Exclusive: Why All-Conference Standout Jared Wegner Picked Arkansas for Final Season

Rising up in Nebraska, attending the School World Sequence was an annual custom for Jared Wegner. Now, he hopes his subsequent journey to the occasion is along with his new crew.

The primary-team All-Huge East outfielder introduced final month that he was transferring from Creighton to Arkansas for his closing season of school baseball.

It’s a surreal alternative for Wegner, whose hometown of Kearney, Neb., is lower than a three-hour drive from the School World Sequence web site in Omaha.

“As a younger child, I went to plenty of the School World Sequence video games since I’m from Nebraska and also you at all times noticed Arkansas there,” Wegner instructed Better of Arkansas Sports activities. “I at all times favored watching them play, so it was form of a simple resolution for me. I actually like the kind of baseball that they play.”

Though he hasn’t but visited Fayetteville, a few of Wegner’s household has they usually had optimistic opinions. That publicity, plus these journeys to the School World Sequence, gave him a style of the fan help at Arkansas.

His preconceived notions had been confirmed as he did analysis on the Razorbacks and their baseball program when he was within the portal.

“I used to be simply wanting stuff up on-line, some YouTube movies,” Wegner stated. “The amenities are loopy good. That’s at all times cool. I noticed a bunch of images of all of the followers and stuff — that’s form of one thing you dream of, enjoying in entrance of followers like that. … I’m undoubtedly excited to get down there.”

Turning into a Star at Creighton

A self-described “bodily participant who performs the sport extraordinarily exhausting,” Wegner hasn’t had too many probabilities to showcase all of his instruments during the last 4 years at Creighton.

In his first season with the Bluejays, he confirmed potential by beginning 38 video games and slashing .264/.369/.336 with 20 RBIs. He was set to construct on that the following 12 months till an damage derailed his upward trajectory.

Early within the 2020 season, a couple of week earlier than the COVID-19 outbreak, Wegner fouled off a pitch and suffered a damaged hamate bone — considered one of eight bones within the wrist and a typical damage amongst baseball gamers.

The damage lingered into his junior 12 months, too, and — mixed with the pandemic — restricted him to 22 appearances through which he hit .277 in 83 at bats. Solely 4 of his 23 hits over that span went for additional bases, leading to a .373 slugging share.

“Come to search out out, there was nonetheless a bit of the bone in there,” Wegner stated. “I used to be making an attempt to play on it with three cortisone photographs my junior 12 months, like all year long, making an attempt to play via it. My wrist simply harm on a regular basis and I ended up getting one other surgical procedure.”

Wegner used final summer season to rehab and, for the primary time in two years, get absolutely wholesome. The end result was a breakout 2022 marketing campaign through which he posted a .343/.459/.635 slash line with 28 extra-base hits — together with 11 residence runs — and 53 RBIs whereas beginning all 49 video games. That earned him first-team All-Huge East honors.

Along with main Creighton in residence runs and RBIs, he additionally led the crew with 11 stolen bases on 12 makes an attempt. Wegner had a formidable 1.094 OPS as a senior — 383 factors greater than his profession OPS getting into the 12 months.

When individuals ask him what contributed to the distinction, Wegner factors to his well being.

“When you have got a hand drawback and each swing your hand hurts, it’s powerful to play,” Wegner stated. “I undoubtedly knew it was in me, but it surely felt good to get wholesome and form of put that behind me. It was cool to assist the crew as a lot as you may.”

Hogs’ Recruitment of Jared Wegner

The state of Nebraska is exclusive in that American Legion Baseball — primarily highschool baseball in the summertime — is king. That isn’t nice for recruiting functions as a result of that’s when most gamers with collegiate or skilled aspirations hit the highway with journey ball groups.

That’s the lure Wegner discovered himself in as a three-sport athlete at Kearney Excessive College. Lastly, the summer season earlier than his senior 12 months, he made the choice to play for the St. Louis Players group.

“I truly left and went and performed in St. Louis for a journey crew there and lived there for the summer season,” Wegner stated. “My coach instructed me I most likely got here a 12 months or two late as a result of all the large faculties recruited these guys the sophomore 12 months of highschool or junior 12 months of highschool, so I used to be form of late on that.”

Wegner stated he was recruited by a number of mid-major packages, however in the end picked Creighton as a result of it was near residence. It additionally didn’t harm that the Bluejays performed their residence video games at TD Ameritrade Park — now generally known as Charles Schwab Discipline.

