Hogs Open Season at Jaguar Invitational in Mobile
Jaguar InvitationalSchedule
Game 1: Arkansas vs. George Mason
Friday, Feb. 10, 2:30 p.m. – Stanky Field
Probable Starting Pitchers
UA: 30 Chris Rhoads, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
GMU: 16 Jared Petrovich, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 2: Arkansas vs. Oklahoma State
Saturday, Feb. 11, 4:30 p.m. – Stanky Field
Probable Starting Pitchers
UA: 33 Nick Schmidt, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
OSU: TBA
Game 3: Arkansas vs. South Alabama
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:30 p.m. – Stanky Field
Probable Starting Pitchers
UA: 45 Charley Boyce, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
USA: 27 David Freese, RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Hogs Open Season at Jaguar Invitational in Mobile
Arkansas begins the 2006 baseball season at the Jaguar Invitational in Mobile, Ala. The four-team field features the Hogs, host South Alabama, Oklahoma State and George Mason in round-robin format.
The season’s first pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10, against George Mason at the newly renovated Stanky Field. The Hogs will then face Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m. and finish the first weekend of play against South Alabama at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12. All of the action can be heard over the Razorback Baseball Radio Network with play-by-play voice Chuck Barrett.
Arkansas skipper Dave Van Horn begins his fourth year at the helm of the Razorbacks, and his 17th as a head coach. The Hogs are coming off of a 39-22 campaign in 2005 after taking eventual national champion Texas to the brink of elimination at the NCAA Austin Regional. The Razorbacks return their top two starting pitchers from a year ago, six starters in the field and the designated hitter.
Junior Chris Rhoads will start the season opener against George Mason. The right-hander will be making his first appearance in a Razorback uniform.
The Hogs will then send sophomore left-hander Nick Schmidt to the hill on Saturday. Schmidt is coming off freshman All-America honors last season with an 8-2 record and a 2.80 ERA.
Senior right-hander Charley Boyce will make his 69th career start on Sunday against South Alabama after a recent infection delayed his bullpen sessions. He is coming off of an 11-10 record and a 3.53 ERA in 2005. His 27-career wins are the second-most in school history, trailing only Scott Tabor’s 34 (1979-82).
Arkansas holds a 1-0 record against George Mason with a 13-9 win on May 24, 1985, at the NCAA South II Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. Oklahoma State owns a slim 20-15 edge in the series dating back to 1970, but Arkansas has won both games against the Cowboys under Van Horn. Van Horn is 14-9 in his coaching career against OSU. This will be Arkansas’ first meeting with South Alabama.
The Hogs in Season Openers
For the second straight season and only the third time since 1988, Arkansas opens the season on the road. The Razorbacks dispatched Dallas Baptist 13-3 in the 2005 season opener in Dallas. The only other time since 1988 the Hogs have opened on the road was a 7-3 loss to TCU in Forth Worth in 1994.
Arkansas is 35-11 in season openers dating back to the 1960 season and have won 11 straight dating back to the 1994 loss at TCU. The Razorbacks are 6-6 in season opening games on the road since 1960. Arkansas is also 3-0 in season openers under skipper Dave Van Horn. The Hogs are 31-5 in season openers since 1970, the year Norm DeBriyn took over as the program’s head coach.
Scouting the Field
The Jaguar Invitational sports a strong field in 2006 with 18th-ranked Arkansas, host South Alabama, traditional-power Oklahoma State and George Mason.
South Alabama is under the direction of 23-year head coach Steve Kittrell, who led the Jaguars to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 with an at-large berth in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. Baseball America picked South Alabama to win the Sun Belt in 2006 and advance to the NCAA Tournament. South Alabama is led by infielder David Freese, who hit .373 with six home runs and 48 RBI. USA will start right-hander David Freese.
Oklahoma State is picked fifth in the Big 12 Conference in Baseball America’s preseason edition and is receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Cowboys are coached by third-year man Frank Anderson. His Pokes finished sixth in the Big 12 a year ago and missed the NCAA Tournament. They are led by sophomore outfielder Corey Brown who hit .350 as a freshman with 13 home runs and 46 RBI. The Cowboys will likely decided between right-handed junior college transfers Oliver Odle and Jared Swart.
