Arkansas baseball's Cole Gibler 'on a mission' to bounce back in 2027
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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas baseball pitchers have had the upper hand over the hitters in fall scrimmages. That isn't a surprise to head coach Dave Van Horn. He says the warm weather and the small workload per arm — each pitcher usually throws only one inning per appearance — leads to some slow starts for the offense.
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Those arms will get their first test against outside competition this weekend when the Razorbacks host Little Rock on Saturday, Oct. 3.
One of the many pitchers having a bright preseason is lefty Cole Gibler. The junior is hoping to rediscover his form from a sensational debut season in 2025, and he's still riding an impressive streak through three weekends of intrasquad scrimmages.
"(Gibler's) kind of a guy on a mission that feels like, 'Hey, I'm a lot better than what happened last year,'" Van Horn said. "Knock on wood, he's only given up a hit — or, actually, I don't know if he's given up a hit this fall. Now, it's one inning here, one inning there, but I think he might be the last man standing that hadn't given one up."
Gibler appeared poised to jump into Arkansas' weekend rotation after going 3-2 with one save and a 3.99 ERA across 29⅓ innings as a freshman in 2025. His 17.5 strikeout-per-nine rate was one of the best in the country.
But Gibler began the 2026 campaign as the Arkansas closer and failed to replicate his freshman success. He got worse as the spring lagged on and finished with 5.46 ERA in 59⅓ innings.
According to Van Horn, there's one focal point that looms larger than any other for Gibler as he hunts a rebound.
"More than anything, he's just worked on trying to get that breaking ball back. That's kind of what went away from him," Van Horn said.
Gibler's curveball lacked some depth in 2026. It forced him to rely too much on his fastball, which also had lapses in command.
If the lefty locates his fastball better and gets his curveball back to its 2025 sharpness, he's an obvious option for Arkansas' weekend rotation.
Here are some other notes from Dave Van Horn's news conference on Thursday, Oct. 1.
'I'm surprised we got him'
Dave Van Horn expressed disbelief the Razorbacks were able to snag shortstop Manny Marin out of the transfer portal. The former starter at Tennessee is regarded as a defensive ace, but he's also impressing the Arkansas coaches at the plate.
"(Marin's) fielding everything. He throws from all different arm slots. He does have arm strength and he's swinging the bat really well," Van Horn said. "So far, I mean, I'm surprised we got him, as far as he left."
Marin slashed .291/.338/.485 with nine home runs last season. He must show better plate discipline this spring after striking out 40 times and only drawing 12 walks, but all signs point to Marin being Arkansas' everyday shortstop in 2027.
Brenton Clark still working back to full strength
Clark had the inside track on the leadoff spot and a starting role in the outfield until a torn labrum derailed his 2026 season.
He's participating in fall scrimmages and playing in the outfield, but Van Horn said he will likely be the DH against Little Rock, but the head coach didn't rule out a start in the outfield in later exhibitions against Dallas Baptist or Central Arkansas.
The coaching staff loves how little Clark strikes out. Apparently, those numbers are up this fall, but Van Horn trusts Clark's elite contact will return.
"I think (Clark) was trying to hit the ball a little too hard, honestly, and he hadn't seen live pitching for a long time," Van Horn said. "But as far as getting hits, he's probably got as many hits or more than anybody on the team."
Infield competition remains fierce
TJ Pompey, Nolan Souza, Dawson Bryce, Johnathan Gomez, Reese Robinett and Marin are battling for four infield spots. All of them have positional versatility, but Van Horn wants to settle on one group by the time Opening Day arrives in the spring.
Pompey is still taking reps in the outfield, but he hasn't played there during any of the fall scrimmages.
The competition got even more fierce with the last-minute addition of Gomez, who committed in late July after slugging .610 with 51 RBIs last season at Fairleigh Dickinson. He's firmly in the mix to be a starter with the Hogs searching for right-handed bats.
"(Gomez) got 82 hits last year. Small Division I, but it was 82 hits," Van Horn said. "He's played every day since he walked in the door. He's fighting to get on the field, and I think if he keeps fighting, he's going to find a way to get on the field. It might be in a platoon situation at first, and then we just let him roll."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas baseball's Cole Gibler 'on a mission' to bounce back in 2027