Hogs Replacing a Trio of Outfielders

As if replacing an Arkansas legend isn’t difficult enough, the Hogs will be forced to start three new outfielders on Opening Day against Central Michigan.

The Hogs are tasked with replacing National Player of the Year Andrew Benintendi, who’s the most decorated Razorback since Corliss Williamson and Darren McFadden. However, they must replace the corner outfield positions that Joe Serrano and Tyler Spoon vacated after many great seasons as well.

The trio combined for a .327 average with 30 of the team’s 53 home runs and 146 runs batted in. They also notched 40 of the team’s 55 stolen bases and scored 146 of the team’s 387 runs in 2015.

Likely filling the void of Benintendi is junior Clark Eagan, who is just received 2nd-team Preseason All-SEC honors. Eagan spent his first two seasons playing mostly infield and designated hitter, but remained a successful force in the lineup with a .288 average as a sophomore. The left-handed hitter can play anywhere in the field and will likely see time at first, third and outfield. The former leadoff hitter is also slated to take on more of the role Benintendi did in the lineup as he’s projected to open 3rd in the order.

Starting in left field will be sophomore Luke Bonfield. He’s the most gifted athlete and most comparable to Benintendi in athleticism and pure talent. Bonfield struggled mightily in his freshman campaign after an injury sidelined him for much of last winter. Head Coach Dave Van Horn said, “No one works harder than Luke on his hitting. He’s the first one at practice and the last one to leave. We sometimes have to tell him to go home.”

Although he batted just .177 in 62 at bats, I’d expect Bonfield to have a tremendous bounce back season and could be the Hogs biggest surprise overall. He showed great plate discipline with 16 walks and still managed a .346 on-base percentage, which is extremely rare for a freshman. The sky is the limit for the former 57th nationally ranked high school player of 2014.

In right field, we can expect freshman speedster Eric Cole on Opening Day. Cole is a 5’11 switch hitter that batted .395 as a senior at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas. He’s slated to leadoff for the Razorbacks.

Sophomore Chad Spanberger could also play right field this weekend, but I’d expect him to take on more of a designated hitter role for the time being. He hit .252 with five doubles, two triples and 21 runs batted in as a freshman and displays tremendous power in practice (watch out new video board).

Redshirt freshman Jack Benninghoff and junior transfer Jake Arledge are also expected to see time in the outfield to begin the season. Benninghoff is a very talented recruit from the class of 2014 as he hit .400 and stole 37 bags as a senior in high school. Arledge posted almost identical statistics as a sophomore at Panola Junior College, batting .399 and stealing 37 bases.

With almost all of the Hogs’ starting rotation returning and much of the bullpen talent back, the pitching staff is locked and loaded with much more depth and a left-handed presence. Hitting was certainly Arkansas’ strong point last season, but replacing the whole outfield could spell doom for our beloved Hogs in 2016.

The Hogs will rely heavily on three seniors, Tucker Pennell (catcher), Rick Nomura (2nd base) and Michael Bernal (shortstop) to carry the load this season. I wouldn’t consider any of them your flashy all-star type hitters and defenders, but their leadership and experience could carry Arkansas to another Omahogs appearance.