FAYETTEVILLE -- No. 5 Arkansas will open the 2026 baseball season on Friday night in the Shriners Children's College Showdown against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m.
It will mark the first of four games played in Arlington, Texas, on consecutive days. Dave Van Horn is ready to get this new season underway after the last one ended in the College World Series. Among the positions that will have a new starter is shortstop where Wehiwa Aloy was the standout for the past two years.
"We’ll see how it goes," Van Horn said. "You know, you guys haven’t been in there, but I’ve been playing (Nolan) Souza there every day. The arm’s not ready yet, but the glove is. He hasn’t missed a ball there, but sometimes the throwing, he’s still thinking about it. The strength isn’t there yet. TJ (Pompey) plays an outstanding third base and second base. Cam’s (Kozeal) been playing great at second. He’s a lot better than he was last year. He’s more limber and agile, although he's stronger. He hit a ball the other day that read at 417, and I didn’t think he hit it that good, but that trackman is usually pretty right. There’s a lot of strength there, but he’s quicker.
"We already know Souza can play a great second base with his range, or anywhere. Yeah, I’m not really answering your question, but I would say if we started tomorrow, I’d probably start (Carson) Brumbaugh, put TJ at third. Souza might have to DH for a bit, maybe play some, we’ll see. This weekend will determine a couple things."
Brumbaugh is a true freshman from Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe. Pompey is a transfer from Texas Tech. Kozeal and Souza were standouts for the Hogs last year before an injury ended Souza's season.
One of the outfielders this season is Kuhio Aloy who spent most of his time at designated hitter in 2025. He's on target to start in right field this season.
"He’s gotten a lot better," Van Horn said. "Like, he looks normal out there. What I mean by that, he doesn’t catch the ball funny, all out of what. He can run. He’s a big guy and he can run well, underway. He’s learned about the warning track a little bit. He’s not perfect, so I’m going to say he’s an average outfielder. But there’s average outfielders playing in the big leagues every day."
Van Horn feels that Aloy has a chip on his shoulder. In 61 games last season, Aloy hit 13 home runs, drove in 70 with a batting average of .317.
"What was he, the SEC DH last year?," Van Horn said. "He got off to an incredible start when he got into the lineup, and it really happened when he came and got that pinch hit off the wall against TCU that gave us the lead and we went on to win the game late, and then he never came out of the lineup. And then he just tore it up for a month and a half. And then he was up-and-down. I do believe he lost some strength.
"I think he was under a lot of pressure. He had his brother who was a superstar, and now he’s gone and it’s just him. Hopefully he will relax. Man, his batting practice has been amazing. He’s been getting his hits, but he hasn’t been crushing balls out of the park, so to speak. But I think that he has a little bit of a chip, and I think there’s probably a few other guys. But you know, really bottom line, you guys go play and take it to the game, it all works out."
Redshirt sophomore Hunter Dietz struggled in his few appearances in 2025. But Van Horn feels he's over his mental issues of the game and will likely be a starter in the rotation. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Dietz has all the physical tools to dominate.
"Yeah, you’ll see Dietz," Van Horn said. "He’s ready to roll. I think he threw four innings the other night in there, on Saturday night, he didn’t give up a run. Yeah, the mental part of it, first off, whenever you’ve been hurt as much as him in that same spot, you know, the bone’s weak. Then it heals, then it hurts again, then he has surgery, and there he is coming back and he just didn’t want to hurt that thing.
"I get it. I’d say we saw it in a few innings. Even when LSU walked us off the field last year at Baton Rouge, he was throwing the ball like 90. We lost and us coaches were going, okay, we got us another guy, because we were thinking down the road. We knew we were going to be in a regional, or whatever. And then it was kind of up-and-down. He would show you an inning. Then he went out to summer ball, got on the mound, got his work in, started, threw his pitch count, came in the fall and we were going, okay, I think he’s back. It’s physical a little bit, but that mental part of it, it’s normal.
On Saturday at 7 p.m., Arkansas will take on TCU. On Sunday at 2:30 p.m. they will face Texas Tech. The Hogs will then take on Tarleton State on Monday at 3 p.m. in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. All the game will be played at Globe Life Field.
The Razorbacks will return home to host Xavier for a three-game series on the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday's game starts at 3 p.m.. then 2 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.