FAYETTEVILLE — Cayden Wallace has picked up at the plate in 2022 where he left off in 2021.
Arkansas’ sophomore third baseman was productive in every at-bat during his two scrimmages this week at Baum-Walker Stadium.
On Sunday, Wallace was 2 for 2 and walked in three plate appearances. Wallace came to hit again Monday with two more extra-base hits to bring his total to three in the preseason.
Wallace blasted a solo home run approximately 400 feet to left-center field on a 1-0 fastball from freshman left hander Hagen Smith in the first inning Monday, then doubled off the left-field wall the next inning in his second at-bat against Smith.
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Wallace concluded the day with a sacrifice fly RBI on a 0-2 pitch from redshirt freshman right hander Tyler Cacciatori, who got ahead with a pair of fastballs in the strike zone low and away. When Cacciatori went back to that location with a slider, Wallace was ready and hit the ball the opposite way to score Dylan Leach.
Wallace, who hit well in the Cape Cod League last summer and was one of the Razorbacks’ best hitters in the fall, is showing an advanced plate discipline expected of the player who might bat second in Arkansas’ crowded lineup.
“Cayden is elite,” Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson said Monday. “He’s got a lot of talent and has a great swing, a great approach right now. He’s feeling a lot of confidence. He’s really bought in to who he is and what he needs to do. His preparation has been fantastic here lately.”
Wallace was one of the offensive stars during Monday’s 5 1/2-inning scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium. Freshman Max Soliz homered twice in the late innings — a two-run shot to left-center field on a slider from Will McEntire and a three-run homer on a Cacciatori fastball that cleared the seats above the left-field bullpen just before the scrimmage was called. Both of his home runs were hit with two strikes.
Soliz, who has worked out at catcher, first base and in the outfield, is one of a number of freshmen who appear to be second on the depth chart, but Thompson said it’s a group that will be important for the Razorbacks this year.
“There are guys with bat speed and strength in the barrel, guys that can continue to get better,” Thompson said. “They work and are guys for the future, but they’re guys we want to see help us now, too. Coach (Dave Van Horn) told them that — we need the freshmen to be guys who can help us and not just wait around.”
Thompson said he was pleased with the plate approach the Razorbacks showed during the first three scrimmages of the preseason.
“The biggest thing I’m looking for is quality at-bats,” Thompson said. “I’m looking to see if we’re on time with velocity and looking to see if each guy is playing his role — style of offense and swinging at pitches you can hit, pitches you can drive, borderline pitches and taking your walks. The first couple of days were OK, and today there were more barrels and more hard contact.”
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Most of Monday’s pitchers were inexperienced, including true freshmen Smith, Austin Ledbetter and Brady Tygart, and Cacciatori, a redshirt freshman.
Smith and Ledbetter started the scrimmage on low pitch counts. Ledbetter, a right hander, retired Braydon Webb, Michael Turner and Chris Lanzilli in order in the first inning, but ran into trouble in the second when he allowed a Kendall Diggs single to left field, hit Drake Varnado with a pitch and walked Soliz. Ledbetter also threw a wild pitch in the inning that allowed Diggs to score.
Two runners were stranded in scoring position when Jude Putz grounded to shortstop.
“I felt really good the first inning, then I kind of lost it a little bit the second,” Ledbetter said. “I think overall it could have been better, but I’ve got to go back to work tomorrow and keep improving.”
Many in attendance were eager to watch Smith, an All-American last year when he threw seven no-hitters for Bullard (Texas) High School. Smith struggled some against a lineup of mostly projected starters, but he also struck out four, including three in the first inning when he gave up the home run to Wallace and walked Jalen Battles.
Smith walked Leach and gave up an RBI single to freshman Peyton Stovall before Wallace’s double in the second. The double was the final pitch thrown by Smith before the inning was called due to pitch count.
Smith appeared to have good command of the fastball to his arm side. He struck out the left-handed Stovall looking at an inside fastball in the first inning, then struck out Robert Moore on the right side late in the inning with a fastball away.
“I think he’s either our best guy or one of our two best guys,” Wallace said. “We have a good pitching staff this year. We have Connor Noland, who I think will be our Friday night guy and I think he’s legit, but Hagen has been an impressive freshman.
“I think he’s really good now and he’ll be really good in the future.”
Ledbetter said Smith turned heads with his first bullpen of fall practice.
“He was chucking it 95-96 (mph) and the ball was moving, slider was sharp,” Ledbetter said. “He has a good mentality. He thinks he’s the best and he’s going to go up there and show it every day.”
Tygart, who was limited to one outing in the fall due to an injury, retired all three batters he faced in his inning. Jace Bohrofen and Moore grounded out against him, and Battles struck out.
Other notes Monday:
• Leach, a sophomore catcher, reached base in all three plate appearances while hitting seventh for the more experienced lineup. Leach walked against Smith, reached on a fielding error by the second baseman Putz and hit an RBI triple against Miller Pleimann. Leach also stole two bases with Soliz behind the plate.
• Arkansas pitchers walked eight in 13 innings Monday, which brought the three-scrimmage walk total to 24 walks in 37 innings. Pitching coach Matt Hobbs said Sunday the walk count was low relative to what is common this time of year.
• Turner, a catcher, had 2 RBI while playing as a third baseman. His opposite-field single against Evan Taylor scored Webb, and he had a fielder’s choice RBI against McEntire to score Webb the following inning.
• Wallace and Moore teamed to turn a bases-loaded double play behind Taylor to end the top of the third inning. Taylor allowed 2 runs (1 earned), 4 hits and 1 walk in 1 1/3 innings. He also threw a wild pitch.
• McEntire allowed 4 runs (2 earned) and 3 hits in 1 2/3 innings. He also threw two wild pitches.
• Pleimann allowed 2 runs (1 earned), 2 hits and 2 walks in 1 2/3 innings.
• Cacciatori allowed 3 runs, 2 hits and 2 walks in 1 inning while pitching for both squads.
• All stats are unofficial.