Oliver Grigg
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas pitchers Hagen Smith and Brady Tygart have been invited to the 2023 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
The training camp features 56 of the premier non-draft eligible college players for a four-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series from June 25-28. USA Baseball will name a final 26-man Collegiate National Team roster after the training camp that will represent the United States in a friendship series against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30-July 12.
Smith wrapped up his true sophomore campaign as the 32nd All-American in program history. The left-hander, who made 18 appearances with 11 starts on the mound, went 8-2 with a 3.64 ERA, a team-leading 102 strikeouts and two saves in 71 2/3 innings of work.
In SEC play, Smith worked in a variety of roles, making 11 appearances with five starts, and compiled a 5-1 record with a 3.07 ERA. He racked up 65 strikeouts over 44 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .201 batting average.
Tygart, meanwhile, finished his true sophomore season with a 3-1 record and a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 innings on the mound. The right-hander began the year as the Razorbacks' relief ace, making four appearances out of the bullpen and recording one save before he was sidelined by an injury.
Returning as a starter, Tygart made six more appearances, including four starts in SEC play and two in the postseason. He logged a 1.80 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10 innings of work against SEC opponents, limiting opposing hitters to a minuscule .094 batting average.
All four training camp games will be played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. The series begins on June 25 at 3 p.m. ET, with three games following over the next three days. Game two will be on June 26 at 6 p.m. ET, game three on June 27 at 7 p.m. ET, and game four on June 28 at 6 p.m. ET.
Since 1979, 21 Razorbacks have suited up for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Robert Moore and Jaxon Wiggins most recently made the roster in 2021.