By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas opens the season against Texas which is probably enough to grab everyone's attention.

The Razorbacks do open the 2023 baseball season against Texas on Friday night at 7 p.m. in the College Baseball Showdown. They will also face TCU on Saturday night at 7 p.m. and then take on Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

Dave Van Horn is excited for another baseball season after coaching his squad to another College World Series last season.

"We’re excited to get the season started," Van Horn said. "I think the guys are just ready to play somebody else. I think scrimmaging gets real old. We’ve been doing it since early September. Just ready to see where we’re at and see how we stack up this time of the season.

"Obviously on top of just opening the season, we’re going to be playing some great competition in a really nice environment. We know the temperature’s going to be good, the weather’s going to be good. There’s going to be a lot of fans. It should be fun."

Van Horn talked about what he feels his squad can get out of this event considering they're playing three ranked teams.

"But I think more than anything this weekend we’ll learn a lot about our team and really what we need to work on going forward," Van Horn said.

Van Horn and the Hogs got some bad news last week when it was announced that junior right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins is having Tommy John Surgery and out for the season. Wiggins was expected to be one of the key starters this season. Despite the loss of Wiggins, Van Horn has set the weekend rotation.

"We’ll go with Hagen Smith right out of the gate," Van Horn said. "Then we’ll go Will McEntire and then we’ll go Hunter Hollan on Sunday."

Smith returns after posting a 7-2 record in 2022. He had a 4.66 earned run average in 20 appearances including 15 starts. Former Bryant standout McEntire was 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA. Hollan is a junior college transfer from San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College.

It's the second year in a row Arkansas lost a key starter prior to the season. Last season it was Benton's Peyton Pallette.

"I mean, it’s pretty much just about every year you’re going to lose somebody," Van Horn said. "There’s been other teams. We’re not going to use it as an excuse. It didn’t help us, that’s for sure. That’s a lot of innings right there, and really good stuff. Third year in the program. A lot of times it’s the junior year that they really take off, especially when you’re a big guy. A lot of times just to get everything together. 

"So that’s disappointing for us. But I’m really disappointed for Jaxon and his family. I know he was really looking forward to pitching for the Razorbacks and having a big year. It’ll be a challenge, but we just have to have some other guys step it up and play really good baseball."

Van Horn was also asked about who will serve as closer?

"We’ve got … there’s options there," Van Horn said. "A couple of them are young options. We just feel good about what we’ve seen for the most part. Really, closing, long relief, Brady Tygart has the experience. His season dating back into the fall until now has been a little bit up and down. He’s really shown some pitch-ability as far as more than just a breaking ball. His fastball is good and it’s got movement. He’s learning how to pitch more with three pitches instead of maybe two.

"You could use (Zack) Morris in that role. We like Gage Wood a little bit towards the end of the game. I think even Cooper Dossett has done really well. He didn’t pitch all fall. He’s been hurt a lot through high school off and on. And now it looks like he’s healthy and he’s got really good stuff. Those are some of the guys that jump out at me a little bit. But you’ve got Coty Frank, who’s got a lot of experience. Middle relievers, long relievers, you could go with (Bryant's) Austin Ledbetter and any of the guys I just mentioned. We even like freshman Parker Coil. He’s got a good breaking ball, throws the ball right around 90 mph and he throws a lot of strikes. Again, they’re freshmen. But we’re going to have to put some of these guys out into the fire early and just see what they can do."

Van Horn talked about the left side of the infield where he has to replace players from last season.

"Yeah, I mean, we’ll go with Caleb Cali at third to start," Van Horn said. "Obviously I feel like John Bolton has played really good shortstop, so we’ll go with those two."

Kendall Diggs hit three home runs and drove home 14 last season. Van Horn plans to use him as the designated hitter.

"He’ll be in the lineup offensively, so I guess that gives him one shot and that’s the DH," Van Horn said. "He’s hit the ball really well. Really well."

Van Horn addressed platooning at designated hitter entering the season.

"Well, I’m not going to platoon as of right now," Van Horn said. "I mean, I don’t know who Texas is throwing, but we’re assuming that they’ll throw their left-hander. He’s their most experienced pitcher and (threw) a lot of innings last year. Preseason first-team Big 12, I don’t know how they worded it. But that’s a tough league and if you’re coaches preseason pick, I guess that’s who voted, you’re pretty good. I think he threw 80 innings or something like that last year.

"So anyway… But I’ll still hit Kendall there, instead of a right-hander, because we have some right-handers that are swinging it pretty good. I mean, Harold Coll has been swinging it good from the right side. Maybe a couple others, but I feel that Kendall, with him, he stays on lefties pretty good and when he’s seeing it, it doesn’t matter if they’re right- or left-handed."

Catcher is another position where a new starter will be lining up this season. Van Horn talked about Hudson Polk and Parker Rowland.

"I think Rowland’s had a good — I guess we’ll call this spring training — preseason with the bat, and he’s had some good days catching," Van Horn said. "He throws well. He’s very accurate. He can throw from his knees, stand up and throw. I mean, he’s gonna give you a chance…If the pitcher gives him a chance, he’s gonna have a really good opportunity to throw him out.

"We feel like, right now, Polk is ahead of him on the catching side, but it’s not a lot more. It’s more though, and it’s good. And like I said earlier, I feel like they’re both gonna get to catch. There’ll be times when Polk starts and there’s a tough right-hander on the mound, and maybe we need to switch and go to a left-handed hitter, a pinch hitter, and we’ll bring Rowland in and maybe vice versa. So they’re both gonna get their time. I think you’ll see both of them catch this weekend."

Arkansas will open the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday at 3 p.m. when they host Grambling.