2026 Razorback Baseball

[Feral]

The bracket is set. The #7 seeded Hogs play Wednesday at 5:30 pm ET against the SC-Tennessee winner.

https://www.secsports.com/championships/baseball-championship#bracket

Let's throw it to Tennessee and get the hell out of there.

[Rocket City Hawg]

Beat Tennessee and we get to beat Texas

[Feral]

Now that we're in the lull between the regular season and tourney, let's talk for a minute about what next year's team might look like in terms of potential returners (understanding we have no clue how the portal gains will net out yet).

Definitely gone to the draft
Helfrick
Dietz
Gaeckle

Probably gone to the draft
McElvain
Wiggins* (not sure if he's draft eligible or not?

Eligible to return
Hitters
Rutenbar
Souza
Kozeal
Pompey
Ruiz
Robinett
Turner
Peck
Aloy

Pitchers
Eaves
McGuire
Gibler
Fisher
Brissey
Kircher
DeCremer

Probably transferring
Brumbaugh

Out of eligibility
Coil
Niu
Stewart

Biggest Portal Needs
Starting pitching
Catcher
Corner outfield (assuming Ruiz can play CF)
First base (Robinett needs to transfer to MO State and we need someone who can hit for power and/or average)

[Pig Benis]

Wiggins is draft eligible. He's gone.

[Barton Fink]

Kozeal will likely get drafted

[Feral]

Kozeal will likely get drafted

I would love to have him back, but wouldn't blame him for going to the draft.

Souza may head to the draft as well but I think that would be ill-advised. Right now he's Casey Martin 2.0 and needs to learn to read and take more breaking balls, especially low and in.

[Feral]

Two other questions are Pompey and Ruiz, albeit for different reasons.

Ruiz was the lone bright spot offensively from our portal class, and was a consistent producer all year. He was one of only 3 guys who finished the regular season over .300, and the only one who batted .300 in SEC play. I wouldn't be surprised if he dipped his toe into the draft waters. 

Conversely, not sure Pompey's back next year, and maybe not by his choice. We purportedly paid him the highest NIL package on the roster, and you're not doing that for a bottom of the order hitter who's got a ton swing and miss and leads the team in strikeouts. Pompey had 74 K's, this year. Next most (Niu) had 59, 3rd on the team (Souza) had 50, and nobody else had more than 50.

[Son of Spam]

Two other questions are Pompey and Ruiz, albeit for different reasons.

Ruiz was the lone bright spot offensively from our portal class, and was a consistent producer all year. He was one of only 3 guys who finished the regular season over .300, and the only one who batted .300 in SEC play. I wouldn't be surprised if he dipped his toe into the draft waters. 

Conversely, not sure Pompey's back next year, and maybe not by his choice. We purportedly paid him the highest NIL package on the roster, and you're not doing that for a bottom of the order hitter who's got a ton swing and miss and leads the team in strikeouts. Pompey had 74 K's, this year. Next most (Niu) had 59, 3rd on the team (Souza) had 50, and nobody else had more than 50.

I am not sure who I would want back from the list above. Kozeal for sure, after that?

[Feral]

I am not sure who I would want back from the list above. Kozeal for sure, after that?

I'd take Kozeal, Souza, Ruiz, Rutenbar, and probably Aloy. 

Pompey can crush it when he barrels one up, but there's way too much swing and miss there. 

Robinett can go. I've said this many times before, but he's not a P4 first baseman. He can't hit for power or average. He should be at Missouri State next year.

Turner and Peck are both depth guys, nothing more. Maybe Turner can become a spot starter as a corner OF, but I don't see it with Peck. 

Fisher got markedly worse this year and should go, but DVH will probably let him stick around since he's been in the program since his freshman year. 

[Gambler]

Beat Tennessee and we get to beat Texas

Fuck all that orange.

[Pig Benis]

I'm not going to root for us to lose but we'd be better off for seeding purposes.

[Thin Red Swine]

Fuck all that orange.

Wrong thread.

You cannot view this attachment.

[buff2.0]

Wrong thread.

You cannot view this attachment.

Not the only thread Karlyn belongs in

[Thin Red Swine]

Not the only thread Karlyn belongs in

What thread did you think I meant?

[BleedinRed]

What thread did you think I meant?

I assumed all of them. 

[Barton Fink]

I assumed all of them.

No argument here.

[Vito Porkleone]

Souza not going through fall ball hurt him.  He hit .290 in SEC games alone, and definitely hit a ton the 2nd half.  I'd take him back in a heartbeat.

Wiggins is draft eligible, but there are rumblings he might return.  I don't care to see Eaves anymore.  Every time he comes in with a runner on, he gives up a drive to the gap, or a dinger.  He can go.  DVH has been too slow with the hook this year for my liking (for everybody).  I wouldn't give up on Brumbaugh just yet.  Peck can play a lot of positions - 1st may not be his bag, baby.

The big question is NIL funds, as in, will DVH actually have any to work with.  We need a starter who is an alpha.

[buff2.0]

I want 4 starters who are alphas, along with future golden glove caliber players with home run power at every position in the field. 

It's not asking too much, is it?

[Ray Zorback]

I want 4 starters who are alphas, along with future golden glove caliber players with home run power at every position in the field. 

It's not asking too much, is it?

At least one of them needs to be a 2 way player like Ohtani.

[buff2.0]

At least one of them needs to be a 2 way player like Ohtani.

Well, yeah, but I'm trying to be reasonable.