FAYETTEVILLE — Junior right-hander Blaine Knight earned All-America honors earlier this week from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, becoming the 42nd All-American in Arkansas Baseball history.
Just days before opening up the NCAA Fayetteville Regional for the Razorbacks, Knight was given second-team All-America status by Baseball America and third team honors by Collegiate Baseball.
Knight is first Arkansas pitcher named All-American since Keaton McKinney in 2015 and first non-freshman All-American pitcher since Ryne Stanek in 2013.
Knight has been the Arkansas ace all season racking up a perfect 11-0 record as the Hogs’ Friday night starter with six wins coming in conference play.
That 11-0 record is good for the most wins in the Southeastern Conference and he’s the only pitcher in Division I with an 11-0 record this year. His 11 wins also tie for the third most in a season in school history.
The junior has struck out 88 batters in his 16 appearances this season and walked only 22 for a 4.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Over his three seasons for the Hogs, Knight has built up a 4.12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has struck out 230 batters, good for fifth-most in school history
Knight was, arguably, one of the best pitchers in the conference this year as he built up a 3.70 ERA in SEC games over 58.1 innings, while holding opponents to a .253 batting average.
He was named to the All-SEC Second Team prior to last week’s SEC Tournament, his first All-SEC distinction.
Overall, Knight leads the team and is fourth in the conference with a 2.74 ERA and is third in the SEC in innings pitched (95.1).
He has gone less than five innings only twice this season and has worked six or more innings in six consecutive starts, including last night’s 10-2 win over Oral Roberts to open the NCAA Tournament.
Knight tied a career-high with eight innings pitched against the Golden Eagles in Arkansas’ regional opener on Friday, allowing only three hits and walking one. It was his eighth start this year of six or more innings and one walk or less.
Knight and the Hogs continue their NCAA regional tonight against two-seed Southern Miss with first pitch from Baum Stadium at 7 p.m.
The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the regional final.
