Tag: Arkansas baseball roster

Arkansas may have their ace after getting transfer from SEC rival South Carolina

Julian Bosnic should be in Arkansas baseball’s weekend rotation next season.

Connor Noland may return to Arkansas for a sixth season. If he does, he will likely be the Diamond Hogs’ No. 1 weekend starter.

If he doesn’t, coach Dave Van Horn may have landed his replacement in Julian Bosnic.

Bosnic, a left-hander from South Carolina, announced his transfer via the portal to Arkansas on Saturday. He entered the portal in late June.

The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder missed all of last season after undergoing surgery for a flexor strain in his elbow. He was expected to be one of the Gamecocks’ weekend starters had it not been for injury.

His last healthy season in 2021, Bosnic struck out 78 batters in 50 2/3 innings. Opponents hit just .133 against him, largely out of bullpen as South Carolina anticipated stretching him to the rotation in 2022.

Bosnic was drafted by San Francisco in the 16th round of last year’s draft following his breakout season. Arkansas is likely have several players – including third baseman Cayden Wallace and second baseman Robert Moore – taken early in this year’s draft later this month.

Bosnic is Arkansas’ second baseball commit from the transfer portal in as many days. Shortstop Jordan Sprinkle from California-Santa Barbara committed on Friday.

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Diamond Hogs land next year’s starting shorstop…unless he decides to go pro

Jordan Sprinkle should slot into the starting shortstop position for Arkansas next year if he isn’t scooped up by the MLB draft later this month.

Jordan Sprinkle will almost certainly hear his name called in the MLB draft later this month.

For now, though, he is headed to Arkansas after announcing his transfer from California-Santa Barbara to the Diamond Hogs via the transfer portal.

Sprinkle, a rising junior, had a slash line of .285/.381/.413 with the Gauchos last season, driving in 35 runs and stealing 25 bases for UCSB. His team was eliminated by Stanford in the the Palo Alto Regional, shortly after which Sprinkle entered the transfer portal.

The MLB draft begins Sunday, July 17 and continues through Tuesday, July 19. Sprinkle is rated as the No. 156 prospect for it.

Arkansas has three players ranked higher in the prospect status for the draft. Third baseman Cayden Wallace is No. 31, right-hander Peyton Pallette is No. 43 and second baseman Robert Moore is No. 108. All three are expected to sign when drafted.

Coach Dave Van Horn bemoaned the draft’s late start date – it had been in June until last year – when he gave his end-of-season press conference on Thursday. In the meantime, Arkansas continues to use the transfer portal as the only position-player starter expected to return is Peyton Stovall.

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No returning catchers? No problem for Arkansas baseball

Michael Turner, Dylan Leach and Max Soliz Jr. are all gone from the Arkansas baseball team, so Dave Van Horn is back-filling the catcher position.

Michael Turner will go down as one of the most memorable Arkansas baseball players of the generation.

Dylan Leach will be remembered for hitting for an Arkansas rarity – a cycle – during his time with the Razorbacks.

Max Soliz Jr. was on the roster, too.

All three of Arkansas’ listed catchers for the 2022 season are gone for the 2023 season. Leach and Soliz have transferred away and Turner is off to try his hand in the professional ranks.

But Diamond Hogs coach Dave Van Horn isn’t concerned about what he has behind the plate in 2023.

Parker Rowand, who played at Arkansas State before hitting over .400 this year at Eastern Oklahoma State, has committed to play for the Razorbacks next year. Van Horn said the team had also received a commitment from another catcher, but he wasn’t at liberty to say who because the player has yet to make it public.

He may not be done, either.

“We’re still looking for another guy that maybe he’s an outfielder, right fielder that also can catch,” Van Horn said. “It’s a secondary position because you’d like to have three.”

Diamond Hogs JUCO All-American, allowing Stovall to shift to natural position

Arkansas is likely going to lose three starting infielders off this year’s College World Series team, so Caleb Cali will help.

Arkansas baseball has landed its likely starting first baseman for next season.

Junior-college All-American Caleb Cali, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound first bagger from the College of Central Florida, will transfer to Arkansas in time to play next season.

He slashed .438/.533/.826 this past spring with 17 home runs, 22 doubles, six triples and 77 RBIs. Cali was primarily a third baseman at CofCF, but his college coach told WholeHogSports that Cali projects as first baseman at the Division I level.

Cali began his career at Florida State where he redshirted before transferring to Hillsborough Community College for the 2021 season. Arkansas will make his fourth school in four years, but Cali will have two years of eligibility with the Razorbacks.

His arrival should allow Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn to shift this year’s starting first baseman, Peyton Stovall, to the middle infield, his primary position in high school.

Cali is one of 10 junior-college commits Van Horn and the Diamond Hogs have landed in the class. Arkansas is losing starters Jalen Battles, Michael Turner, Braydon Webb, Zack Gregory and Chris Lanzilli. They’re also likely to lose third baseman Cayden Wallace and second baseman Robert Moore to the MLB draft.