June 29, 2024

Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith has been recognized as an All-American by D1Baseball, securing his fifth first-team All-America selection this postseason. Smith, hailed as the National Pitcher of the Year by multiple prestigious baseball organizations including the ABCA/Rawlings, College Baseball Foundation, and Perfect Game, has garnered first-team All-America honors from ABCA/Rawlings, Baseball America, D1Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Perfect Game. He was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Smith, a junior left-hander for the Razorbacks, joins an elite group as the sixth two-time All-American in Arkansas history, alongside luminaries such as Kevin McReynolds, Jeff King, Phillip Stidham, David Walling, and Nick Schmidt.

In the 2024 season, Smith solidified his place as the premier pitcher in collegiate baseball, finishing with impressive stats: a 9-2 record, 2.04 ERA, and 161 strikeouts in 84.0 innings over 16 starts. His dominance earned him the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year award, highlighted by a perfect 7-0 record, 1.35 ERA, and 110 strikeouts in 60.0 innings across 10 SEC starts. Smith led the nation with a record-setting 17.25 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked first in hits allowed per nine innings (4.4), second in total strikeouts (161), fourth in ERA (2.04), and seventh in WHIP (0.89).

Hagen Smith's jaw-dropping performance highlights magical Friday at Globe  Life • D1Baseball

A native of Bullard, Texas, Smith set multiple records during his remarkable 2024 campaign, including the program’s career strikeout record (360) and single-season strikeout record (161). He tied Arkansas’ single-game strikeout record with 17 strikeouts in just 78 pitches over six shutout innings against Oregon State on February 23 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, matching Razorback great Jess Todd’s mark set in 2007 but in significantly fewer pitches.

Smith’s achievements underscore his status as a standout in Arkansas baseball history, solidifying his place among the program’s legendary figures.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *