.
Along with the starters, the Razorbacks will also return some experienced bullpen arms — Zack Morris (35 IP), Brady Tygart (37.2 IP) and Austin Ledbetter (12.2 IP).
The rest of the returning arms include Nick Griffin, Jake Faherty, Nick Moten, Dylan Carter, Tyler Cacciatori and Matthew Magre.
The staff is set up to have a strong starting rotation, but there will still be plenty of competition, especially with the arms coming in.
"There will be a lot of competition going on...If you don't get the role you want, you just need to do what the team needs you to do to win,” McEntire said on ‘Halftime’ with Phil Elson and Drew Barrett on Tuesday.
Arkansas has one Division 1 pitcher transferring in — graduate transfer Koty Frank from Nebraska. The other two transfer arms are junior college pitchers Hunter Hollan and Cody Adcock, who both will likely transition into bullpen arms for at least their first year.
The rest of the newcomers include 12 freshmen, seven of which are out-of-state arms.
Here is a list of all the incoming pitchers, where they are from, stats on each and an in-depth breakdown on the freshmen from Kevin Bohannon:
Transfers
Koty Frank - Graduate RHP, Nebraska
Frank is a long-relief guy that can also spot-start. He recorded 11 outs in relief during a victory over Northeastern in the 2021 Fayetteville Regional, and he was charged with the loss following Charlie Welch’s home run that elevated the Hogs to the super regional.
2022 Stats:
14 APP, 7 GS, 5-0 W/L, 3.81 ERA, 59 IP, 54 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 19 BB, 70 K, 10.68 K/9
(click here for more on Frank)
Hunter Hollan - Freshman LHP, San Jacinto
After originally being committed to TCU, Hollan flipped to the Hogs in June. He is another left-hander that can start or provide long-relief out of the bullpen, which is always valuable.
2022 Stats:
18 APP, 18 GS, 9-3 W/L, 3.59 ERA, 80.1 IP, 72 H, 48 R, 32 ER, 28 BB, 96 K, 10.76 K/9
Cody Adcock - Sophomore RHP, Crowder
Adcock spent his freshman season as an Ole Miss Rebels and then transferred to Crowder for his sophomore year. He struggles to keep opposing bats from putting the ball in play, but he has the potential to be a solid bullpen piece.
2022 Stats:
14 APP, 14 GS, 4-2 W/L, 6.58 ERA, 67 IP, 70 H, 54 R, 49 ER, 35 BB, 81 K, 10.88 K/9
Freshmen
Cole Phillips - RHP, Boerne High School (TX)
Phillips saw his draft stock go through the roof in the spring when he reached triple digits in a start in March. Scouts and draft boards see him as a top three round pick even after coming off Tommy John surgery. He could be draft-eligible again in 2024, should he decide to honor his commitment.
Gage Wood - RHP, Batesville High School (AR)
Wood was originally committed to Kansas State, but switched to the Hogs after lighting up the showcase circuit last summer. He finished his career at Batesville with an outstanding senior season, going 8-2 with a 0.65 ERA and 121 strikeouts. Teams only managed to hit with an .088 average against him this season.
Wood features a fastball in the 92-94 range with a very tight curveball at 76-78. If he maintains his command, he could push for a rotation spot.
Cooper Dossett- RHP, Springdale Har-Ber High School (AR)
Dossett was one of the earliest commits for the class, and has shown flashes of power and brilliance since then. He has been clocked at 100 mph from the outfield at Perfect Game National Showcase, and he has been up to 95 on the mound.
He led Har-Ber to the 6A semi-finals with a 5-0 record and he struck out 100 hitters over 52.2 innings. He makes hitters uncomfortable in the box, as evident by the .121 average against on the season.
Christian Foutch - RHP, Chatfield High School (CO)
The 6-foot-3-inch righty is ranked as the top pitcher in Colorado, and could hear his name called in the middle rounds of this month’s MLB Draft. Foutch is another mid 90s arm that went 2-0 in eight starts for Chatfield this season. He does possess a splitter in the 80-85 mph range that is his go to pitch.
MLB teams love the size and durability, but some are unsure of the body of work, and that could bode well for the Razorbacks.
Parker Coil - LHP, Edmond Memorial High School(OK)
Coil is the top rated LHP for the incoming class, and is rated in the top 250 of Baseball America’s Top 500 prospects list for the upcoming draft.
Coil comes in at 6-feet-3-inches tall and has a lot of movement on his pitches. He could be a guy that helps a veteran staff on day one that is looking for more lefty arms. Coil will add weight to his slender frame, and has a chance to work in the low 90s with his fastball.
Colton Sims - RHP, Russellville High School (AR)
Sims is not a high-velocity arm, but he may have the most pitchability in this class. He was the first in-state commit for the class and has been one of the top-rated players in the class since hit commitment.
An injury cut his senior year short, but not before we got a glimpse of what he is capable of at the next level. He tossed a complete game against Greenwood on only 73 pitches and maintained his 88-90 mph fastball throughout the game.
Sean Fitzpatrick - LHP, Concordia Luthern High School (TX)
Fitzpatrick is smaller in stature than his peers, but may have the nastiest arsenal of anyone in the class.He comes from a low 3/4 slot, and his fastball gets on you quick. He is very deceptive with a fastball working in the upper 80s.
The stuff and movement will remind fans of Evan Taylor and he has the ability to contribute at Taylor’s level before he is done in Fayetteville. In his last season, Fitzpatrick was 5-5 with a 0.75 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 55.2 innings.
Kyndon Lovell - LHP, Owasso High School (OK)
Lovell committed to the Razorbacks in 2019, and has only improved since then. He was on an Owasso staff that featured two other power five arms, but Lovell carved out a niche as a ground ball pitcher with his sinking fastball. He may only work in the 86-88 mph range, but he gets outs.
Josh Hyneman - RHP, Jonesboro High School (AR)
Hyneman has been one of the most productive players in Arkansas the past two seasons for Jonesboro. He helped the Hurricanes to the 5A state championship game in 2021, and led the team in home runs this year primarily playing as a first basemen.
He worked hard the last two years to transform his body and get ready for the rough and tough SEC grind. He has developed his off-speed arsenal to go with his low 90s fastball and will compete for innings sooner rather than later.
Ben Bybee - RHP, Blue Vally Southwest (KS)
The Overland Park area has been good to the Razorbacks, and Bybee could be the next great product from there. The 6-foot-6-inch righty features a low 90s fastball and a power slider that gives right-handed hitters nightmares.
Bybee was named EKL Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-State after leading his team to back-to-back state championships. He recently was invited to the prestigious MLB Draft combine to workout for every MLB club. His size and athleticism are intriguing to clubs, but he likely won't get good enough number to sign out of high school.
Carter Boyd - RHP, Reagan High School (NC)
Boyd is yet another 6-foot-3-inch power arm for the class with a good resume. He competed for the Team USA Developmental Team at the age of 16, and played for the nationally ranked South Charlotte Panthers on the summer showcase circuit with multiple other SEC commits.
Boyd can be the wild card of the bunch, and if he comes in a performs, he could help right away. The fastball has topped out at 93 and he has some good movement when he is down in the zone.
Jordan Huskey - LHP, Greenbrier High School (AR)
Arkansas high school teams are ecstatic they do not have to face Jordan Huskey any longer. The Greenbrier-native made life miserable for teams the last couple of seasons, regularly shutting out opponents and silencing offenses.
Huskey works in the 85-88 range with his fastball and consistently misses barrels. He is like the left-handed version of Colton Sims in the way he can beat you by being aggressive in the zone without overpowering hitters.