Granted an additional 12 months of eligibility due to the pandemic, although, Wegner determined to spend his fifth season of school baseball elsewhere.

“I simply wished to get out and expertise one thing new,” Wegner stated. “I loved my time at Creighton, however I wanted one thing new — new coaches, new voices. Additionally, I wished to play in a Energy 5 – particularly the SEC – was at all times a dream of mine.”

The expertise of being recruited this time round was a lot totally different than when he was in highschool. Coaches consistently referred to as him and about 20 faculties ended up reaching out.

It didn’t take lengthy for a gaggle of frontrunners to emerge, with Arkansas beating out Alabama, South Carolina and Notre Dame for Wegner’s companies.

He admitted that when Arkansas assistant coach Nate Thompson first texted him, it “put a smile throughout my face” and he was fairly excited concerning the Razorbacks being .

“It was fairly loopy,” Wegner stated. “I didn’t know what to anticipate. Talked to some individuals who have gone via that course of earlier than they usually stated it occurs quick.

“I used to be simply getting plenty of texts and calls, plenty of cellphone calls with my dad and making an attempt to determine the provision of outfielders and who they’ve coming again. Coach Thompson, he reached out and we had a fast chat and it went properly and the remaining is historical past.”

As impressed as he was by the followers, amenities and historical past of the Arkansas baseball program, the most important think about Jared Wegner’s resolution was possible the truth that there might be loads of alternatives for him to play in his closing season of eligibility.

The Razorbacks might return simply considered one of 9 main starters of their 2022 lineup and that’s first baseman Peyton Stovall, who is anticipated to shift over and play second base subsequent 12 months.

All three of their beginning outfielders are formally gone, with middle fielder Braydon Webb and proper fielder Chris Lanzilli exhausting their eligibility and left fielder Zack Gregory getting into the portal.

Jace Bohrofen might be again after beginning 24 video games, splitting time with Gregory in left early within the season, however past that, it’s unclear who might be in Arkansas’ outfield. Wegner was primarily a nook outfielder at Creighton and expects to do the identical with the Razorbacks, serving to fill that void.

“It was actually an ideal state of affairs,” Wegner stated. “I regarded it up straight away and noticed they’d two seniors. I used to be like, ‘Wow, that’s a superb alternative for me to go play there.’”

Till he experiences to Fayetteville, Wegner is enjoying summer season ball within the NECBL for the Newport Gulls in Rhode Island — therefore why he didn’t take any visits earlier than committing out of the portal.

Not like some transfers throughout the nation, he’s not thought of to be a draft danger this summer season regardless of being eligible. As an alternative, Wegner is hopeful a stable 12 months with the Razorbacks can result in him listening to his identify referred to as within the 2023 MLB Draft subsequent summer season.

“I haven’t heard an entire lot from scouts concerning the draft,” Wegner stated. “If I do find yourself simply getting a free agent deal, I’m going to go to Arkansas. … I had a pair guys attain out. Clearly I’d like to get drafted — that’s a dream of mine.”

Though he was the primary, Jared Wegner wasn’t the final switch portal addition by the Razorbacks this offseason. They’ve additionally landed right-hander Koty Frank from Nebraska and infielder/outfielder Tavian Josenberger from Kansas.

As talked about above, Arkansas has plenty of spots to fill and head coach Dave Van Horn is anticipated to take action with much more transfers. It’s one thing he’s had fairly a little bit of success with lately.

Simply this previous season, Lanzilli and catcher Michael Turner — transfers from Wake Forest and Kent State, respectively — had the highest two batting averages on the crew. Actually, they had been the one gamers to hit above .300.

Lanzilli ended up beginning 59 video games and hit a team-high .326 with 11 residence runs (together with three within the School World Sequence) and 40 RBIs. Turner was arguably essentially the most persistently clutch hitter on the crew, hitting .323 with 9 residence runs and 53 RBIs.

The Razorbacks additionally added Bohrofen from Oklahoma final offseason. He was hampered by an damage, however nonetheless began 24 video games and hit .228 with three residence runs and 17 RBIs. His position will possible enhance in 2023.

The season earlier than that, Cullen Smith from East Tennessee State was an everyday starter and hit .263 with 11 residence runs and Lael Lockhart from Houston was a big contributor as a member of the weekend rotation.

In 2019, Trevor Ezell transferred in from Southeast Missouri State and helped the Razorbacks make it to Omaha by hitting .329 with 10 residence runs and 49 RBIs. He additionally landed on the SEC All-Defensive Staff for his play at first base.

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