Iredale living out dream as Diamond Hogs open 2025 season with Friday twinbill

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Perhaps no one is more excited for Arkansas baseball’s season opening doubleheader than Australian-born third baseman Brent Iredale.

Iredale (6-3, 200) will not only start at the keystone corner for the Razorbacks when they host Washington State at noon, but get to do so in front of his family he hasn’t seen since May.

They’ve made the 18 hours worth of flights from Sydney to Arkansas to watch the Junior College All-American make his college debut this weekend and play next weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

“My mom, dad, brother and sister will be here for opening weekend, and the for Globe Life as well,” Iredale said. “I will able to see them and have some dinner.

“They came to my graduation at New Mexico Junior College last May and that is the last time I saw them.”

Iredale, who hit 42 home runs and drove in 145 runs in two seasons at NMJC, made quite the debut for Arkansas in fall scrimmages.

He hit .404 with a pair of home runs, 16 RBIs, 14 runs and safely swiped all 6 bases he attempted to steal.

“I came off a really good season last year at my junior college, kept practicing over the summer and came here and nothing ever changed,” Iredale said. “The main difference was the pitches are a little faster, but everything was pretty much the same.”

Iredale was not as hot hitting in the nine scrimmages since late January, but did show off his power with 3 homers and still hit .307 total over the 24 fall and preseason scrimmages with 25 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

“I’m getting more comfortable up there just every at bat,” Iredale said. “The start of the (preseason) scrimmages wasn’t going my way, but as time happens, I’m getting more comfortable and feeling better every day and every at bat.”

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn is happy to have landed Iredale, who he has given a nickname.

“I call him The Silent Assassin,” Van Horn said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he’ll get after you in the game. You guys might have been out to a few of our fall scrimmages, but then when we played outside competition, he got his hits that Friday night, four or five of them.

“He didn’t kill the ball, but we’ve seen him hit balls off the scoreboard, opposite field, pull balls out of the park.

“He’s a big guy that can run. He can steal bases, kind of sneaky there. I think the players love him, because like I said, he doesn’t say a whole lot, smiling all the time, and yeah, he’s got a chance to be really good.”

Iredale got his final two choices down to Arkansas and fellow SEC school South Carolina.

“The main two were Arkansas and South Carolina, but the nutrition here was better and the overall wanting to win and how they do everything trying here just tipped it over there edge,” Iredale said.

Iredale was a shortstop at New Mexico Junior College, but third base has long been his regular spot on the diamond.

“I’m feeling fine,” Iredale said. “I grew up playing third base and them moved to shortstop at my junior college. It is pretty much the same thing. The perspective at both positions is a little different, but third base is where I grew up.”

Iredale admits he has been looking forward to opening day for a long time.

“I’m excited and I have ben excited ever since we finished playing against Oklahoma State,” Iredale said of the fall two-game exhibition finish with the Cowboys.

“That six (winter) weeks in the weight room, I am like every day ‘let’s just go and play.’”

The opportunity to play four games the first weekend – including a moved up 1 p.m. Saturday one and noon Monday contest – and then go to play in Arlington has him pumped.

“Playing four games here, especially over Valentine’s Day – it is a special day for every one – four…in a row will be fun,” Iredale said, “and then going down to Globe Life, it is everyone’s dream to play in a big league field. That will be fun to play there in front of all the Arkansas fans.”

Photo by John D. James

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Updated Opening Weekend Schedule:

Friday, Feb. 14:
Washington State vs. #5 Arkansas [DH-1] – Noon – SEC Network+
Washington State vs. #5 Arkansas [DH-2] – TBD – SEC Network+
 
Saturday, Feb. 15:
Washington State vs. #5 Arkansas – 1 p.m. – SEC Network+
 
Monday, Feb. 17:
Washington State vs. #5 Arkansas – Noon – SEC Network+