Connect with us

Arkansas

Arkansas baseball adds to pitching depth with highly ranked transfer from ECU

Published

on

Arkansas baseball adds to pitching depth with highly ranked transfer from ECU


FAYETTEVILLE — The rich got richer Monday, with Arkansas baseball adding one of the best players available in the transfer portal to its pitching staff.

East Carolina lefty Zach Root announced his commitment to the Razorbacks on social media Monday evening, becoming the 10th Division I transfer to join Arkansas this offseason. According to 64analytics, Root is ranked as the No. 2 player in the portal.

More: Where Arkansas baseball players are playing summer ball in 2024

Advertisement

More: Arkansas baseball: 3 important tasks for Dave Van Horn this offseason

Root was the Saturday starter for the Pirates in 2024, going 6-2 with a 3.56 ERA. He struck out 76 batters and only allowed 21 walks in 68 ⅓ innings. Root held opponents to a .228 batting average.

Root is a rising junior who hails from Florida. The lefty primarily worked out of the bullpen during his freshman season at ECU, sporting a 3-3 record and a 5.33 ERA.

Arkansas will need to replace consensus national pitcher of the year Hagen Smith and all of its weekend rotation next season. Still, the Hogs are blessed with plenty of options, and Root will add to the depth.

Advertisement

Freshmen Gabe Gaeckle, Colin Fisher and Hunter Dietz are all potential options. Gaeckle was the bullpen ace this spring, while the two lefties both had their seasons cut short due to injury. Gage Wood finished the year as a starter, while Ben Bybee took over as the top midweek option after Fisher’s injury.

Root is also the third potential starter added through the transfer portal. Ohio State’s Landon Beidelschies (6-7, 4.15 ERA) and Oregon State’s Aiden Jimenez have also joined the program. Jimenez missed the entire 2024 season with an injury.



Source link

Advertisement

Arkansas

Law enforcement searching for missing Arkansas man in Franklin County

Published

on

Law enforcement searching for missing Arkansas man in Franklin County


FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV) – Law enforcement officials are searching for a missing Arkansas man on the east side of Franklin County, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Daniel Harold Wenger, 26, was with his friends in Bay County, and they reported him missing on Sunday to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. He was added to the missing persons database on Monday, according to FCSO.

Wenger’s truck was found abandoned on Tuesday in Franklin County at Leonard’s Landing, and authorities also located his discarded jacket.

Law enforcement is searching the wooded areas near his car across from Leonard’s Landing and Bay North.

Advertisement

Those with information about Wnger’s whereabouts are encouraged to call FCSO at 850-670-8500.

To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Arkansas

Arkansas football gets commitment of Tulane transfer Jahiem “Joker” Johnson | Whole Hog Sports

Published

on

Arkansas football gets commitment of Tulane transfer Jahiem “Joker” Johnson | Whole Hog Sports





Arkansas football gets commitment of Tulane transfer Jahiem “Joker” Johnson | Whole Hog Sports







Advertisement






Advertisement






Source link

Continue Reading

Arkansas

Arkansas football: More Razorbacks, including Starzyk, hit transfer portal | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

on

Arkansas football: More Razorbacks, including Starzyk, hit transfer portal | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


FAYETTEVILLE — The signing of two kickers out of the NCAA transfer portal by the University of Arkansas on Sunday came into clearer focus late that night when highly touted freshman Scott Starzyk announced via social media he was entering the portal.

Starzyk was joined on Monday by defensive tackle Kevin Oatis as the considerable exodus continued for first-year Coach Ryan Silverfield.

The Razorbacks have as many as 30 scholarship players in the portal, and a small handful have already announced their destinations.

Advertisement

The portal period opened on Friday and it will stay open through Jan. 16. The most recent announcements came from receivers Kam Shanks and Krosse Johnson and defensive back Quentavius Scandrett on Saturday, then long snapper Ashton Ngo, defensive back Ahkhari Johnson and Starzyk on Sunday.

“I’m officially in the NCAA transfer portal,” Starzyk posted to X late Sunday. “Thank you to all the fans at Arkansas for a great year. And thank you to the staff who have supported me during my time at the university.”

Arkansas landed Tennessee transfer Max Gilbert out of the portal on Sunday as well as Braeden McAlister, a kickoff specialist, from Georgia State.

Gilbert, a rising junior from Memphis, made 14 of 19 field goals (73.7%) this season, with a long of 53 yards. He has made 34 of 45 (75.6%) through two years as a starter.

Starzyk, the No. 1 kicker of the 2025 class by Kohl’s Kicking, had a strong freshman season while leading Arkansas with 89 points. The 5-10, 172-pounder from The Woodlands, Texas, made 14 of 18 field goals (77.8%) and converted all 47 of his extra-point tries. He was 2 of 3 from 50-plus yards, including a make from 53 yards on his first career field goal in the opener against Alabama A&M.

Advertisement

With senior punter Devin Bale out of eligibility, the Razorbacks will lose a large chunk of their key special teams performers. Bale and Blake Ford, who is also in the portal, shared kickoff duties. Starzyk did all the place kicking and Ngo all the snapping, while Shanks was the Hogs’ top punt returner and running back Rodney Hill the lead kickoff returner.

Razorback transfers with known commitments are offensive line starter E’Marion Harris, a former standout at Joe T. Robinson who is expected to sign with Oklahoma, defensive end Justus Boone (Wisconsin), defensive tackle Ian Geffrard (Texas) and linebacker Tavion Wallace (Kentucky).



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending