Accolades have been showered on Razorbacks star Pitcher today after the official selection of…

Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy, an accolade presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association to honor the top player in college baseball. Named in memory of the late Dick Howser, a renowned Florida State All-America shortstop and former major league player and manager who passed away from brain cancer in 1987, this award is often likened to the Heisman Trophy in football. The selection process considers various factors such as on-field performance, leadership qualities, moral character, and courage.

Smith joins four other finalists, including Oregon State infielder Travis Bazzana, Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns, Georgia infielder/outfielder Charlie Condon, and Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone, in contention for this year’s honor. The recipient of the 37th Dick Howser Trophy will be announced on Friday, June 14th, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

Smith’s exceptional performance throughout the 2024 season solidifies his candidacy as one of the premier pitchers in collegiate baseball. With a remarkable 9-2 record, 2.04 ERA, and 161 strikeouts over 84.0 innings across 16 starts, the junior left-hander’s dominance on the mound earned him recognition as the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. Notably, Smith led the nation with an NCAA-record 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked first in hits allowed per nine innings (4.4), second in total strikeouts (161), fourth in ERA (2.04), and seventh in WHIP (0.89).

Hailing from Bullard, Texas, Smith emerged as a standout performer for the Arkansas baseball team, leading the squad with 11 quality starts and setting records during the memorable 2024 season. He achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the program’s all-time career strikeout leader, surpassing Razorback legends Nick Schmidt and David Walling. Smith’s exceptional performance included a program-record 11 double-digit strikeout games and a historic 17-strikeout performance against Oregon State, where he tied the single-game strikeout record set by Jess Todd.

His impressive achievements position him as a strong contender for the Dick Howser Trophy, making him potentially the third Razorback in program history to receive this prestigious honor. If successful, Smith would join the ranks of previous winners Andrew Benintendi and Kevin Kopps, further solidifying Arkansas’s standing among the elite programs with multiple Dick Howser Trophy recipients.