Arkansas is not going to be a preseason pick to return to the College World Series in 2019.
The Razorbacks lost too many great college players and have never made consecutive trips to Omaha - factors when national pundits are putting together their eight-team fields.
But in watching Arkansas’ fall practice season, it was clear the Razorbacks were not void of playmakers after losing more than a dozen players off the 2018 College World Series roster. This is a team much more experienced and talented than in 2016, the year the Razorbacks lost 13 in a row to end the season and missed the postseason a year after playing in Omaha.
Hosting a regional for the third season in a row might be a stretch, but making a regional should always be an expectation for Arkansas.
Here is a position-by-position analysis of the team that was formed by watching some scrimmages in the fall and speaking with coaches.
First Base: Jared Gates is gone, but Jordan McFarland, who split starts with Gates for much of the regular season, is back as a junior. Don’t pencil McFarland in as a starter here, though, in part because of his inconsistencies at the plate through two seasons. Matt Goodheart is a quality left-handed hitter who saw playing time at first during the fall as McFarland sat out with mononucleosis. Goodheart’s bat will land him a spot in the lineup somewhere, be it here, in the outfield or as a designated hitter. Casey Opitz, a good bet to start at catcher, could also play some first base on days he isn’t behind the plate.
Second Base: All-SEC performer Carson Shaddy is gone and Trevor Ezell, a graduate transfer from Southeast Missouri, was unable to practice during the fall after undergoing shoulder surgery. That left the door open for redshirt freshman Jacob Nesbit to prove himself during the fall. Nesbit was solid with the glove and the bat, and was much improved over last fall. Will it be enough to hold off Ezell? He had a strong year at the plate for SEMO in 2018, but it remains to see how quickly he heals after surgery. If he isn’t ready to contribute in the field, Ezell checks the boxes as a solid candidate at designated hitter when next season begins.
Third Base: Casey Martin made a number of highlight-reel plays at third base late last season, but he also committed a number of errors because the position was new to him. Martin’s move to shortstop puts him in more of a natural position up the middle. Expect Jack Kenley to get a hard look at third base, where he has starting experience. Kenley’s defense is ahead of his offense, but his bat has steadily improved. Junior college transfer Bryson Lierle is another option here, but his defense is not nearly as polished as Kenley’s. Bobby Wernes, the Razorbacks’ great defensive third baseman in 2014 and 2015, is a student assistant and will be a valuable asset here.
Shortstop: This position allows Casey Martin to show off more of his range. If his defensive play at the end of last season was any indication, Martin could be an upgrade over two-year starter Jax Biggers in time. Jack Kenley practiced a lot at shortstop during the fall and could slide over from third if needed.
Catcher: Casey Opitz is a good receiver - an overlooked, but vital characteristic for a catcher - and his arm to second base looked better in the fall than it did in his playing time as a freshman. As a hitter Opitz adds another left-handed bat, rare from the catcher position. Zack Plunkett has shown power but also a tendency to strike out. His arm is strong from behind the plate, but his accuracy is inconsistent. Opitz appears to be the better all-around candidate here, but whoever is the everyday starter should get more rest in the midweek than the departed Grant Koch. And because they bat from opposite sides of the plate (Opitz from the left, Plunkett from the right) the Razorbacks can platoon this position.
Left Field: Arkansas might platoon this position between left-hander Matt Goodheart and right-hander Christian Franklin. Goodheart, who batted better than .400 last year in junior college, is the more polished hitter of the two. Franklin is strong, runs well and has great jumping ability that can come in handy in the outfield. He is one of the most impressive athletes on the team and could be the team's center fielder when Dominic Fletcher moves on in 2020. Franklin is one of three freshmen that look to have some potential in the outfield, along with Dillon Lifrieri and Elijah Trest.
Center Field: No one will take this position away from Dominic Fletcher, who has established himself as one of the best defensive players in college baseball. The biggest question is whether Fletcher’s bat is consistent throughout an entire season. He has been streaky his first two seasons. He had multi-hit outings and drew a walk in both of Arkansas’ fall exhibition games against Wichita State and UALR.
Right Field: Heston Kjerstad started all season in left as a freshman and made some great catches, such as the home-run robbing leap that helped the Razorbacks beat Dallas Baptist in the regional championship. But Kjerstad also had some head-scratching errors. His defense is minimized in right, where Arkansas must replace Eric Cole. At the plate, Kjerstad was awesome in the fall, batting between .400 and .450, according to unofficial statistics. In the final fall scrimmage he was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and had 6 RBI despite playing through some ailments.
Pitching: On the mound there appear to be two things known: Isaiah Campbell will start, likely on Fridays, and Matt Cronin will close. Everything in between appears to be up for grabs. Two pitchers that impressed this fall were junior right-hander Jacob Kostyshock and freshman left-hander Patrick Wicklander. Kostyshock might be the most improved pitcher on the team and has seen a sharp increase in velocity. His slider has flashes of being a strong pitch. Wicklander locates his fastball well to both sides and his start in the Cardinal and White Series included eight strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings, including multiple strikeouts of Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad. Expect him to contribute early.
This story initially appeared in Hawgs Illustrated