40.6 F
Fayetteville

Davis reportedly going to LSU leaving Hogs in awkward spot

0

According to various media reports, Arkansas offensive line coach Brad Davis is going to LSU and Sam Pittman finds himself in an awkward position.

It may have been something Pittman had in the back of his mind for awhile, though.

Trey Biddy at HawgSports.com reported Thursday afternoon that sources were telling him tight ends coach Cody Kennedy was going to take over the offensive line.

Davis was the first assistant Sam Pittman brought to Fayetteville when he was hired by the Razorbacks following the 2019 season and the offensive line was considered to be one of the team’s strong points with an experienced group returning.

LSU fired offensive line coach James Cregg on Wednesday, who had been their offensive line coach the last three seasons and Davis is from the Baton Rouge area and that may have been the only job he would leave for at this time.

In the world of the revolving door of assistant coaches it’s not surprising that a change would happen, but the timing of both Cregg’s firing and Davis leaving the Hogs at this particular time is unusual.

Pittman may have had an idea something like this was possible when he hired Kennedy as the tight ends coach. Kennedy had been a graduate assistant for Pittman at Georgia and coached the line at Tulane.

It’s a good bet, though, Pittman didn’t expect it to happen at this time of the year with the first on-campus recruiting visits in over a year starting this week.

Davis was being paid $650,000 a year and will have to pay the UA $97,500 to leave. LSU will probably pick up that tab. It’s the way things are done in big-time college sports these days.

McClellan on facing top-ranked Razorbacks to open regional Friday

New Jersey Institute of Technology coach Robbie McClellan talked after practice Thursday about having to play the Hogs first in tournament.

TRUSTING THE PROCESS S1E22: Wess Moore of Fox 16, 103.7 the Buzz

Tye & Wess on winning a 3-pt contest over Governor Hutchinson, switching from News to sports, his daughters in True Detective and more!

 

Glavine previewing Friday night’s opening regional matchup with Huskers

Northeastern coach Mike Glavine met with the media to look at their opening game in the NCAA Regional on Friday night.

Nebraska’s Bolt on history with Van Horn ahead of opening NCAA game

Huskers coach Will Bolt met with the media to preview Friday night’s opening game in regional against Northeastern in Fayetteville.

PHOTOS: Arkansas’ practice before first game in regional

The Razorbacks worked out ahead of Friday’s opener in the NCAA Regional and here are some of the photos from that practice session. The Hogs will play New Jersey Institute of Technology at 2 p.m. Friday.

Photos by Arkansas Communications

Nobody expected before season Kopps best player, but he is

0

Before Arkansas’ baseball season got rolling, Clay Henry at Hawgs Illustrated relayed a heads-up he was given about reliever Kevin Kopps.

Pitching coach Matt Hobbs told Henry he was going to see a vastly-improved Kopps this year.

Nobody figured he was talking about the best player in college baseball. That had never happened in college baseball.

Until Thursday.

Kopps was named the National Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, becoming the first relief pitcher in history to earn the award from the nation’s oldest baseball publication.

Kopps, who owns an NCAA-best 0.81 ERA in 66 1/3 innings this season, has 10 wins and 10 saves on the year, striking out 105 batters and allowing only 15 walks along the way.

The right-hander has given up just six runs in 28 appearances, logging stretches of 19.2 and 20.2 consecutive scoreless innings at points this season.

Opponents are batting .161 against Kopps, who ranks third nationally with a 0.78 walks and hits per innings pitched and seventh with 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

The reliever enters the NCAA Regionals with the program record in numerous categories, including single-season ERA (0.81, minimum 45 innings pitched), consecutive strikeouts (11) and consecutive batters retired (28).

The award is one of the many honors Kopps has racked up during his historic campaign. He was also voted SEC Pitcher of the Year and became the first player to earn National Pitcher of the Month in consecutive months from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Kopps is on the watch list for the NCBWA’s Stopper of the Year Award, which goes to the nation’s best relief pitcher.

He is in contention for the Golden Spikes Award as well as the Dick Howser Trophy, which both recognize the best college baseball player in the country.

Kopps is the second Arkansas student-athlete to be named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year.

Andrew Benintendi earned the honor in 2015, also winning the Golden Spikes Award and Howser Trophy that year.

Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.

Van Horn starting Bolden against New Jersey Institute of Technology

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said Thursday morning after practice Caleb Bolden will get the start in the first game of the NCAA Regional.

Davenport on Van Horn ‘selecting’ players more than recruiting them

Democrat-Gazette recruiting writer Richard Davenport said on The Morning Rush that Dave Van Horn is choosing the best players more than recruiting.

Murphy on baseball’s strong season raising hopes for starving fan base

With Arkansas getting close to a title in baseball, the run this year has fans at a fever pitch to win and they are showing up, being a factor.