Diamond Hogs Gaeckle and Root tabbed All-American pitchers by Perfect Game

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas had the nation’s best pitcher last season in Hagen Smith and will open this season with a pair of All-Americans hurlers – one who is also tabbed the preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Razorback sophomore Gabe Gaeckle was tabbed as as Perfect Game second-team All-American on Wednesday while East Carolina transfer Zach Root was a third-team selection for Arkansas, ranked fifth nationally in D1 Baseball’s preseason rankings.

Gaeckle was named a first-team Perfect All-American and the Baseball America preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year last week.

He is coming off a rookie campaign where he was named a Freshman All-American after going 3-3 with a 2.32 ERA, 57 strikeouts and a team-leading seven saves in 42.2 innings of work during the 2024 season.

Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn, whose team opens spring practice on Friday, thinks Gaeckle is ready to step into an ace role as he makes the move from reliever to starter.

“I think he knows he’s there, he’s a guy,” Van Horn said. “I mean, he’s just confident. His stuff’s always been good. Location seems to be better than ever.

Root went 6-2 for East Carolina last season with a 3.56 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 68.1 innings across 13 appearance – 12 of which were starts.

Those two are part of what Van Horn deems as a balanced staff – even if doesn’t have Smith to lead it into the season.

“That’s a once every-now-and-then type of guy that you get to be around, that talent and what he did for our team,” Van Horn said of Smith. You take him off of our team last year, we’re probably pretty average because we were a really good fielding team and we didn’t hit real well and we weren’t very dynamic as far as some other things, but we probably overachieved.

“We don’t have that guy, but what we have is we have a staff and we have a lot of really good pitchers who work hard. I think they just make each other better.”

Arkansas will open the season Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. by hosting Washington State in the first game of a four-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium.

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The Arkansas 2025 schedule has undergone a couple of changes since its release in September.

The Razorbacks will now face Grambling State in North Little Rock on April 1 in a 6 p.m. game at Dickey Stephens Park.

UAPB, originally slate to be Arkansas’ opponent, will instead come to Fayetteville on April 15 for a 6 p.m. contest during a Jackie Robinson Day Celebration.

Photo by John D. James