George Mason is led by Bill Brown who is in his 23rd year as the Patriots head coach. GMU finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005 with 15-9 conference record and a 35-19 overall mark. George Mason is picked third in the conference in 2006 by Baseball America. Catcher Robbie Jacobsen leads the Patriots after hitting .335 last season with a school-record for catcher with 20 stolen bases. George Mason will throw right-hander Jared Petrovich.
Preseason Polls Tout Razorbacks
Arkansas is ranked among the nation’s best in the 2006 preseason rankings. Prognosticators have the Hogs anywhere from 14th to 33rd in the preseason polls.
Baseball America ranks the Razorbacks 18th in the nation, while Collegiate Baseball has the Hogs all the way down at 33rd. The NCBWA picked Arkansas at No. 19, while the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll ranks the Razorbacks 23rd.
The two major internet rankings, SEBaseball.com and RosenblattReport.com have the Hogs ranked 15th and 14th, respectively.
Defending national champion Texas is a consensus preseason No. 1 with Florida or Clemson holding down the No. 2 spot.
SEC Coaches Pick Hogs Third in the Western Division
The Southeastern Conference coaches picked Arkansas third in the SEC’s Western division in their annual preseason poll.
The Razorbacks were picked third in the West in the 2005 preseason poll and last in the SEC West prior to the 2004 campaign. Arkansas finished in a tie for fifth last season after proving the critics wrong by winning the SEC title in 2004.
Arkansas garnered 49 points in the 2006 poll’s Western Division behind Mississippi State’s 54 points and LSU’s 51 points. The Hogs received three first-place votes in the Western Division, while the Bulldogs got five and LSU three.
Florida was selected as the conference’s overall champion with eight of the 12 overall first-place votes. LSU garnered three more, while Arkansas picked up the remaining overall first-place vote.
Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.
SEC Champion: Florida (8), LSU (3), Arkansas (1)
Eastern Division
Team Points ’05 SEC Record ‘05 Finish
1. Florida (11) 66 20-10 1st
2. S. Carolina (1) 55 16-14 3rd
3. Tennessee 46 18-11 2nd
4. Vanderbilt 30 13-17 4th
5. Georgia 29 12-17 5th
6. Kentucky 17 7-22 6th
Western Division
Team Points ’05 SECRecord ‘05 Finish
1. Miss. State (5) 54 13-16 4th
2. LSU (3) 51 18-12 t1st
3. Arkansas (3) 49 13-17 t5th
4. Alabama (1) 41 17-13 3rd
5. Ole Miss 34 18-12 t1st
6. Auburn 17 13-17 t5th
() – first-place votes
Boyce Set to Start on Sunday
Senior Charley Boyce will make his first start of the season on Sunday against South Alabama. The fifth-year senior right-hander has been hampered by injuries throughout the off season, including a recent infection that delayed his bullpen work. He is on a 60-pitch limit vs. USA.
Boyce Climbing Up Arkansas’ Record Books
Charley Boyce is climbing up the Arkansas record books each time he takes the field. The senior from Broken Arrow, Okla., ranks third in career games started (45), second in career victories (27), fourth in career appearances (68) and second in all-time innings pitched (330.2). He is also eighth in career strikeouts with 204. Boyce has a career ERA of 3.40.
His sophomore and junior seasons also rank as some of the best in school history. Boyce’s 11 wins last season are tied for the third-most in a single season, while his 10 victories in 2004 are tied for eighth. His 19 starts in 2004 are tied for the most in school history. Boyce’s 122.1 innings in 2005 are the second-most in a single season in school history, while his 115.1 innings in 2004 rank eighth.
Hogs Post 3.15-Team GPA During Fall Semester
The Arkansas baseball team proved they were truly student-athletes during the 2005 fall semester with an impressive 3.15-team grade point average.
The 3.15-team GPA was the highest of any male team on campus with 26 of 41 players earning a 3.0 or better GPA.
Razorback position players compiled a 3.27 GPA, while the pitching staff put together a 3.0 GPA during the fall.
