Diamond Hogs Notebook: Players back at practice

Arkansas designated hitter Kendall Diggs celebrates Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers Instructional League team at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Two Arkansas baseball players who have battled lower-body injuries practiced Thursday at Globe Life Field. 

Kendall Diggs and Jayson Jones either missed practice time or were limited during scrimmages last weekend in Fayetteville. Both of their injuries were described by a team spokesman as leg contusions that were not expected to be serious. 

"They're doing a lot better," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said following Thursday's workout. "I'd say they're both pretty close to 100% now." 

Diggs is expected to be the Razorbacks' designated hitter for this weekend's games against Texas, TCU and Oklahoma State.

Familiar faces

The Arkansas baseball team will see a couple of former teammates this weekend as catcher Dylan Leach will be on the Missouri roster and right-handed pitcher Heston Tole is with Texas.

Texas Coach David Pierce poked some fun at Arkansas’ Dave Van Horn when commenting on Tole.

“Heston will be our Friday night starter and I really don’t know why Dave let him go, really,” Piece said.

“I knew that was coming,” Van Horn responded.

“No, we’re just in this world of transfer portal and opportunity arises and it is what it is,” Pierce said. “I think Heston has fit in really well. He’s a great teammate for us.”

Missouri Coach Steve Bieser said Leach has already risen into a leadership role.

“He’s got the experience from being there at Arkansas and being in the College World Series,” Bieser said. “He’s been outstanding for us and meshing in with an entirely new group. … We’re just kind of happy he’s here and doing very well.”

Surgery news

LSU pitcher Grant Taylor, the younger brother of former Arkansas standout Evan Taylor, has been lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament.

Taylor, projected as the No. 15 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.com, is the third projected SEC starter to go down needing Tommy John surgery in the preseason, joining the Hogs’ Jaxon Wiggins and Texas A&M left-hander Ryan Prager.

Last year, Arkansas lost projected Friday starter Peyton Pallette, Mississippi State lost Landon Sims, Florida lost Hunter Barco and Alabama lost Connor Prielipp to Tommy John surgeries. Ole Miss lost Gunnar Hoglund the year before.

Redshirts

Left-handed pitchers Nick Griffin and Jordan Huskey did not make the trip to Arlington and are likely to redshirt alongside injured right-hander Jaxon Wiggins. 

Griffin, a third-year sophomore from Monticello, redshirted in 2021 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and had a 2.70 ERA in 7 outings and 6 2/3 innings last season. He struggled in his last outing of the preseason when he allowed 5 runs, 3 hits and 2 walks while recording 1 out.

“Nick’s not doing great,” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. “His arm is bothering him a little bit. There’s a really good opportunity for Nick to redshirt this year just to try to get strong.”

Wiggins, a junior, will redshirt because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that will require Tommy John surgery. Huskey is a freshman.

Van Horn previously said catcher Cal Kilgore is a redshirt candidate due to an arm injury. Kilgore, who traveled to Arlington, transferred from New Mexico State during the offseason.

It is not clear whether other players will redshirt. The Razorbacks had 39 players on their roster during the preseason and can carry 36 on the regular-season roster.

TBA for TCU

TCU Coach Kirk Saarloos added some lighthearted levity during the six-man coaches teleconference to preview the College Baseball Showdown last week.

During a brief lull in the video conference, Saarloos piped up: “I have a question. For the three SEC programs, who are your starting pitchers going to be against TCU?”

Said Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn, “TBA.”

On the air

Brett Dolan and Bubba Carpenter will call all three Arkansas games at the College Baseball Showdown on the radio for the Razorback Sports Network.

Dolan, a former radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Houston Astros, is entering his sixth season calling Arkansas’ home games on SEC Network-Plus. Carpenter, a three-time All-Southwest Conference outfielder for the Razorbacks from 1989-91, is in his sixth season as the team’s color analyst.

Radio play-by-play announcer Phil Elson will miss several early-season baseball games while he calls women’s basketball games. He will call Arkansas’ basketball games against Tennessee on Thursday in Fayetteville and at Georgia on Sunday.

The games at the College Baseball Showdown will be streamed by FloSports, which will have two broadcast teams on site in Arlington: Play-by-play announcers Ben Wilson and Danny Lee, and analysts Pat Combs and Mike Hardge.