All Hogs

Quartet of takeaways from the first Razorback mini-scrimmages last two weeks

Returners, newcomers alike shine through first two weekends of fall ball for Arkansas
Daniel Shi|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in the dugout against the Portland Pilots at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in the dugout against the Portland Pilots at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

While the renewed optimism of football brought on by a new season took the Arkansas headlines, fans at Baum-Walker Stadium were afforded their first look at the 2026 Razorbacks on the diamond.

A team with Omaha aspirations for the second straight season, the Hogs are two weekends into fall ball. Here are four takeaways from the first set of intrasquad scrimmages.

Carson Brumbaugh makes early case

Arkansas got rather fortunate with the 2023 recruiting class in getting both Ryder Helfrick and Gabe Gaeckle through the MLB Draft process, but Carson Brumbaugh may be an even bigger impact as a freshman because of his potential on both sides of the scorecard.

Brumbaugh hit the only homer on the first day of scrimmaging, a shot to right center right after pitching a 1-2-3 inning in his first action as a Razorback, drawing shades of Shohei Ohtani hitting a leadoff homer on Sunday Night Baseball after pitching the top of the first.

His prowess doesn't stop in with the bat and on the mound. Brumbaugh has looked comfortable at shortstop and put his name in the mix of a crowded infield.

The Razorbacks will be without 2025 second baseman Nolan Souza, who would have been the prime candidate to replace Golden Spikes Award Winner Wehiwa Aloy.

Souza will be significantly limited in fall, with coach Dave Van Horn leaving the door open that he might participate on defense without throwing the ball as he returns from a torn labrum on his throwing arm. He did not participate in the opening two weekends of games.

Brumbaugh hit his second homer of the fall, only the second Razorback to do that alongside Helfrick. The freshman took Ethan McElvain deep to left, a highly touted transfer pitcher from Vanderbilt.

The freshman from Edmond, Okla. also had a few moments of inexperience, getting picked off of first and giving up a few runs in his second outing on the mound, but the talent is apparent in spades.

Brumbaugh was the No. 77 overall prospect in his class per Perfect game and the No. 222 overall draft prospect out of high school per MLB Pipeline.

Helfrick continues his rapid ascension

Arkansas set a school-record 127 home runs last season, with seven different players crossing the double-digit threshold. Five of the seven moved on to professional baseball. Helfrick and infielder Cam Kozeal are the only two that return from the superb seven.

For each of the past two seasons, Helfrick got off to an extremely slow start at the plate, but finished his sophomore year as the primary cleanup hitter and figures to take a similar role in his junior year.

Arkansas' offense may need its catcher to hit the ground running. Helfrick already has two homers in the scrimmages.

Third season's charm for Hunter Dietz

Dietz's career has been an unfortunate case of Murphy's Law through the first two seasons. Even the cruelest script writers in Hollywood couldn't have come up with some of the adversity Dietz has gone through. Dietz's freshman season got cut short after just one inning with a elbow injury that required an operation.

He was finally on an upwards trajectory in his sophomore season until a band mount flew off the wall, forcing the lefty to get stiches. If law of averages exists, Dietz is due for some good fortune.

Through it all, coach Dave Van Horn remained steadfast in his support for Dietz and now is higher on the former top-100 recruit than ever.

"We knew it was in there," Van Horn said. "[Throughout] summer ball [it] got better and better. Now he is back here and I think he is starting to pitch more free mentally. Just let it go, the injury is behind him and now he has got to build up and gain some confidence and do what he did when he came in the door which was really good."

Van Horn also left the door open for Dietz to enter the rotation. He made a start each of the first two weekends, including a six-up, six-down outing Saturday with four strikeouts.

Kircher shows potential as part of transfer arm class

Arkansas' transfer class isn't as heralded as in previous seasons in the rankings, checking in at No. 18 in the final 64Analytics update,

Jackson Kircher, a Little Rock native, returns home after one season at Oklahoma. He struck out 17 in 12 2/3 innings and pitched to a 5.68 ERA.

In the first two outings in Razorback Red Kircher has yet to give up a run and is using his power fastball to make his own case to crack the starting rotation.

The Razorbacks will continue with another set of weekend scrimmages Friday and Saturday. All scrimmages are free and open to the public.

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Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

Covers baseball, football and basketball for Arkansas Razorback on SI since 2023, previously writing for FanSided. Currently a student at the University of Arkansas. He’s been repeatedly jaded by the Los Angeles Angels since 2014. Probably silently humming along to whatever the band is playing in the press box. Follow me on X: @dsh12

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