Bullard’s Hagen Smith becomes Arkansas’ all-time strikeout leader, named SEC Pitcher of the Year.
Former Bullard High School standout Hagen Smith has become one of the top pitchers in college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. On Thursday, Smith struck out 14 Texas A&M batters, surpassing Nick Schmidt’s record to become Arkansas’ all-time strikeout leader with 349 career strikeouts.
Smith has 150 strikeouts this season, just five short of David Walling’s single-season record of 155 set in 1999. On Monday, Smith was named SEC Pitcher of the Year, becoming the third Razorback to receive this honor.
Smith has an impressive 9-0 record with a 1.52 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 77 innings over 14 starts. In 10 SEC starts, he is 7-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 60 innings, boasting a team-leading 11 quality starts and a program-record 11 double-digit strikeout games this season.
Leading the nation in ERA (1.52), hits allowed per nine innings (4.1), and strikeouts per nine innings (17.5), Smith is a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, Golden Spikes Award, and National Pitcher of the Year Award. He is also second nationally in strikeouts (150), fourth in WHIP (0.83), and 12th in victories (9).
Projected as a top 10 pick in the July MLB Draft, Smith has a chance to be the first pitcher selected. The draft is scheduled for July 14 in Fort Worth. Before that, Smith will lead the Razorbacks as the No. 2 seed in the SEC Baseball Tournament, facing either Alabama or South Carolina on Wednesday in Hoover, Alabama.
