Connor Noland entertained the idea of returning to Arkansas for a sixth season. But in the end, few would blame him for his choice.
Noland, who was taken in the ninth round of the MLB Draft earlier in the week by the Chicago Cubs, signed with the franchise on Saturday.
Noland, a graduate of Greenwood High, arrived at Arkansas as both a quarterback and starting pitcher. He beat Tulsa on the gridiron as a redshirt freshman before focusing exclusively on baseball.
This past season, the right-hander had a 3.65 earned-run average with 113 strikeouts in 116 innings. During Arkansas’ postseason run, which saw the Diamond Hogs come within a game of the College World Series championships series, Noland had a 1.53 ERA in 29 1/3 innings.
Financial details of the deal with the Cubs organization are unknown, though the slot value for the pick is $164,500.
Noland was one of nine Razorbacks players from the 2022 roster to be taken in the draft. Arkansas also lost top pitching recruit Cole Phillips to the Atlanta Braves after Phillips signed close to the weekend.
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