Van Horn Debuts Potential Lineup in Fourth Razorbacks Scrimmage
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With opening day less than two weeks away, the fun and games are almost over. Coach Dave Van Horn put together a potential starting nine on the White Team in the latest Arkansas scrimmage.
Peyton Stovall, Second Base
Hudson White, Catcher
Kendall Diggs, Right Field
Wehiwa Aloy, Shortstop
Ben McLaughlin, First Base
Jack Wagner, Designated Hitter
Peyton Holt, Third Base
Jayson Jones, Left Field
Ty Wilmsmeyer, Center Field
Of course, things can still be tweaked before the season opener against James Madison, but it wouldn't be a shock if this is the opening day lineup card in Dave Van Horn's 22nd season.
Seeing Hudson White in the two spot speaks to two things. Van Horn's commitment to deploying a left-right-left-right through the first six spots of his lineup. It also speaks to just how highly he rates the Texas Tech transfer as with the bat, White is coming off a season in which he slashed .296/.397/.550 with 10 doubles and 11 homers.
Arkansas Razorbacks catcher Hudson White preparing to start Friday's scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium as they continue practices for Feb. 16 opening game.
Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images
"Athletically he could play other positions," Van Horn said. "He was our best hitter in the fall, as far as just barreling up the ball, hitting the ball all over the field, tough out, taking walks, fouling off pitches. You know he’s going to be in the lineup and it’ll be hard to beat him out."
Expect a lot of homers from the middle of with Diggs and Aloy. Aloy hit his team-leading seventh home run across all pre-season scrimmages (fall and spring). Diggs is the only returner from the 2023 team with more than 10 home runs (12).
Wilmsmeyer will most likely function as the prototypical "second leadoff hitter," a new idea over the past decade or so in which the No. 9 hitter carries speed and is the table setter for the top of the lineup. Wilmsmeyer had 21 steals in 24 attempts for Missouri, which would have led the Razorbacks last year both in steals and success rate (87.5%, min. 10 attempts).
In a blast from the past, Stovall returns to the leadoff spot. Van Horn hopes that things go better this time around. In the first seven games of his college career at first base, Stovall hit leadoff for seven of the first eight games of the 2021 season, going just 5-for-30 with three walks and seven strikeouts.
It is worth noting that although the team of starters got out to a 4-0 lead sparked by Diggs' first-inning homer, the White team was pegged back thanks to a five-run inning in the fifth from the Cardinal team.
Jared Sprague-Lott, according to Van Horn will be the team's utility infielder and first backup at multiple positions, had a two-hit day including a single to lead off the fifth.
With two runners on and two runs already home in the inning, Will Edmunson, likely the team's fourth outfielder, cranked a pitch 407 feet to left field to cap off the big inning.
McLaughlin would respond in the bottom of the inning, with a 357 foot homer down the right field line in front of an Aloy single as the team of starters held on for a 7-5 victory in seven inning scrimmage.
Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Mason Molina delivers a pitch in the first inning of Friday's scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images
On the pitching side, two weekend starters faced off against each other again. Hagen Smith and Mason Molina both showed flashes of potential, but command will be something to monitor with both moving forward. Smith allowed two walks in his two innings of work, while Molina allowed three in 1 2/3.
Molina, with Texas Tech, had a walks per nine of 3.95 across 83 1/3 innings while Smith's sat at 5.3 with the Razorbacks. Molina has also allowed 11 free passes in 11 2/3 innings across both fall and spring ball according to unofficial stats compiled by members of the media.
Jake Faherty and Gage Wood both had impressive outings as the bullpen slowly rounds into shape. Wood pitched three innings of one-run ball while Faherty tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings.
The Razorbacks begin its season 3 p.m. Feb. 16 against James Madison inside Baum-Walker Stadium.
Final Box score from Arkansas' fourth scrimmage
Arkansas Athletics
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