I will talk about my first start as a Razorback for the rest of my life.

To hear 10,000-plus fans strong Calling the Hogs and having your back like that. I can’t imagine what the other team feels like. Now, I want to hear that Hog Call in Omaha!

I think back to that first start I had against Central Michigan in 2016 and the feeling was indescribable. When something like that is a goal that you’ve had for your whole life, you try to soak it in as much as possible. My heart was pounding out of my chest and those butterflies don’t go away. The fans are the reason I still get butterflies. You feel like you’re on cloud nine.

I grew up in Bryant, Arkansas, living and breathing everything about the Razorbacks. I came to all the games I could get to as a kid. Even when I was little, I thought it would be so cool to hear a Hog Call as a player on the field.

My love for baseball came from my great-grandfather, who played professionally for the Pensacola Flyers, which is now part of the minor league organization for the Cincinnati Reds. Growing up, he would hit me groundballs when I was barely able to walk. My dad played for a while when he was growing up and now my brother is getting to play too. Baseball is in our blood.

My great-grandfather was the one that taught me to have a blue-collar mindset. Back then, they didn’t play for money, they played because they loved the game. That’s what this game should be about.

Our fans have the same mindset. We are all here because we love the game and we love the Razorbacks.