"I couldn’t be more proud of what our team accomplished in the classroom during the fall," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. "A 3.15 GPA for a baseball team is almost unheard of around the country. It shows you the type of student-athletes that we have in this program. Not only do these guys want to succeed on the field, but they understand the importance of going to class, getting good grades and graduating."
Senior right-handed pitcher Charley Boyce and former shortstop Scott Hode received their degrees in December, while Trey Holloway and Josh Smith are scheduled to graduate in May.
Two Hogs, freshmen Taylor Ardoin and Brad Secrist, earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the fall. Eleven Razorbacks posted GPAs of 3.5 or better during the fall, including Brian Walker (3.91), Thomas Hauskey (3.86), Lee Land (3.83), Brandon Barr (3.83), Brian McLelland (3.82), Hunter London (3.75), Trey Holloway (3.69), Jake Dugger (3.60), Shaun Seibert (3.60), James Ewing (3.60) and Danny Hamblin (3.53).
Baseball America’s Preseason Look at the SEC
Baseball America tabbed the Razorbacks 18th nationally headed into the 2006 in its preseason poll. The publication also picked the Hogs second in the SEC’s Western Division behind Mississippi State and just ahead of LSU.
That projected finish also nabs Arkansas a NCAA Tournament according to Baseball America.
On the individual front BA did not name any Hogs to the first-team preseason all-conference team. But several Razorbacks were singled-out by the publication after a polling of the league’s head coaches.
• Sophomore LHP Nick Schmidt was named the SEC’s fourth-best prospect in the 2007 MLB Draft.
• Senior center fielder Craig Gentry was selected as the best defensive outfielder in the SEC.
• Senior RHP Charley Boyce was picked to have the best control.
Schmidt Named 15th-Best Sophomore by Baseball America
The Razorbacks left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt was named the 15th-best sophomore in the country by Baseball America. The publication lists the top 50 collegiate baseball players in each class as chosen by the Major League scouts.
SEBaseball.com Tabs Schmidt Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt was named the 2006 Preseason Pitcher of the Year in the Southeastern Conference by SEBaseball.com. Schmidt posted an 8-2 last season with a 2.80 ERA in 99.2 innings. He also led the team in strikeouts with 89.
RosenblattReport.com Selects Schmidt and Hamblin Third-Team All-Americans
Danny Hamblin and Nick Schmidt earned preseason All-America honors by RosenblattReport.com.
Hamblin got the nod after leading Arkansas in almost every offensive category as a sophomore. The Rowlett, Texas, native hit .341 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs, a .420 on-base percentage and a .573 slugging percentage.
The left-handed Schmidt was named to the third-team after a stellar freshman campaign. As the Hogs’ No. 1 starter, he posted an 8-2 record with a 2.80 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 99.2 innings. Schmidt was named the SEC Freshman of the Year by SEBaseball.com and was on everyone’s freshmen All-America team in 2005.
Hamblin Named First-Team All-Conference by SEBaseball.com
SEBaseball.com named Arkansas first baseman Danny Hamblin and LHP Nick Schmidt to its first-team preseason All-SEC squad. Schmidt was a freshman All-American a season ago after an 8-2 record, a 2.80 ERA and 89 strikeouts. Hamblin led almost every offensive category for the Razorbacks as a sophomore with a .341 batting average, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBI.
The Hogs also had two second-team selections by SEBaseball.com in center fielder Craig Gentry and starting pitcher Charley Boyce. Gentry produced outstanding numbers for the Razorbacks a season ago after taking over in center field in late March. The Fort Smith native hit .311 with 12 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Boyce pitched out of just about every role for the Hogs in 2005, finishing with an 11-10 record and a 3.53 ERA in 122.1 innings.
Florida’s Matt LaPorta was selected as SEBaseball.com’s Hitter of the Year.
Schmidt Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
Arkansas sophomore Nick Schmidt was among 120 college baseball players named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas. Schmidt, a left-handed pitcher from St. Louis, Mo., registered wins over College World Series participants Florida, Tennessee and CWS Champion Texas during his freshman campaign.
He was a freshman All-America by Louisville Slugger and SEbaseball.com tabbed him as the SEC’s Freshman of the Year. Schmidt set the Arkansas freshman record for starts with 17 and tied for the most innings pitched with 99.2. His eight wins and 89 strikeouts were the third most by a rookie in school history.
