Southpaws on the way for Arkansas Baseball
By Chase Foster
Left handed pitching is on the way for head coach Dave Van Horn and the Arkansas baseball team in 2016.
It was an interesting year for the Razorbacks to say the least. Arkansas entered the year with only one left handed pitcher in freshman Kyle Pate of Fayetteville High School. Pate posted an 8.64 earned run average in just 8.1 innings of work, but the coaching staff expressed faith in the youngster’s inflated ERA.
“Kyle just didn’t throw very well all year,” Van Horn said Thursday. “I think he’ll tell you that. I had a good talk with him yesterday. His velocity was down. He finally started getting it going a little bit later in the spring. He’s going to California to play in the college league out there. Hopefully he’ll come back in next fall and make a big jump. Because that’s what he needs to do.”
“How did we make it to the World Series without a left-handed pitcher?” Van Horn asked.
The question was certainly a good one, but the Hogs still managed a 40-25 record after starting the year just 11-12. The feat was simply remarkable considering Arkansas finished out the season on a 29-13 run without ever using a left handed pitcher.
With Pate being the only lefty available in 2015, Van Horn made it a priority to find some southpaws to join the team in 2016.
At least six lefties will be joining the staff next Spring, including Ty Harris of Rogers, AR (Heritage HS), Dalton Moats of Kansas City, MO (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M), Kacey Murphy of Rogers, AR (Heritage HS), Jordan Rodriguez of Houston, TX (Alvin Community College), Weston Rogers of Springdale, AR (Har-Ber HS) and Jacob Schlesener of Rogersville, MO (Logan-Rogersville HS).
The six lefties will join Pate and 6’5, 210 pound freshman Ryan Fant, who was actually on the 2015 roster, but redshirted due to an injury. Fant was ranked as the 284th-best recruit nationally and the 21st-best recruit in the state of Texas, according to Perfect Game.
The eight lefties will certainly be a luxury next season after the loss of seniors Lance Phillips, Jackson Lowery, Jacob Stone and junior starter Trey Killian to the MLB Draft.
The youngsters will join an already proven staff in Keaton McKinney, Dominic Taccolini, James Teague and closer Zach Jackson, who will likely get a chance at the starting rotation.