Hogs freshmen pitchers get invitations to national team training camp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas pitchers Hagen Smith and Brady Tygart have been invited to the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp.

Smith and Tygart will participate in the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp, which features 48-50 of the premier non-draft eligible college players for a five-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series in North Carolina from June 30–July 4.

USA Baseball will name a final 26-man Collegiate National Team roster after Training Camp that will represent the United States at Honkbalweek Haarlem in the Netherlands from July 9-15.

Hagen Smith (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)

Smith finished his freshman campaign as a Razorback with a 7-2 record and 4.66 ERA in 20 appearances, including 15 starts on the mound. He struck out 90 over 77 1/3 innings and limited opposing hitters to a .232 batting average while collecting two saves.

The left-hander from Bullard, Texas, was named a Freshman All-American by both Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game. Smith also earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team.

Tygart, meanwhile, emerged as one of Arkansas’ most dependable bullpen arms, finishing with a 3.82 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings of work with a team-leading eight saves on the year.

The right-hander was dominant in SEC play during the regular season, logging a 1.91 ERA and seven saves while fanning 40 and holding opposing hitters to a miniscule .160 batting average in 28 1/2 innings.

The Hernando, Miss., native earned Freshman All-America accolades from three outlets — Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association and Perfect Game. Like Smith, he was also named to the Freshman All-SEC Team.

Brady Tygart (Arkansas Communications)

Since 1979, 22 Razorbacks have competed for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Infielder Robert Moore and pitcher Jaxon Wiggins earned roster invitations last summer.

The opening game of the Stars vs. Stripes series will take place at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., at 6 p.m. Thursday.

The Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) in Durham, North Carolina, will host games two, three and four. The first pitches of games two and four are set for 5:35 p.m. on July 1 and 3, respectively, and game three will start at 4:05 p.m.

Training Camp will conclude with the series finale on July 4 at Truist Field, the home of the Charlotte Knights, in Charlotte, N.C., with first pitch at 4:05 p.m.

All five games of the series will be available to watch on USABaseball.com.