Diamond Hogs turn to Hagen Smith to save SEC bacon

If you live on social media and follow Arkansas baseball pages there, you might think the Razorbacks are one of the worst teams in the country.

The digital space is not real life.

That bears repeating. The digital space is not real life.

Because out where it matters, the Diamond Hogs are still a top-16 team in the country, which means they will host a regional at the NCAA Tournament next week. They would, however, feel more comfortable about that with a win Thursday. South Carolina beat Arkansas in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday in the first game the Razorbacks played in Hoover.

To stay alive in the double-elimination tournament, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn is turning to his ace . Hagen Smith, recently named SEC Pitcher of the Year and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award , will get the ball Thursday in hopes of cementing Arkansas’ hosting status, Van Horn confirmed after Wednesday’s loss.

Arkansas will get a team in about the same boat next. Kentucky , which led the SEC for most of the year, beat the Diamond Hogs in two of three games in early May.