Experience Provides Optimism as Little Rock Prepares for 2022 Campaign

LITTLE ROCK – After missing the majority of the canceled 2020 season due to the pandemic, Little Rock came out eager from the start in 2021 to make up for that lost time. And in the early going, things played out well for head coach Chris Curry's team.
 
Having to deal with a number of canceled home series, Little Rock was road warriors for the first half of the 2021 season, playing 18 of its first 26 games away from Gary Hogan Field. And the Trojans responded, racing out to a fast start which included a series win at nationally-ranked Southern Illinois and home sweeps of perennial Sun Belt powerhouses Texas State and South Alabama, which propelled the Trojans into first place in the division standings.
 
But the missed time from 2020 caught up with Little Rock over the final half of the season, as Curry admitted the wear-and-tear of a full season took its toll on his team.
 
"These guys learned a hard lesson on how to play a schedule with a lot of travel and being on the road," Curry said. "They took their lumps, going from a hot start and sitting in first place in the standings for a while, and then hitting a wall down the stretch. I think the reality set in as to how much of a marathon and a grind the season is. The good news is that all that experience is back, which will be a key aspect for this year's team."
 
That experience will be a key factor for Curry's squad as 2022 looms. He has the luxury of returning nearly the entire starting nine from 2021, as well as key arms on the pitching staff. Add in some experienced transfers and talented newcomers, as well as a favorable schedule, and Curry is optimistic for what the 2022 season will look like at Gary Hogan Field.
 
"This year's team has something not a lot of teams here have had, and that's the fact they have been through it," Curry said. "The sheer number of at bats under our belt and the sheer number of innings pitched – there's simply no replacement for experience."
 
PITCHING
 
The starting rotation for Little Rock will once again begin with senior Hayden Arnold, returning to the Trojans for his fifth season. The reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and preseason All-Sun Belt selection, Arnold anchored the Trojans in the Friday night spot in 2021, registering a 3.07 ERA over 85.0 innings pitched, going 7-4 with a team-best 84 strikeouts.
 
The Rison native will have a chance to etch his name even more across the Trojan record books, becoming the seventh player in program history to reach 200 career strikeouts in 2021. Arnold ranks third in winning percentage (.609), tied for sixth in career wins (14), seventh in both strikeouts (225) and innings pitched (216.0), eighth in strikeouts per nine (9.38), ninth in career ERA (3.46) and 10th in appearances (60).
 
"It will start and end on the mound with Hayden Arnold," Curry said. "There aren't many teams in the country that can say they are returning the Pitcher of the Year. But the challenge we've given to Hayden, as well as the rest of the team, is that a year older doesn't necessarily mean a year better. They've had to continue to work all through the offseason, and Hayden has set himself up for what could be a very memorable year."
 
Jacob Weatherley was thrust into the rotation as a true freshman and made some key strides in year one. Weatherley made 18 appearances with four starts, posting a 5.25 ERA over 36.0 innings with 23 strikeouts. He is projected once again to be among Little Rock's weekend rotation as well as midweek starts, and could provide relief out of the bullpen as needed.
 
Curry hasn't decided on his number three rotation spot, but is encouraged with the number of options he has both on the weekend and ruing the midweeks. Erik McKnight has battled through injuries and had a strong 2021 season, making 11 appearances with a 4.91 ERA and 16 strikeouts, and has shown his power on the mound during the fall season.
 
Sophomore Matthew Davis is one who Curry remarks has made one of the largest jumps from his freshman season. He saw limited action for the Trojans in 2021, making just a pair of appearances, but the combination of his summer club experience and performances in the fall has Curry eager to see what he could accomplish in 2022.
 
A newcomer that should contend for a starting spot as well is sophomore Hoss Brewer, joining the Trojans from Seminole State College. The Texas native is the younger brother of Colten Brewer, who pitched for the Red Sox the last two year, and had a strong fall performance at Ole Miss, as well as a strong offseason.
 
Out of the bullpen, the biggest hole that needs to be filled is that of the closer role, one that was dominated by All-Sun Belt performer Aaron Barkley, who registered seven saves and six wins in 2021 with 54 strikeouts. When looking at the arms in the bullpen, Curry is encouraged by having more velocity, more movement and more breaking balls collectively as a staff, and the challenge now is finding which arm will fill certain roles.
 
Fifth year senior Cole Evans will be looked to as one of those to fill a key role, returning for his third year in Little Rock. Evans made 14 appearances in 2021 and continued to be one of the nation's top strikeout threats, posting a 17.2 strikeout-to-nine ratio over 19.1 innings pitched and holding opponents to a .210 career batting average.
 