Arkansas Finishes Second Nationally in Attendance According to NCAA
Arkansas finished second nationally in average-paid attendance in 2005 with a school-record 7,156 in paid attendance in 2005, just 352 behind LSU who averaged 7,508 to lead the nation for the 10th straight season. The Hogs increased their average attendance by 2,372 fans from their 2004 average of 4,784, which ranked fifth nationally.
The Hogs also finished fourth in total attendance with a school-record 200,378 fans passing through Baum Stadium’s gates in just 28 games during the 2005 season.
Butler Joins Hogs’ Staff
Todd Butler joined the Razorbacks’ staff at the beginning of July as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. He came to Arkansas after eight years as an assistant coach for Alabama and three seasons as the head coach at his alma mater McNeese State. He was an assistant coach at Alabama from 1995-2000, helping the Tide to three College World Series appearances and four SEC Tournament Championships. He served as the Crimson Tide’s hitting coach and outfield coach in his first stint in Tuscaloosa.
In 2001, Butler took over the reigns of the McNeese State program and guided the Cowboys to a 90-83 (.520) record in three seasons. He led McNeese State to a Southland Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Houston Regional in 2003. Butler returned to Alabama in the summer of 2003 and has served as the team’s recruiting coordinator, hitting instructor, infield coach and first base coach for the past two seasons.
Bubbs Merrill is now the volunteer assistant and Clay Goodwin assumed the student assistant position.
Hogs Believed to Lead Country in Actual Attendance
Hogs Believed to Lead Country in Actual Attendance
The NCAA and Southeastern Conference recognize paid attendance as their method of ranking attendance, but Arkansas keeps both an actual attendance and paid attendance. In 2005, the Razorbacks also set a school record in actual attendance with 146,902 fans showing up at Baum Stadium. That averages out to 5,247 fans per game and is believed to have led the country last season.
In an informal survey by the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate, Arkansas led all SEC schools in actual attendance. The Razorbacks’ average of 5,247 fans in actual attendance would rank fifth nationally on the NCAA’s paid attendance rankings. LSU finished second in The Advocate’s survey of actual attendance with 3,922 fans per game. Below is a breakdown of both paid and actual attendance at Baum Stadium over the past three seasons and a look ahead to the 2006 season.
Razorbacks Pick Captains for 2005
The Razorbacks selected their 2006 captains by a vote of the team prior to the start of the season. Senior pitcher Charley Boyce, junior first baseman Danny Hamblin and sophomore catcher Brian Walker were chosen to represent the Razorbacks this season.
2006 Season Outlook (from media guide)
After injuries and just plain bad luck derailed a return trip to the College World Series last season, the 2006 Arkansas baseball team is poised to make another run on Omaha, Neb.
That run begins on Feb. 10, in Mobile, Ala., against George Mason. The Hogs’ 39-man roster includes 17 newcomers that will be needed to fill vacancies along the left-side of the infield, a slot in the rotation and needs in the bullpen.
"I am really excited about this team heading into the season," Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. "I think this team is the best offensive club we have put together since I arrived in Fayetteville. We have guys with speed and power, from the top of the lineup to the bottom – there won’t be any easy outs. The pitching staff will also be one of the deepest since I got here with guys like Nick Schmidt and Charley Boyce leading the way.”
Preseason prognosticators have tagged the Hogs as high as 18th in Baseball America’s poll, 19th in the NCBWA poll and 33rd by Collegiate Baseball.
The Razorbacks feature plenty of incoming talent with a returning group of players that saw plenty of playing time due to injuries last season. The returning talent could allow the Hogs to be one of the elite teams in country in 2006. Many of Van Horn’s everyday starters were sidelined in 2005 with injuries, and that allowed him to insert seldom utilized freshmen and bench players that were able to earn valuable experience.
As the season progressed, those newcomers became regulars in the Hogs’ lineup and developed into outstanding college baseball players that should help anchor this year’s squad.
