With Arkansas baseball clinging to a 5-3 lead within the eighth inning of a must-win recreation on the Stillwater Regional, coach Dave Van Horn turned to the youngest participant on the group: freshman left-hander Hagen Smith, who remains to be 18.

The Saturday starter, who was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball, got here on to shut out the sport. Smith hit a batter and issued a stroll to load the bases, however with two outs and Oklahoma State slugger Roc Riggio on the plate, Smith got here up large.

He struck out Riggio to finish the inning with out a run, pitched a scoreless ninth, and the Razorbacks gained 7-3.

Greater than 1,000 miles away in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Robert Ellis was watching. Smith’s former highschool coach was a good distance from residence in Bullard, Texas, however he had the Arkansas recreation on TV.

When Ellis noticed his former star stand tall in an enormous second, he acquired goosebumps.

“It was enjoyable to look at, simply understanding Hagen,” Ellis mentioned. “To watch one in every of your guys that you have mentored and coached and had conversations with and actually know what is going on on in his mind in these moments.”

Ellis coached Smith in his senior yr at Bullard. That season, Smith was 11-0 with a 0.19 ERA. He allowed seven hits and two earned runs in 73 innings.

Having seen Smith’s expertise early, Ellis was amazed by his efficiency in Stillwater, however not shocked.

“He’s a uncommon child,” Ellis mentioned. “That is simply Hagen.”

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Hagen Smith in highschool

When Ellis took the job at Bullard in 2021, Smith was already a notable prospect,  however the lefty hadn’t pitched in over a yr after having Tommy John surgical procedure earlier than his junior season.

Ellis was surprised by the expertise he noticed from the 17-year-old senior, however he needed to assist Smith develop a correct routine.

Former Bullard catcher Ryley Sharp remembers that routine nicely. Smith would stretch earlier than getting on the bus. He at all times sat subsequent to Sharp on the experience, however given Smith’s quiet nature, he did not at all times say a lot. He’d take heed to music and stare out the entrance of the bus.

On the ballpark, they’d play catch. Sharp and Smith would begin shut collectively, then stroll it again to about 75 ft aside.

“Then he’d stroll it in, and he would begin actually throwing the ball,” Sharp mentioned. “That is the toughest I’ve ever seen any individual throw. He was on a bit of little bit of a crow hop, and I used to be like, ‘That is insane.’”

Then Smith would get a drink of water — at all times LIFEWTR model — earlier than throwing to Sharp within the bullpen.

“From then on,” Sharp mentioned, “It was straight enterprise.”

The routine helped Smith settle right into a stellar senior season wherein he threw seven no-hitters. Sharp recollects Smith’s fastball sitting round 93-94 mph, however noticed it rise up to 98.

Sharp and Ellis each mentioned Smith maintained his quiet humility and balanced it with self-assurance.

“He is simply an ‘Aw, shucks,’ sort of man,” Ellis mentioned. “Very humble. He is very emotional and inside in the way in which he competes, however he would not act like a idiot out of respect for his teammates and the fan base.”

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From starter to nearer

After the Razorbacks’ 10-inning, 14-10 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday night time, Van Horn had a request.

“I requested the pitchers to textual content me on the bus,” Van Horn mentioned after Monday’s win. “I requested them, ‘When you’ve acquired something, you inform me what you’ve got acquired.’”

Smith had began Arkansas’ first recreation towards the Cowboys on Sa. He hadn’t made it out of the second inning and threw simply 46 pitches. It was his worst begin amongst 14 throughout a season when he is gone 6-2 with a 4.89 ERA in 70 innings.

Van Horn mentioned Smith was the primary participant to textual content him: “My arm feels superior. I would like the ball in any state of affairs.”

That was sufficient for Van Horn to show to Smith in an enormous second. It was the sort of robust spot Sharp remembers Smith “thriving” in at Bullard. To Ellis, it was one other instance of Smith’s maturity, and it confirmed the Arkansas coaches’ perception in him.

“Lots of guys with egos, that may trouble them in a adverse means,” Ellis mentioned. “You are a freshman, a starter within the SEC, the Saturday man. The entire sudden, the notion is you are demoted. The truth is, your worth is there. They mentioned, ‘This is the sport, Hagen.’”

Smith took the sport and helped win it. He may not be a more in-depth towards North Carolina within the Chapel Hill Tremendous Regional, however he’ll nonetheless be on an enormous stage. If he responds the way in which he did in Stillwater, whether or not starter or reliever, the Razorbacks shall be in fine condition.

“He had a plan, he executed it and got here out on high,” Ellis mentioned. “Hopefully he can relive these moments in an excellent regional.”

Christina Lengthy covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You possibly can e-mail her at clong@swtimes.com or comply with her on Twitter @christinalong00.