It’s by no means been more durable to pitch in school baseball than it’s proper now. In 2024, scoring and residential run numbers even exceeded the peak of the Gorilla Ball period within the Nineteen Nineties, and pitching coaches across the nation discovered themselves desperately attempting to determine methods to cobble collectively 27 outs on a nightly foundation.
So on this super-charged offensive period, Matt Hobbs stands out for the job he did developing and guiding the pitching employees at Arkansas. Underneath Hobbs’ management, the Hogs ranked fifth within the nation with a 3.87 ERA and led and a 3.11 Okay:BB ratio, whereas main Division I with 12.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. In six years because the Hogs’ pitching coach, Hobbs has performed a important function in elevating this system’s recruiting and improvement efforts on the mound, turning Arkansas into certainly one of school baseball’s premier locations for high arms. On account of his work, Hobbs is the 2024 D1Baseball Assistant Coach of the 12 months, offered by PitchCom.
“First off, he’s very, excellent evaluator of expertise and potential expertise. I really feel like his work ethic is simply second to none,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn mentioned of Hobbs. “And he actually cares concerning the gamers, the youngsters and their improvement. That was one factor we mentioned after I was speaking with him, attempting to get him to come back right here, was speaking about improvement. That, I feel, is one purpose he got here is as a result of I used to be all about it: youngsters must get higher. If you happen to are available in right here, youngsters will get higher after which extra youngsters are gonna wish to come. We’re attempting to herald good pitchers and make them higher, and children will wish to come right here in the event that they see that pitchers which are right here and in this system and gone by this system proceed to develop and get higher.
“He’s simply actually good in relation to the job description: recruiting, improvement, work ethic. Then as soon as the youngsters get right here, having the ability to coach them up and not likely change them however tweak them, present them methods to get higher — he’s only a good instructor. Simply the best way you discuss to youngsters, it’s big. And he talks to them the best approach.”
If you happen to spend an hour round Baum-Walker Stadium on a follow day, it’s apparent how a lot simple rapport Hobbs has together with his pitchers. They share jokes collectively, however when it’s time to get right down to enterprise, they get after it. Hobbs is ready to stability friendliness and self-discipline in a masterful approach, like most nice coaches.
“So far as clubhouse presence across the guys, the fellows gravitate towards him,” Van Horn mentioned. “We attempt to run our program virtually professionally. The older guys, they present the youthful guys methods to do issues. We’re not all about scaring folks or threatening. We would like it to be enjoyable however we wish it to be critical, and we’re attempting to get guys prepared to achieve the minor leagues and the key leagues after that. However on the similar time, we’re free round our guys. I feel our gamers actually like being round Coach Hobbs. He’s a exercise fanatic. He’s in his early 40s and bodily he seems like he’s about 22. He works out just a little within the morning, just a little noon and just a little at night time, he works out 3 times a day, and I’m telling you, it’s like seven days per week. Gamers see that and I feel are impressed with that. He’s a fun-loving man, a joke or two, pleasant, however he can get after you just a little bit if he must. It’s a high-quality line there, you need gamers to love you, respect you, and I feel he’s bought that.”
Each Arkansas pitcher has his personal distinctive particular person follow and improvement plan, and Hobbs is aware of methods to provide suggestions in a approach that comes throughout clearly. That’s not all the time simple on this age of knowledge overload, and Arkansas has the entire newest and biggest know-how accessible to gamers in its cutting-edge pitching lab. The important thing for Hobbs and his analytics staff is to distill superior ideas into digestible motion objects for pitchers. A pair years in the past within the fall, I spent a while with Hobbs in his workplace, watching him whiz round his pc accessing mind-blowing information about biomechanics and pitch metrics for particular person pitchers. It was quite a bit to absorb — however I walked away from the session feeling like a had a greater grasp on advanced ideas that had been unfamiliar to me beforehand. And I’ve seen Hobbs clarify superior ideas to younger pitchers in a really clear approach.
“We’re so updated and excessive with know-how. That was one other factor, once we introduced him right here to teach, we have been simply beginning to design our indoor facility — you’ll be able to name it our pitching lab, no matter. He appreciated the truth that we have been going to have that and he would have the chance to have a hand in designing it, to herald the know-how to work with completely different guys. We instructed him we’ve bought it within the funds for this course of and it will likely be right here for you to make use of. I’ve watched him design it, put the cameras in the place he wants it, the power mound, he has all this know-how however he is aware of methods to use it. He is aware of methods to keep on high of what’s coming down the street and the issues that we have to proceed what we’ve been doing.
“I feel he has a superb really feel for it and he is aware of methods to current it. The children, they don’t appear to wrestle with it, they know what they should do, and so they get what’s being evaluated, so to talk. And so they’re instructed how they’ll enhance it, whether or not it’s some issues on their very own or whereas they’re being coached or doing drill work. Then they’ve bought to take it to the sector. We don’t need a robotic on the mound, nonetheless bought to carry runners and subject their place and all these issues.”
Van Horn first grew to become conscious of Hobbs when DVH was teaching at Nebraska and Hobbs was pitching at Missouri. When longtime Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn was approaching retirement, Van Horn began asking round for names of potential replacements, and Hobbs’ identify stored arising. By that time, Hobbs had already constructed a powerful monitor file creating expertise and constructing successful staffs at Wake Forest, Missouri, San Francisco and UC San Diego. The Hogs wound up hiring Wes Johnson to switch Jorn, however when Johnson left in 2017 to turn out to be the Minnesota Twins’ pitching coach, Van Horn requested Johnson about potential replacements.
“So lengthy story brief, I introduced some extra names up, and after I introduced up Matt, he virtually made it sound like that was the man you must go after first, then go from there,” Van Horn mentioned. “Once I introduced Matt in, I knew he was very clever, simply wished to get to know him.”
Now, after six years of constructing super-talented staffs that get leads to the SEC, Hobbs is not a rising star within the teaching ranks; he’s a well-established shining star. And the Hogs know they’re fortunate to have him.
“Matt might be a head coach proper now,” Van Horn mentioned. “Matt’s had many alternatives to take head teaching jobs on the Division I degree, and has additionally had the chance to go straight to the massive leagues as a pitching coach, and I do know that for a truth. We’ve stored him right here, he loves Northwest Arkansas, he loves dwelling right here, and I hope he loves working for me.”