We are two days away from Arkansas baseball, and HawgBeat is continuing its annual lineup preview series for the Diamond Hogs.
With scrimmage coverage, analysis, interviews, previews, the Diamond Hawgs Podcast and more, HawgBeat provides the best Arkansas baseball coverage around.
We continue things with the eight-hole spot in the lineup, which catcher Ryder Helfrick is projected to fill...
#27 - Ryder Helfrick - C
So. | R/R | 6-1 | 205Discovery Bay, California / Clayton Valley Charter HS
2024: 31 GP, 84 AB, 18 R, 15 H, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 14 BB/28 K, 1 SB, .179/.320/.321
Sophomore catcher Ryder Helfrick is arguably as important as any player for Arkansas baseball entering the 2025 season. After splitting time behind the dish with veteran players last spring, the California native is set to be the everyday guy at catcher for head coach Dave Van Horn this year.
Helfrick competed with Texas Tech transfer Hudson White and returner Parker Rowland for play time last season, but this year he is the go-to guy with two first-year players in a freshman and a junior college transfer behind him.
The hitting numbers from last year are understandably concerning for Helfrick. It's worth noting that following his season with the Hogs that saw him bat with a .179 average, Helfrick took off in the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer. He slashed .261/.323/.514 with three doubles, 11 home runs and 37 RBI as a CCBL All-Star selection for the Brewster Whitecaps.
"It was fun watching Ryder play this summer," Van Horn said Sept. 3. "He’s tougher than nails honestly. Very athletic. He can run. Tremendous arm. He’s got power. He proved that this summer with a wood bat."
According to Van Horn, Helfrick made a jump offensively over the offseason that will hopefully translate in 2025. Across 20 at bats in preseason scrimmages, Helfrick logged seven hits (two homers) and he drove in a team-best nine runs, according to stats compiled by local media.
"Really started working on some things toward the end of the season and took it into the summer," Van Horn said Sept. 3. "He calmed down his swing a little bit and didn’t try to pull everything. I think he just changed his mindset a little bit and had a great summer. It was fun watching him and following him throughout the summer."
Helfrick made one error last season behind the plate and he was 5-for-6 on throwing runners out. According to Van Horn, Helfrick might be the best receiver of pitches in the nation.
“If there is a 50/50 ball, which is right on the edge, maybe a ball out, they’re going to call it 50/50 strike or ball,” Van Horn said Feb. 3. “It’s dependent upon, a lot of times, how it’s received. Let’s say there’s 25 50/50 balls in the game and he gets 15 of those calls and the other catchers only gets X amount — and then there’s also a ball that’s a strike that they run out of the zone — you’ll win the game on looking at the catchers. You can look at how that ends up being scored and go ‘Wow, we beat them by 12 pitches.’ Usually you win. And he’s usually not beat.”
Freshman Zane Becker is currently the favorite to be the No. 2 catcher behind Helfrick, with JUCO transfer Elliott Peterson also an option. Becker was rated the No. 45 catcher in the country by Perfect Game and the 37th-best player in Texas in his class, while Peterson slashed a whopping .517/.585/.894 at Southeast Community College last year.
Arkansas will open the season against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday for Opening Day. The game is set for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch and it can be streamed on SEC Network+.
HawgBeat's Lineup Breakdown Series
1. #24 - Charles Davalan - CF2. #9 - Wehiwa Aloy - SS
3. #22 - Logan Maxwell - RF
4. #10 - Brent Iredale - 3B
5. #5 - Kendall Diggs - DH
6. #1 - Rocco Peppi - 1B
7. #3 - Nolan Souza - 2B
8. #27 - Ryder Helfrick - C
9.
More of HawgBeat's Arkansas baseball content
- Diamond Hogs picked to finish 3rd in SEC by coaches- Arkansas Baseball Notebook: Van Horn's 1st Swatter's Club of 2025
- Arkansas preseason odds to win College World Series
- Arkansas outfielder Logan Maxwell can 'flat-out hit'
- Can Souza, Helfrick make Year 2 jump?
- Jimenez remains ahead of schedule for Diamond Hogs
- Diamond Hogs to lean on Ohio State transfer pitcher
- Dylan Carter hoping for strong super senior season
- Freshman outfielder to know in 2025
- Canadian outfielder gives Diamond Hogs speed
- Arkansas ranked No. 5 in D1Baseball preseason poll
