It’s been one of the biggest criticisms of this year‘s Arkansas baseball team. The performance at the plate has been lackluster (to say the least), but if it wasn’t apparent to some, it should be now.
According to this graphic, Arkansas has the worst batting average in the tournament. Of course, Arkansas has one of the hardest schedules in the country. They also play in undoubtedly the toughest conference in the NCAA. But it’s been a problem since the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field.
On the other hand, the same graph shows Arkansas pitching's numbers. Not only are they the best in the tournament, they're the best in the country in nearly every category. The Hogs are losing a little depth this weekend with Brady Tygart’s shoulder injury, but Arkansas most likely has enough to get through the regional.
ARKANSAS pic.twitter.com/K5KcU5mPbO
— College Baseball Nation (@CollegeBallNat) May 29, 2024
To be fair, the problem isn’t necessarily hitting. Yes, Arkansas has the worst batting average in the tournament. However, with Arkansas’s pitching, the Razorbacks don’t need to be elite at the plate. They only need to be efficient.
Arkansas has had the worst luck batting with RISP. They're sub .200 in conference play. And at times, they haven't hit when they truly needed it, and they've had the opportunities.
Arkansas is also one of the top teams in the country in walks. Many of their RISP have been from players who reached on a walk, but Arkansas failed to take advantage of it enough. If the Hogs were more clutch in those situations, Arkansas fans wouldn’t be making much of a deal of it.
Hopefully, being in the NCAA tournament and not knowing what game will be their last will help with the clutch factor of this Arkansas baseball team.