College Baseball Foundation watch lists
FAYETTEVILLE – Drew Smyly and Tim Carver, members of the 10th-ranked University of Arkansas baseball team, have been named quarterfinalists on separate watch lists released by the College Baseball Foundation. Narrowed down to 25 players on each list, Smyly is in the running for the Pitcher of the Year Award, while Carver is up for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award.
Smyly improved to 8-0 on the season Friday night with a six-inning effort at No. 11 Ole Miss. The left-handed sophomore carries a 2.26 ERA, the third-lowest figure in the Southeastern Conference, with 77 strikeouts. His strikeout total is the second-best in the conference. Smyly is holding opposing hitters to a .221 batting average in 71.2 innings of work. Smyly has two complete games this season, the first Razorback pitcher with at least two in a season since Nick Schmidt (5) and Jess Todd (2) in 2007. The Little Rock, Ark., native has won his last six starts.
Carver is fifth in the Razorback lineup with his .310 batting average. In Friday’s 11-4 win over Ole Miss, the sophomore infielder tallied the game-winning home run, a two-run shot in the eighth, his fourth long ball of the season. Carver hit the first home run of his Razorback career March 6 at California; he finished the game with two home runs. Against SEC opponents, Carver has upped his efficiency with a .318 batting average. In a show of his versatility, Carver has also made starts at second base and in right field this season.
Smyly is one of four SEC hurlers named to the Pitcher of the Year watch list and Carver is one of three representatives from the conference among the Brooks Wallace quarterfinalists. Both awards will be presented July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show in Lubbock, Texas.
Arkansas returns to the field Saturday night for game two of its Western Division showdown with Ole Miss. The ballgame is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Oxford-University Stadium and will be televised by ESPNU. Kyle Peterson and Clay Matvick will have the call of the action.
Download: Pitcher of the Year Watch.pdf
