Arkansas' Hobbs has former pitcher drafted in first round

Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs speaks to his bullpen during a game against Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs had a former player drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft on Wednesday, the third first rounder he has coached.

Wake Forest left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster was drafted 25th overall by the Atlanta Braves. Shuster was recruited to Wake Forest by Hobbs, who coached him for a year before taking the Arkansas job in November 2018.

"Pretty awesome for this kid, amazing person, worker, and pitcher. Congrats Jared," Hobbs tweeted.

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In this Feb. 15, 2020, file photo, Wake Forest's Jared Shuster pitches during an NCAA baseball game in Winston-Salem, N.C. Shuster was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the baseball draft Wednesday, June 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)

Shuster was 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA in four starts as a junior for the Demon Deacons this year. He struck out 43 batters and walked 4 in 26 1/3 innings.

Shuster is the second former Wake Forest pitcher coached by Hobbs who was drafted in the first round. Griffin Roberts was a Competitive Balance A selection of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018, 43rd overall.

Hobbs also coached Kyle Zimmer as a freshman pitcher at San Francisco. Zimmer was drafted fifth overall by the Kansas City Royals in 2012.

Two former Missouri first-round pitchers committed to Hobbs but never pitched for him. Tanner Houck was drafted 24th overall by the Boston Red Sox in 2017, and TJ Sikkema was drafted 38th overall by the New York Yankees during the competitive balance round last year.