Senior Sawyer Smallwood made 20 appearances in his first season in Little Rock with three starts, pitching 21.0 innings with a 5.57 ERA and 15 strikeouts, allowing just 13 earned runs. Smallwood gives Curry a left handed arm out of the bullpen and an option for a starting arm should the need for a lefty arise, making starts against Arkansas, South Alabama and ULM.
 
Junior Calvin Hunt has one of the top velocities on the team and Curry refers to the Colorado native as having one of the most electric arms on the staff. Hunt had a solid sophomore campaign, making 17 appearances with a 3.27 ERA over 11.0 innings with 15 strikeouts, allowing just four earned runs.
 
Senior Austin Smith will also be back for his third season and will be looking to be a consistent force out of the bullpen after battling injuries in 2021 which limited him to just 4.1 innings. Smith has made 18 appearances for Little Rock, pitching in a number of key innings late in games, and joins Evans as the pitcher with the most appearances in the seventh inning or later.
 
Among the returners, Reese Lansville, Chance Vaught and Zane Neves all saw limited appearances in 2021, but should see more opportunities in key innings this season. The trio combined for 11.1 innings and six strikeouts.
 
There will also be a handful of newcomers shoring up the Trojan pitching staff, providing a good mix of both right and left handers, as well as transfers and freshmen.  Among the right handed pitchers, Little Rock looks to benefit from the experience of transfers Evan Vanek, Austin Stubber and Garrett DeHaass, as well as freshmen Tristan Hawkins, Preston Davis and Ezra Gustafson.
 
Left handed pitchers have been in short supply in recent years, and Curry sought to help remedy that by bringing in transfer Joey Martin from Dallas Baptist along with freshmen Michael Quevedo and Asher Hastings, giving the staff more options in different late game situations this season.
 
"Each of these pitchers brings something different, whether it be their velocity or pitching specialty or experience," Curry said. "A good number of these guys will have opportunities to make a name for themselves, whether that be in a long reliever role, a guy we need to get us out of a jam, a set-up guy – there are a lot of candidates that we will be looking for them to earn their spot."
 
CATCHERS
 
Behind the plate is always a priority for Curry, a former catcher himself, and he is pleased with what he has seen from his catchers. Little Rock did lose John Michael Russ, who had a breakout season for the Trojans and led the team in batting average, but return Jake Wright, who started 18 games down the stretch for Little Rock with a .246 average and put together an impressive fall season.
 
Curry brought in another local catching prospect in Jack Stroth, a Conway native that spent three seasons at Crowder College and helped lead the Roughriders to another JUCO World Series and a top-10 national ranking. Those two, along with freshman Jaxson Anderson from Greenbrier, will be looked to to be a key component of both the pitching and hitting games.
 
"We will have a bit of a two-headed monster there with Jake and Jack, and much like an offensive line in football, you need to have solid depth at that position," Curry said. "Neither will catch every game, and they are neck-and-neck right now coming off an impressive fall season. They are both very strong and will bring their own strengths to the team."
 
INFIELDERS
 
Undoubtedly the most experienced portion of the Trojan lineup will be across the infield, especially the left side. Nathan Lyons, Eldrige Figueroa and Jorden Hussein have combined to start 255 games during their Little Rock careers, including 146 in 2021 alone.
 
The familiarity proved effective defensively as Little Rock led the Sun Belt with 43 double plays turned in 2021 with Hussein being part of a conference-best 36 and Figueroa helping turn 24 of them.
 
Figueroa, along with Arnold is the elder statesmen of the Trojan roster, leading the roster with 125 career games played with 115 career starts. Figueroa has proven his versatility, playing a number of positions during his Little Rock career, but became Curry's everyday starter at shortstop in 2021. The fifth year senior has a career .246 average, which was his season output last year, as well as a .926 career fielding percentage.
 
Lyons was the lone Trojan to start all 51 games in 2021, holding court at third base with a .946 fielding percentage. The Bentonville native was also a key factor at the plate, ranking third on the team with a .271 batting average and leading the teams in runs scored (29) while ranking second in hits (52), home runs (five), total bases (74) and stolen bases (five). One of the Trojans on-field leaders, Lyons ranks second on the team in both games played (95) and games started (79).
 
Hussein played in 47 games with 45 starts at second in 2021, ending the year with a .269 batting average and ranking fourth on the team with 45 hits. Hussein tied Figueroa with five sacrifice bunts on the year and proved solid defensively with a .981 fielding percentage, committing just four errors on the season, and has emerged as the Trojans' emotional leader during his time in Little Rock.
 
Over at first, graduate student Canyon McWilliams made a strong first impression to start the season, batting .300 with a .500 slugging percentage over the first six games of the season before suffering a season-ending wrist injury. Granted a medical redshirt, McWilliams also put together a strong fall season and is expected to be a constant in the Trojan lineup at first.
 