"We have a lot of young guys coming back that gained invaluable experience as freshmen due to injuries and other issues we had," Van Horn said. "They got to play a lot more than was originally planned by the coaching staff at the beginning of last spring. That is going to be a positive this season because they have already gained that in-game experience in the SEC and playing on the road in hostile environments."
Picked by many as one of the preseason favorites in the SEC Western Division, the Razorbacks return almost completely intact after saying goodbye to just two starters from last year’s team. Only shortstop Scott Hode and third baseman Clay Goodwin depart after long and productive careers, which leaves Van Horn with his deepest and most talented squad in his four years in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks return a wealth of talent off of a team that went 39-22 in 2005 and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Austin Regional before bowing out to eventual national champion Texas.
The Hogs will be one of the fastest and most aggressive teams in the nation. Van Horn’s offensive style is all about getting on base and making things happen. Arkansas has swiped more than 100 bases in each of the past two seasons and will look to make a run at the school record of 155 in 2006.
The addition of Todd Butler as the Razorbacks’ hitting coach could cause the power numbers to skyrocket as well. The powerful bats of Danny Hamblin, Jake Dugger, Brian Walker and Blake Parker, along with several talented newcomers and the Hogs just might have the recipe for one of the more feared offensive teams in the nation.
"You look for the production and leadership at the plate from some of our more experienced guys," Van Horn said. “Guys like Danny Hamblin and Jake Dugger have started for a couple of years now, and they need to have big years."
The pitching staff is anchored by veteran RHP Charley Boyce, whose iron-man performance down the stretch last season and into the postseason carried his team into the NCAA Tournament.
"On the mound, you have a guy like Charley Boyce who is going to be in his fifth year in the program, and his fourth battling in the SEC," Van Horn said. "That is going to be a plus for this pitching staff and team. Then you have a guy like Nick Schmidt who gained so much valuable experience last season and really became a dominant pitcher."
In all Arkansas returns 21 lettermen, including three starting pitchers and six starting position players along with a designated hitter. Those veterans are joined by one of the most talented recruiting classes in school history.
The Hogs also added to one of the best coaching staffs in the country when they lured Butler to Fayetteville in early July. He joins pitching coach Dave Jorn on the staff along with new volunteer assistant coach Bubbs Merrill. Former third baseman Clay Goodwin also joins the staff as the Razorbacks’ new fifth-year student assistant coach.
The Lineup
When you start talking about offense for Arkansas the conversation has to begin with junior first baseman Danny Hamblin, who will anchor first base and be at the heart of the Hogs’ lineup in 2006. He established himself as one of the more dangerous hitters in the SEC a year ago when he led the team with a .341 batting average, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBI. Those power numbers are only expected to rise in his junior campaign.
The middle infield positions were solidified in fall practice with senior John Henry Marquardt securing the job at shortstop. Ben Tschepikow’s back appears healthy for the first time since he arrived on campus, so he will likely handle the duties at second base.
Third base appears to be Arkansas’ biggest question entering the season. Blake Parker spent some time at third base during the fall, and he will battle freshmen James Ewing and Logan Forsythe for the starting job.
Catcher was one of the biggest questions entering last season but Arkansas found the answer in Brian Walker. His defense and strong throwing arm kept him in the lineup early in the year as he struggled at the plate. He found his stroke in the second half of the season and enters his sophomore campaign as one of the Razorbacks’ team leaders and a captain.
Craig Gentry took over in center field midway through last year and quickly exploded onto the scene. The lightning-fast senior can track down almost anything in the outfield and will be gunning for the school single-season stolen base record at the top of the lineup. Gentry underwent off-season Tommy John surgery, but he is expected to be ready to go by the start of the season.
Jake Dugger and Parker spent their summers in the Cape Cod League refining their tools for a breakout 2006 season. Dugger can play either corner outfield position and possesses power to both fields and a knack for coming through in the clutch. Parker is a five-tool player with the ability to play a number of positions and will be seen in the outfield if he doesn’t win the third base job. He has excellent power to all fields and the ability to be a star when everything falls into place.
Clint Arnold is also coming off of an excellent summer where he was named to the Texas Collegiate League All-Star game. The sophomore will make the move to the outfield on a full-time basis in 2006. Stephen Robison is another Razorback that had a great summer. The speedy junior seemed to finally put it all together after also being named to the TCL All-Star game.
