Tag: Jordan Sprinkle

Jordan Sprinkle spurns Arkansas, signs rookie deal with Chicago White Sox

Jordan Sprinkle, who announced his intent to transfer to Arkansas following the 2022 season, has elected to turn pro.

Turns out that Jordan Sprinkle will not report to Arkansas after all.

Sprinkle, who announced his intent to transfer to Arkansas from UC-Santa Barbara earlier this month, was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Sprinkle has elected to sign a deal with the White Sox, and will forgo his commitment to Arkansas Baseball. According to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, the White Sox signed Sprinkle for full slot value for the 131st pick for $452,900.

Sprinkle had an impressive three-season career for the Gauchos. He hit for a .319 average with 10 home runs, 67 RBI, and 51 stolen bases. He was known best for his ability to get extra-base hits. In his three year career, Sprinkle recorded 29 double and six triples.

Sprinkle joins four other Razorbacks who have signed their rookie contracts. Tuesday was the busiest day for draft signings, as [autotag]Robert Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag] also signed deals with the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays respectively. Pitchers [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag] (Cubs) and [autotag]Evan Taylor[/autotag] (Marlins) have also signed rookie deals.

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After losing starting shortstop and likely replacement starter via draft, Diamond Hogs get transfer

John Bolton will head to Arkansas to fight for the starting shortstop gig in 2023.

John Bolton wants to be Arkansas’ next starting shortstop.

The former Austin Peay man in the middle announced Thursday he will play his final season of college baseball for the Diamond Hogs.

Bolton had a slash line of .287/.384/.399 last year for the Governors. He tied for the team lead with 11 stolen bases and was third in doubles with 18.

Arkansas lost starting shortstop Jalen Battles to exhausted eligibility. Earlier in July, California-Santa Barbara shortstop announced he would transfer to Arkansas, but he was taken in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

Arkansas’ lone returning starter in the field, Peyton Stovall, played shortstop in high school. He spent this season manning first base, but is expected to shift to second base for fall ball in preparation for the 2023 season.

Arkansas’ expected 2023 starting shortstop taken in MLB draft

Jordan Sprinkle could still land at Arkansas, but a fourth-round selection will be tough to turn down.

Jordan Sprinkle announced he would be transferring to Arkansas for the 2023 season just days ago. Now he may never make it to campus.

Sprinkle, a transfer from Cal-Santa Barbara, was taken in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox. The Sox had selected Arkansas pitcher Peyton Pallette in the second round the day before.

Sprinkle has two seasons of college eligibility left should he decline to sign with Chicago and play at Arkansas, instead. He hit .285/.381/.413 with the Gauchos last year. Sprinkle was expected to slot into the starting shortstop role left vacant by Jalen Battles, whose eligibility was exhausted.

Battles was taken a round later than Sprinkle, in the fifth, by Tampa Bay.

Through six rounds, Arkansas had six players associated with the school selected: four who played with the team last year, Sprinkle, and high-schooler Cole Phillips.

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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