Andrew Hutchinson, managing editor of HawgBeat.com, Rivals’ Arkansas affiliate site, was kind enough to answer six questions about the Razorbacks in advance of their College World Series opener against Stanford. The game will air on Saturday at 11:00 AM PT on ESPN and KZSU radio.
Q: How is this Arkansas team different from when they met Stanford back in February at the Round Rock Classic? How much stock do you think we can take in that matchup?
AH: “Arkansas is a completely different team from two weeks ago — much less four months ago — so I don’t think you can put any stock at all in that game back in February. Coming into the season, there was a lot of hype that this might be the Razorbacks’ best and deepest lineup ever. Instead, they were ice cold to start out the year and were then pretty inconsistent throughout the season. They’ve seemingly flipped a switch in the postseason, though, and have started manufacturing runs with timely hitting rather than just relying solely on the long ball.”
Q: Arkansas only dropped one game in the Stillwater regional and swept North Carolina on the road in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. Were you surprised Arkansas performed so well and what worked so well for them in those first two rounds?
AH: “Stunned. I mean, Arkansas was not a very good team down the stretch. It just didn’t feel like this team had the same killer instinct that last year’s team had when it was No. 1 for much of the season. I thought they had a chance to win the Stillwater Regional, but it wasn’t something I was super confident in. However, they proved me — and everyone, really — wrong. They got a couple of excellent starts from Connor Noland and, as I mentioned earlier, some really timely hitting.”
Q: Who do you expect to pitch for Arkansas on Saturday? How would you assess the state of the pitching staff?
AH: “Noland, a senior right-hander, will get the nod. He’s been the Razorbacks’ ace all year and has allowed just one earned run in 13 2/3 innings in the NCAA Tournament. It’s been a return to how he looked earlier in the season, when he pitched like an All-SEC guy, but he really struggled down the stretch. A former quarterback who actually started a game for Arkansas as a true freshman, Noland doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but thrives on his off speed stuff and command. Behind him, Arkansas feels really good about its bullpen. The Razorbacks have several different options, including Freshman All-American closer Brady Tygart, a right-hander. However, another Freshman All-American — left-hander Hagen Smith — has moved from his spot in the starting rotation to the back end of the bullpen in the postseason.”
Q: Who are the key hitters Stanford needs to keep in check? Would you say Arkansas has been more of a contact oriented hitting team or a power one? Or an equal blend of both?
AH: “Third baseman Cayden Wallace is probably the best pro prospect on the team and got extremely hot down the stretch, hitting nine home runs in a 10-game stretch through the regional. Catcher Michael Turner has probably been the most consistent hitter all year, while center fielder Braydon Webb and designated hitter Brady Slavens have a lot of power.
"As a team, the Razorbacks have definitely been a more power hitting team than a contact/small ball oriented team. Going down the stretch, they were VERY home run reliant. There was a stretch of 15 or so games when about 60% of their runs were scored via the long ball. However, they’ve gotten a lot better at manufacturing runs in the postseason.”
Q: Any x-factors for Arkansas in this matchup?
AH: “It’s hard to single out one specific “x-factor” for Arkansas. I do think it’s a huge key for Noland to give Arkansas another solid start, but I’ll go with Turner. He doesn’t have the same power as someone like Wallace, Webb or Slavens, but he just seems to get big hits when the Razorbacks need them the most. On top of what he provides with the bat, he also plays a huge role defensively behind the plate — doing things that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.”
Q: Any players on Arkansas that have surprised you or exceeded expectations?
AH: “An outsider might look at the season Webb had compared to what he did in 2021 and think he was a surprise player, but anyone who watched him in the fall probably expected him to have a breakout year. One guy that has surprised me, despite not being as sharp lately, is Tygart. Although he was a heralded freshman, he missed a chunk of fall ball and didn’t look particularly good in the preseason. Once the season came along, though, he quickly established himself as an effective closer.”
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