While those four are the favorites to pencil into the Trojan lineup, there are a number of others that will compete for significant playing time. Junior Christian Bernabe has seen an increased number of appearances in his first two years in Little Rock and has "put in his time," and will be one that will see opportunities in 2022.
 
Curry also brought in transfer Noah Burgarello from Arizona, a left handed hitter who started his career at Utah and brings a very high baseball IQ, catching the coaching staff's attention during fall workouts. Freshman Aidan Garrett was added from Benton, helping the Panthers to the state runner-up in 2019 and is one that Curry sees as the next in line to make his mark in the lineup.
 
"Going into the season, we know what we have across the infield, and it is kind of a safety blanket for a coach," Curry said. "But just because that's what it has been doesn't mean that's how it necessarily will be. I'm very excited for what we have across the roster, and for not just the impact they make on the field, but in the locker room and the weight room as well."
 
OUTFIELDERS
 
In similar fashion to the infield, Little Rock's outfield won't have many question marks heading into the 2022 season. The Trojans return all three key starters from 2021 with Miguel Soto, Tyler Williams and Noah Dickerson combining for 137 starts last year.
 
Williams' presence in centerfield has been noticed not just across the Sun Belt, but nationally as well, ranked as the number five prospect in the Sun Belt by Perfect Game and number six by D1Baseball. The junior started 50 games and had a breakout season in 2021, leading the Trojans in nine statistical categories, while showing off his athleticism countless times defensively.
 
Soto started 38 games with 40 appearances in left field in 2021, upping his career total to 71 starts in 79 games played in a Little Rock uniform. Soto batted .244 with seven doubles and a pair of home runs, registering a .356 slugging percentage. The senior made strides during the fall season, being named the Hiland Dairy Fall Classic MVP after batting .429 with a pair of singles, three doubles and a home run.
 
Dickerson split time between right field and designated hitter in 2021, a role he is poised to repeat for Little Rock this season. At the plate, Dickerson was second on the team with a .402 slugging percentage and third in runs batted in (22), home runs (four) and total bases (66). Dickerson also showed his patience at the plate, tying Lyons with a team-best 22 walks.
 
Another player expected to see some significant time in the outfield for Little Rock is freshman Andrew Pickering from Joe T. Robinson High School. Pickering brings another left handed bat to his hometown team and made his mark in the state of Arkansas with eight home runs as a high school senior, tied with fellow newcomer Cole Somers for the most in the state.
 
SCHEDULE
 
After a road-heavy 2021 schedule, the tables have turned for the Trojans will play 32 home games at Gary Hogan Field, the most for the program since 2010. Little Rock opens the year with four-straight weekend series on its home turf and doesn't leave the state of Arkansas for the first month of the season.
 
14 of the first 15 games of the year will be played at Gary Hogan Field with the lone road trip the short drive to Central Arkansas before starting Sun Belt play at Georgia State. Little Rock will also have home midweek games against the Bears, Louisiana Tech and UAPB, giving the Trojans the luxury of being able to play in front of their home fans as they gear up for Sun Belt play.
 
"I think our eyes were really opened last year," Curry said. "We were forced to play on the road due to cancellations and a lot of different circumstances, and we saw the effect that it took on our team. It put an even greater value and emphasis of playing at home, sleeping in our own beds, playing on the field that we're comfortable with, getting to bat last – all the things that come with home games.
 
"I also think there is a sense of pride in this field, maybe more than ever with the new upgrades that happened in the offseason, which is due to the support of our fans and the local baseball community. Gary Hogan Field is unique, and it a tough place for a lot of teams to play."
 
Along with the return to Fayetteville for the midweek series against the Razorbacks, the non-conference schedule was also designed to prepare the Trojans for their final season in the Sun Belt and one final push at a league title. The schedule will again be challenging, having to travel to both Coastal Carolina and Louisiana, which tied for third in the preseason standings, as well as the preseason number six (Troy) and number seven (Texas State).
 
But there are some upsides to the league slate as well, most notably that Little Rock will not play reigning league champion South Alabama. Georgia Southern, the preseason number two, comes to Gary Hogan Field along with UT Arlington, ULM, App State, with the final conference meeting with rival Arkansas State taking place on the Trojans' home field.
 
 "As always, the Sun Belt schedule will be a grind from the first pitch," said Curry. "This league has always had a strong baseball tradition, with some really good teams and some really good players. The challenge for this team is to not play up or down to the standings and just play our best baseball day in and day out, regardless of the opponent. This is an older club, and that has been the message to them is to play like an older club. Our goal for this year is to leave our mark on this conference as we play our final season in it."
 
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