Best Of Arkansas Sports · May 17, 2025
Shocking Comparison Shows Freshman’s Lofty Hagen Smith Goal Within Reach
photo credit: Craven WhitlowFAYETTEVILLE — Cole Gibler came to Arkansas with a lofty goal in mind and he’s finally starting to show it may not be as much of a stretch as it seems.
The left-hander told Best of Arkansas Sports last summer that he wanted to be “better than Hagen Smith” and — while he still has a ways to go to reach the level of the school’s all-time strikeout king and 2024 National Pitcher of the Year — showed he can have that kind of impact in the No. 8 Razorbacks’ 8-6 win over No. 17 Tennessee at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday.