By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- The start of baseball season is nearing for Arkansas and the SEC Coaches Poll has them in middle of the West projections.

In addition, second baseman Peyton Stovall and reliever Brady Tygart were named to the All-SEC Preseason team. One of the Razorbacks’ three team captains, Stovall enters the 2023 campaign as a preseason All-American after slashing .295/.373/.425 with six homers and 31 runs batted in over 52 games last year as a true freshman. He broke out in the NCAA Tournament, posting a team-leading .429/.451/.571 slash line with two home runs and 13 RBI in 11 games.

Tygart also heads into the 2023 campaign as a preseason All-American. He emerged as the Razorbacks’ relief ace last season as a true freshman, posting a 3-4 record with a 3.82 ERA and a team-leading eight saves in 37.2 innings of work.

The Hernando, Miss., native tallied six multi-inning saves and struck out 51 while limiting opposing hitters to a .212 batting average in 2022. At the year’s end, he earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team and was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game.

The coaches predicted Arkansas to finish third in the West behind LSU and Texas A&M. The remainder of the West, in order, is Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State. LSU received 12 first-place votes with one going to the Aggies and the other to Ole Miss. LSU received 88 votes, A&M 69, the Hogs 68, Ole Miss 64, Alabama 34, Auburn 33 and Mississippi State 29.

The East saw Tennessee picked first. They are followed, in order, by Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri. The Vols got 12 first-place votes with Florida getting the other two.

Tennessee received 90 votes followed by Florida 79, Vanderbilt 64, South Carolina 51, Georgia 48, Kentucky 34 and Missouri 19.

As far as overall SEC Champion, LSU got 11 votes while Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M each got one.

Arkansas opens the season on Friday, Feb. 17-19, in Arlington (Texas) at Globe Life Field in the College Baseball Showdown. The Hogs open against Texas on Friday at 7 p.m., TCU on Saturday at 7 p.m. and then Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.