FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas’ previous two appearances in the NCAA Tournament were abbreviated partly due to the lack of the firepower in the lineup. The Razorbacks hope to have found one of its bonafide guys from an unlikely place.
Dubbed the “silent assassin” by coach Dave Van Horn because of his quiet demeanor, Iredale is looking to make a pretty sizeable jump in competition after setting a school record 42 home runs across two seasons at New Mexico Junior College.
Originally a native of Sydney, Australia, Iredale’s nickname can be deceiving on multiple fronts, and although his demeanor can be more subtle, in-game Iredale is a little different.
“He doesn’t say a whole lot,” Van Horn said. “He’ll get after you in the game [though]. The players love him, smiling all the time. He’s got a chance to be really good.”
The jump from Ray Birmingham Thunderbird Baseball Field with a capacity of 700 in Hobbs, N.M. to the bright lights of Baum-Walker won’t be easy, but Van Horn isn’t worried. Baseball is still baseball.
“It’s not like we saw a guy that couldn’t hit a slider or couldn’t recognize a change up.” Van Horn said. “He’s got some awareness to him, and he’s coachable. He could have a really big year for us.”
Brent Iredale cannot stop hitting homers pic.twitter.com/h5Om1duBCw
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) September 16, 2024
The bat that Iredale swings is anything but quiet. Of the players that participated daily in the fall scrimmages, Iredale led the team in most major offensive categories including home runs (5), OPS (1.412) and total bases (31), according to unofficial stats kept by Arkansas media.
For Iredale’s part, the Fall Series and the scrimmage against Oklahoma State have already surpassed all crowds that he’s ever played in front of and he’s just taking it all in.
“This is only a fall game and this is the biggest than I’ve ever been in,” Iredale said. I played a little bit of pro ball back home, but the crowds are a little different. They’re more hyped and engaged in the game over here, so I’m enjoying it. It’s different, but it’s fun.”
Arkansas begins preseason practice Friday before starting its season against Washington State on Feb.14 inside Baum-Walker Stadium.
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