Dave Van Horn says Hagen Smith is 'for sure' a starter in 2024

Arkansas left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith has not had a set role over his first two seasons with the Razorbacks. He’s started most of this games, but has also been a key piece coming out of the pen in certain situations.

Looking ahead to 2024, Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn doesn’t see Smith’s role changing. He said that the 6-foot-3 southpaw is all but guaranteed to be a starting pitching for the Razorbacks.

“I’d say he’s a for sure starter,” Van Horn said. “Unless he came up to me and said, ‘Coach, I just really want to come out of the pen.’ And that’s slim and none that anybody ever says that. I think he’s a starter. He’s been through it. He’s done everything: middle relief, close, start. He’s still really young. I think he turns 20 in August, like August 18th or something. He’ll be 20 all next year. He’ll be 20 at the draft. We saw a jump in him physically this past year. We’ll see another jump in him, where he’s gonna really, in our opinion, come into being more of the man strength so to speak and mature. Great kid. Great worker. Loving. He cares. He really cares and I think he’s going to be a superstar.”

Hagen Smith has been a key player for Arkansas the past two seasons

Hagen Smith pitched in 18 games this season with 11 starts on the mound. He went 8-2 with two saves, a 3.64 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 71.2 innings.

Among pitchers on Arkansas with at least 10.0 innings pitched, Smith was third on the team in ERA. The two players ahead of him, however, combined for 36 innings pitched — or half of Smith’s output.

It was a good improvement from a freshman season when he made the All-SEC freshman team. In 2022, he pitched in 20 game with 15 starts as the Razorbacks made it to the Men’s College World Series.

Smith finished the season with a 7-2 record with two saves and a 4.66 ERA.

Someone who would make a great tandem in the rotation with Smith would be right-handed pitcher Dylan Carter, who went 6-0 this season before having Tommy John surgery.

Dave Van Horn said his timetable to return is not yet clear.

“I don’t think anybody can outwork him, and he’s tough as can be,” Van Horn said. “I think if he does pitch it would be late in the season, but we’ll just try to evaluate that as best we can through late fall, January.”