Early transfer portal names to watch for Arkansas baseball
HawgBeat takes a look at early names to watch in the transfer portal for the Arkansas baseball team.
The disappointing conclusion of the 2024 Arkansas baseball campaign is still on the edge of everyone's mind, but head coach Dave Van Horn must turn his focus to the offseason following the opening of the transfer portal on Monday.
Who will stay and who will go from the current Razorback roster is a question looming around the program, and the answer will play a large part in what positions the coaching staff prioritizes over the coming months.
As of now, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy is the only everyday starter in the lineup that Arkansas should feel really good about returning. Soon-to-be sophomores Nolan Souza and Ryder Helfrick will have good chances of locking down positions in the infield and at catcher, respectively, but that still leaves plenty of spots open for replacements.
"We’ve lost our complete outfield again," Van Horn said on Sunday. "They’ll all be gone. Going to lose your second baseman. I don’t think the first baseman will be back. Starting catcher’s gone. Starting third baseman graduates.
To add insult to injury, all three starting pitchers have a chance of being selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Ace lefty Hagen Smith is all but a lock, and juniors Brady Tygart and Mason Molina will likely entertain organizations that are interested in their arm talent.
"Your whole rotation will probably go if they get an opportunity," Van Horn said. "I could go on and on. I think about it every day. It’s just the way it is. It’s the way it is these days."
With that being said, here are early names to watch for the Razorbacks in the transfer portal. These are subject to change, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action:
Logan Maxwell - Outfielder, TCU
2024 Stats: 170 AB, .335/.482/.447, 30 R, 57 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 30 BB, 23 K, 10 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 13th
Arkansas will need some outfielders after Ty Wilmsmeyer and Peyton Holt graduate and Kendall Diggs potentially gets drafted, so getting some experience from a power conference will be vital.
TCU's Logan Maxwell fits the bill perfectly, as he finished with the Horned Frogs' second-best batting average and played elite defense in left field. Throughout 110 games across three seasons, the Ohio native has only made one error.
What he lacks in sheer power he more than makes up for with his vision at the plate, as he had an outstanding 10.8 K% this season according to D1Baseball. Maxwell also hit for a .300 batting average in 2023.
HawgBeat can confirm that the Arkansas coaching staff has been in contact with Maxwell, so be on the lookout for potential movement in the future with the top portal prospect.
Kuhio Aloy - Designated Hitter, BYU
2024 Stats: 197 AB, .269/.329/.447, 27 R, 53 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 20 BB, 62 K, 0 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 572nd
Name sound familiar? It should, because he's the brother of Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy. A freshman designated hitter for BYU, Aloy was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after leading the Cougars in RBI.
The offensive numbers don't jump off the page immediately and the lack of defensive experience is a concern, but what's to say that Wehiwa wouldn't have put up similar numbers in the Big 12 as a freshman last season? He ended up being pretty good for the Razorbacks this year, as he led Arkansas in home runs (14) and RBI (56).
Kuhio led the Big 12 in sacrifice flies, was second on BYU in hits and was third in doubles and multiple-RBI games (9). He was also only one of two Cougars to play in all 52 games.
Deven Sheerin - Right-Handed Pitcher, Mount St. Mary's
2024 Stats: 4.76 ERA, 6-5 W/L, 18 APP, 2 GS, 1 SV, 70.0 IP, 49 H, 39 R, 37 ER, 32 BB, 109 K, .197 BAA
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 17th
If you want to talk about an electric arm, then let me introduce you to Mount St Mary's right-hander Deven Sheerin. This freshman flamethrower tops out in the high 90s but has a devastating slider to boot.
Primarily a bullpen piece last season, Sheerin's biggest outlier games in terms of runs allowed came against Mississippi State in only his third college appearance (four earned runs), Maryland (three earned runs), Portland (five earned runs), Niagara (seven earned runs) and Rider (four earned runs).
In his other 13 appearances on the mound, Sheerin never allowed more than two runs. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Pennsylvania native had two double-digit strikeout games against Norfolk State (11) and Marist (12).
HawgBeat can confirm that the Arkansas coaching staff has been in contact with Sheerin, and expect him to be a hot commodity in the transfer portal market.
Jackson Strong - Outfielder, Canisius
2024 Stats: 177 AB, .350/.621/.482, 55 R, 62 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 41 BB, 38 K, 42 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 98th
After Arkansas' season-ending loss to SEMO in the NCAA Tournament, Van Horn took the time to talk about what he was looking for offensively this offseason. One of the things he mentioned was getting better athletes, players that helped win games when the conditions for home runs and high-octane offense weren't favorable.
Well, Strong is exactly that. Yes, he has a high average and a beautiful swing, but the New York native boasted a whopping 42 stolen bases this season. That ranks third in the country and is 36 more than the highest of any Arkansas player (Will Edmunson, Holt).
In his previous two seasons at Canisius, Strong has hit 123-for-348 (.353) with a combined 24 home runs, 20 doubles and 83 RBI. He's also only made four errors in that same span, good for a .978 fielding percentage.
Strong has picked up multiple follows on social media from members of the Arkansas coaching staff, which usually means the player is a priority for the Diamond Hogs.
Other names to monitor:
~ Charles Davalan - 2B, Florida Gulf Coast~ Bobby Boser - 2B, South Florida
~ Tommy LaPour - RHP, Wichita State
~ Noah Sullivan - Two-way, Upstate
~ Nathan Knowles - RHP, William & Mary
~ Harrison Bodendorf - LHP, Hawaii
~ Myles Patton - LHP, Long Beach State
