The Florida Gators will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the #1 team in the country. Florida will finish their regular season with a three-game series versus the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have been terrific with a 39-10 record. They have also played very well in their home stadium with their 23-5 home record. As for their conference play, the Razorbacks have also been very impressive with a 19-8 record and just won two out of three versus the #4 Tennessee Volunteers last weekend.
For being the #1 team in the country, the Arkansas Razorbacks are one of the most powerful teams in the country and SEC. Arkansas has a .488 slugging percentage which ranks 14th in the country and second in the SEC. The Razorbacks also have 83 home runs which is tied for second in the nation and tops in the SEC. Here are three Arkansas Razorbacks to watch against the Gators.
OF Christian Franklin
Junior outfielder Chris Franklin is one of the top outfielders in the country and is also considered to be a top prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft. One of the reasons Franklin is a highly touted draft prospect is his five-tool potential.
During the 2021 season, Franklin is slashing .303/.430/.584 with 54 hits, fifteen doubles, eleven home runs, 49 RBIs and a 1.014 OPS. The Kansas native has also stolen nine bases and has a perfect fielding percentage.
Franklin entered the season as a projected first round draft pick but his draft stock has fallen a bit due to his lack of plate discipline. He’s still a very talented player and somebody Florida’s pitching staff will have to pitch carefully to. On MLB Pipeline, Christian Franklin is the 43rd ranked prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft.
RHP Kevin Kopps
It’s not very often that I included a relief pitcher in these lists but senior right-handed pitcher Kevin Kopps has had an unbelievable season for the Razorbacks and is arguably the top closer in the country.
During his fourth season at Arkansas, Kopps has made 24 appearances which is tied for 27th in the country. Kopps has posted a 9-0 record with a 0.80 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 14.2 K/9, and a .168 opponent batting average. Kopps also leads the nation with the lowest ERA in the country. He’s also ninth in the country in strikeouts per nine innings and third in the SEC.
Kevin Kopps is definitely a pitcher Florida doesn’t want to see a lot of this series. In the 56.1 innings, Kopps has pitched, he’s only allowed five runs and has recorded seven saves. He’s a very difficult pitcher to face with a nasty fastball-cutter pitching combo.
2B Robert Moore
Sophomore second baseman Robert Moore was one of the top prospects coming out of his high school class but somehow made his way to Arkansas’s campus. Since his arrival, Moore has been one of the top second basemen in the country and is one of the top second-year players in the country.
In his sophomore season, Moore is slashing .284/.377/.552 with 52 hits, seven doubles, three triples, tied for a team-high twelve home runs, 45 RBIs, six stolen bases and a .929 OPS. Moore is tied for eleventh in home runs in the SEC and also leads in the conference in sacrifice flies with eight.
At 5’9” 170 pounds, Moore doesn’t seem like a power hitter but is actually one of the top power hitters in one of the best power-hitting teams in the country. The switch-hitting second baseman hits in the middle of Arkansas’s lineups and is expected to drive in some runs during this upcoming versus the Florida Gators.