The Pitching Staff
Charley Boyce enters his senior campaign with his name already littered throughout the Arkansas record books. His 122.1 innings pitched last season was the second-most in school history. His bulldog presence on the mound and uncanny ability to get the toughest of hitters out with an 87 mph fastball gives Arkansas a strong leader on the mound.
Boyce leads a staff that features one of the best left-handed pitchers in the country. Sophomore Nick Schmidt is coming off one of the best freshman seasons in Razorback history in 2005 with an 8-2 record and a 2.80 ERA. His 6-5 frame and explosive 95 mph fastball fits in at the top of the UA rotation.
With the top two starters penciled in, one of the most important things for the coaching staff to identify is a Sunday starting pitcher. The first name that comes to mind is sophomore right-hander Shaun Seibert. He struggled with his consistency a year ago, but has the stuff to solidify the No. 3 spot in the rotation.
There are several other pitchers that will vie for a spot in the starting rotation or fill the role of a middle reliever for the Hogs. Right-handed flame-thrower Josh Smith joins left-handers Devin Collis and James Gilbert in that group of pitchers that will play an important role in the success of the Hogs this season.
Smith, Collis and Gilbert all got a taste of the starting rotation in 2005 and could help in that role again, but first must shore up a bullpen that was the undoing of the Razorbacks last season.
Arkansas will also regain the services of Trey Holloway and Justin White in 2006. Holloway was having an excellent season as the Hogs’ closer in 2005 before a fractured left elbow ended his season. The left-hander will be looking to return to the form that had opposing lineups all tangled up early last season. White was lost to Tommy John surgery after just one appearance.
Joining the bullpen staff is junior Brian McLelland, who turned in an outstanding summer in the Texas Collegiate League. He was named to the TCL All-Star team and will be a quality arm in the pen with a 90-plus mph fastball which features excellent sink. Daryl Maday is also looking to harness a tremendous upside and pitch quality innings out of the bullpen.
A stable of newcomers, both freshmen and junior college transfers, will play an immediate role in strengthening Arkansas’ pitching staff.
The Newcomers
With 17 newcomers on the roster, the Hogs will have plenty of help filling needs in the lineup, rotation and bullpen. The coaching staff is excited about the fresh faces that have joined the Razorbacks and believes several newcomers have the chance to step in and help right away.
The entire group of position players is extremely athletic and versatile with several vying for playing time in the infield that is minus last year’s starting shortstop and third baseman.
The position players include the following: Taylor Ardoin, Brandon Barr, Jerrod Carroll, James Ewing, Logan Forsythe, Thomas Hauskey, Wayne Hrozek, David Hum, Hunter London, Nick Makris, Tommy McClain, Brad Secrist and Michael Smith
A couple of these newcomers have already caught the eye of the coaching staff with their pure athleticism and performance during morning workouts and conditioning sessions.
"True freshman James Ewing had a very fall practice," Van Horn said. "He is a very good offensive player. We really like his swing. He is mature enough and solid enough that he will be able to contribute a lot as a freshman. I think Logan Forsythe is another freshman that can come in and play right away because he is strong, athletic and can really run. Physically he is more like a sophomore or a junior."
The new pitchers include freshman right-hander Brett Bollman, left-hander Chad Coldiron and right-hander Michael Wild. Chris Rhoads is the lone junior college transfer out of Platt (Kan.) Community College. He should step in and provide immediate help in the Hogs’ bullpen.
"We feel like all four of these pitchers can come in and help right away," Van Horn said. "They give us an opportunity to solidify our starting rotation and help in the bullpen. A couple of kids we are looking to plug into a spot in the bullpen or rotation. Guys like Brett Bollman and Michael Wild have a chance to pitch right away because they throw strikes."
Player Number Corrections from Media Guide
There are a few numbers changes from your 2006 Arkansas baseball media guide. The new numbers are reflected on the roster page on page seven of this notes package. The corrected numbers are #30 Chris Rhoads, #37 Tommy McClain, #40 Brett Bollman, #43 Hunter London and #44 Brad Secrist.
Download: Jaguar Invitational Release.pdf
