Preseason Rankings, Top Draft Prospects + Roster Update for Arkansas Baseball

FAYETTEVILLE — With the season simply six weeks away, preseason rankings are beginning to trickle in and there are as soon as once more excessive expectations for Arkansas baseball.

Within the two polls which have come out up to now, the Razorbacks are No. 4 by Good Sport and No. 7 by Collegiate Baseball coming into 2023. The Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA and USA Immediately Coaches polls have but to be launched.

That places them firmly within the combine for a fourth journey to Omaha in 5 tries. It’d be a return journey after final season’s run ended with a loss to Ole Miss in a winner-take-all semifinal on the School World Collection.

Nonetheless, as common, it gained’t be a straightforward path by way of the SEC. Half of the convention is ranked within the prime 10 of at the least one of many preseason polls.

LSU is No. 1 in each, whereas Collegiate Baseball has Florida at No. 2 (No. 8 on PG) and Good Sport has Tennessee at No. 2 (No. 5 on CB). Different top-10 SEC groups embody Texas A&M (No. 4 CB/No. 10 PG), Ole Miss (No. 6 PG/No. 24 CB) and Vanderbilt (No. 9 CB/No. 11 PG).

Auburn is the eighth-ranked workforce on Good Sport, checking in at No. 17, whereas Collegiate Baseball additionally ranks Mississippi State at No. 22, giving it eight top-25 SEC groups, as nicely.

Collegiate Baseball’s preseason ballot really goes to No. 50, with Auburn (No. 37), Georgia (No. 39), South Carolina (No. 47) and Alabama (No. 49) ranked, however outdoors of the highest 25. The one SEC groups outdoors of the highest 50 are Missouri and Kentucky.

The D1Baseball preseason ballot is scheduled to return out Jan. 17.

Preseason All-America Nod

Regardless of having expanded second- and third-team lists, no Arkansas baseball gamers have been included on Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason All-America groups. The one different time that has occurred up to now six years was 2021, when the Razorbacks spent a majority of the season at No. 1.

Good Sport, however, did acknowledge one Arkansas baseball participant: Left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith was a third-team choice as he enters his sophomore season.

Each organizations tabbed LSU middle fielder Dylan Crews as their Preseason Participant of the 12 months, whereas Good Sport additionally named a Preseason Pitcher of the 12 months. That honor stayed throughout the SEC, as nicely, going to Tennessee’s Chase Dollander.

Barring harm, the Razorbacks will get to face each of these gamers. The Tigers will host Arkansas in Baton Rouge, La., the weekend of March 24-26 and the Volunteers go to Baum-Walker Stadium the weekend of April 14-16.

Jaxon Wiggins, Others Amongst High MLB Draft Prospects

They didn’t land on both of the aforementioned All-America groups, however Arkansas did have two different pitchers listed among the many prime 100 prospects within the 2023 MLB Draft launched by MLB Pipeline final month.

Proper-hander Jaxon Wiggins — who appeared very a lot the a part of a employees ace this fall — checked in at No. 55, whereas left-hander Hunter Hollan is No. 83. Wiggins is coming into his third season with this system and Hollan is a first-year man as a junior school switch from San Jacinto J.C.

These could have been the one two present Razorbacks on the listing, however the early rounds of 2023 MLB Draft will nonetheless be essential for Dave Van Horn as a result of his No. 1 signing class is susceptible to being picked aside by the professionals.

As additional proof of that chance, seven Arkansas baseball signees are among the many top-100 prospects on MLB Pipeline, highlighted by the crown jewel of the category — third baseman Aidan Miller — at No. 12.

The opposite potential future Razorbacks listed are left-hander Adam Hachman (No. 41), right-hander Barrett Kent (No. 54), shortstop Nazzan Zanetello (No. 58), shortstop Walker Martin (No. 73), left-hander Hunter Dietz (No. 75) and right-hander Dylan Questad (No. 96).

It’s additionally value noting that, very like the preseason rankings and preseason All-America groups, the SEC dominates the MLB Draft prospect rankings, as nicely.

Every of the highest 5 prospects play throughout the convention, as do seven of the highest 10 — with these seven hailing from 5 completely different groups.

High Transfers for Arkansas Baseball

With solely two returning starters within the discipline, Dave Van Horn went heavy on transfers to rebuild his lineup in 2023. Primarily based on some preseason rankings from D1Baseball, it appears as if he did a fairly strong job.

Three Razorbacks landed on the group’s rating of the highest 100 switch portal additions of the offseason, whereas 5 landed on its rating of the highest 50 JUCO transfers.

Jared Wegner (No. 19) and Tavian Josenberger (No. 27) from Creighton and Kansas, respectively, may lock down two of the three beginning spots within the outfield, whereas Hudson Polk (No. 90) from Oklahoma seems to be the frontrunner to start out at catcher.

Polk’s prime competitors behind the plate is Parker Rowland, who checked in at No. 28 on the JUCO listing. He was adopted by Caleb Cali (No. 30) and Harold Coll (No. 48), each of whom are projected as starters.

Arkansas introduced in solely two switch arms — each from the JUCO ranks — and so they’re wanting like contributors in 2023, particularly left-hander Hunter Hollan. Along with being a top-100 draft prospect, as talked about above, he’s No. 7 on D1Baseball’s rating. The opposite is right-hander Cody Adcock (No. 41).

Arkansas Baseball Roster Replace

Now just a few years faraway from the 2020 season that was worn out by the pandemic, school baseball rosters are slowly getting again to regular, however they will nonetheless be considerably enlarged due to relaxed limitations.

The 35-man restrict is again in place, however may be expanded to 40 as a way to account for gamers who have been on the workforce in 2020.

In the course of the fall, the Arkansas baseball roster featured 45 gamers. That has shrunk to 40 after the departures of infielders Jude Putz, Easton Swofford and Ryan Ward, and pitchers Nick Moten and Matthew Magre. (Putz has transferred to Florida State, whereas Swofford is taking the JUCO route at Crowder C.C.)

Solely two present Razorbacks — pitchers Zack Morris and Will McEntire — have been on the workforce in 2020, permitting Arkansas’ lively roster to broaden to 37. Which means three gamers should redshirt this season.

There have been additionally a few quantity modifications between the autumn and spring roster. Infielder John Bolton switched from No. 19 to No. 9, the quantity he wore at Austin Peay, and freshman right-hander Ben Bybee switched from No. 47 to No. 40.

The 2023 roster included up to date weights for all the gamers, as nicely. Not like the soccer workforce, which is extra particular, the Arkansas baseball workforce lists weights in multiples of 5. A number of gamers misplaced or gained 5 kilos, however a handful had double-digit modifications from the autumn.

Most notably, right-hander Will McEntire is now listed at 240 kilos, which is up 15 kilos from the autumn roster and his taking part in weight final season. Outfielder Jared Wegner (220) and right-hander Cody Adcock (210) are up 10 kilos, whereas catcher Cal Kilgore (185) is down 10 kilos.

One different change between the autumn and season roster value mentioning is the title for former Arkansas standout DJ Baxendale. He was listed as a graduate supervisor within the fall, however is now the Director of Analytics.

Curious what the Arkansas baseball lineup will appear to be in 2023? Right here’s our projection:

2023 Arkansas Baseball Roster

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Extra protection of Arkansas baseball from BoAS…