Heston Kjerstad was expected to contribute for Arkansas right away as a freshman but his 2018 season surpassed anything Razorback fans could have hoped for.
Kjerstad was second on the team in batting average (.348), home runs (11) and runs scored (49) while he led the Razorbacks in RBI (46) and extra base hits (25). For that production, the Amarillo, Texas native was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year on Monday.
Kjerstad led all SEC freshmen in average, runs scored, hits and total bases while becoming the first ever Razorback to receive the honor.
Rare in the Dave Van Horn era, Kjerstad got the start on opening day in the outfield and he never gave up his spot in the lineup as he started all 54 games for Arkansas as he totaled 207 at bats and posted a .424 on base percentage.
Kjerstad finished the regular season with 14 doubles, 72 hits and totaled 119 bases.
Arkansas will face the winner of Tuesday’s South Carolina vs Missouri game on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament.
