Dave Van Horn reveals starting rotation for College Baseball Showdown

The College Baseball Showdown is just around the corner and will feature some of the top programs in the Big 12 and SEC. One of the three teams representing the Southeastern Conference is none other than the Arkansas Razorbacks, led by skipper Dave Van Horn. Ahead of the series scheduled to start February 17, Van Horn revealed his starting pitching rotation.

“Oh, yeah. We’ll go with Hagen Smith right out of the gate. And then we’ll go Will McEntire, and then we’ll go Hunter Holland on Sunday,” said Van Horn.

There is a noticeable name missing from that list. It’s six-foot-six junior pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. Sadly Wiggins will miss the entire 2023 season after tearing his UCL in the off-season. Replacing him will not be an easy task for Van Horn and the Razorbacks, but there are a few options.

“There’s some guys battling. I thought Cody Adcock has thrown really well. He’s very versatile, so we could use them out of the pen. And then, obviously, Wiggins would have been in the rotation. Those were probably the five or six guys we were looking at.”

SEC baseball 2023 preseason power rankings

It’s finally game week on the diamond, with SEC baseball looking as loaded as ever. Last year, nine SEC teams made a regional while four advanced to Omaha to play in the College World Series. That looks to be another achievable feat in 2023.

Last year’s CWS champions also came from the SEC, as Ole Miss went from a No. 3 seed in the Coral Gables regional to winning a super regional and going on to become the last team standing in Omaha.

The SEC’s strength has been on display throughout the offseason, as seven teams from the conference cracked D1Baseball’s preseason top 25. Two more just missed out on the rankings.

The transfer portal loomed large for many teams in the offseason, as some impressive bats and high-end arms have joined teams throughout the conference. Those additions have played a major role in On3’s preseason SEC baseball power rankings, with little to no separation for many squads in the top half of the conference.

6. Arkansas

2022 record: 46-21 (18-12)

2022 finish: Lost in College World Series

The Razorbacks put together quite the 2022 campaign, winning 46 games and making the Stillwater Regional. Arkansas wasn’t done there, though, moving on to the Chapel Hill Super Regional and eventually the CWS in Omaha. That would mark the end of the run for Arkansas, though.

The MLB Draft was not kind to the Razorbacks, with ten players being selected. Arkansas should still be in a good position, though, with the No. 22 freshman class incoming. The Razorbacks also bring in a top ten transfer class, led by a pair of outfielders in Jared Wegner (Creighton) and Tavian Josenberger (Kansas), and LHP Hunter Hollan (JUCO)…

Click here for a full look at On3’s 2023 SEC baseball preseason power rankings.