KSR's 2025 SEC Baseball Preview: Arkansas

With the 2025 College Baseball season just around the corner, KSR will be previewing all 15 SEC teams that will be competing with Kentucky for an SEC crown this season. Up next; the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The 2025 season will look to be a bounce back one for head coach Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks. Van Horn enters his 23rd season as the man in charge in Fayetteville, where he has posted an 883-457 (353-272) record. Arkansas finished the 2024 season with a 44-16 (20-10) record, earning the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament as the top dogs in the West.

The Razorbacks had a disappointing showing in Hoover however, as they were eliminated in two games by No. 10 seed South Carolina and No. 3 seed Kentucky. This carried over to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as they were bounced from the Fayetteville Regional in three games by No. 3 seed Kansas State and No. 4 seed SEMO.

“We sat down after the season and we talked about a lot of things [as a coaching staff],” coach Van Horn said during his season preview. “The personnel we have now fits more what we want to do here day in and day out.”

Returning Players:

• Jr. INF Wehiwa Aloy (2024: 60 G, .270 AVG, 9 2B, 14 HR, 56 RBI, .485 SLG%, .355 OBP%)
• Sr. OF Kendall Diggs (2024: 55 G, .229 AVG, 11 2B, 7 HR, 34 RBI, .395 SLG%, .346 OBP%)
• So. INF Nolan Souza (2024: 40 G, .255 AVG, 7 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, .509 SLG%, .366 OBP%)
• So. C Ryder Helfrick (2024: 31 G, .179 AVG, 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .321 SLG%, .320 OBP%)

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• R-Sr. RHP Will McEntire (2024: 30 APP, 1 GS, 5-0, 4.83 ERA, 54 IP, 65 K, 18 BB)
• So. RHP Gabe Gaeckle (2024: 22 APP, 0 GS, 3-3, 2.32 ERA, 42 2/3 IP, 57 K, 19 BB)
• Jr. RHP Gage Wood (2024: 22 APP, 3 GS, 3-2, 4.46 ERA, 40 1/3 IP, 56 K, 8 BB)
• Jr. RHP Ben Bybee (2024: 11 APP, 7 GS, 2-1, 5.83 ERA, 29 1/3 IP, 36 K, 12 BB)
• So. LHP Colin Fisher (2024: 10 APP, 7 GS, 6-1, 2.67 ERA, 27 IP, 27 K, 8 BB)
• Jr. RHP Christian Foutch (2024: 20 APP, 0 GS, 0.81 ERA, 22 1/3 IP, 20 K, 7 BB)
• Jr. LHP Parker Coil (2024: 16 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 7.23 ERA, 18 2/3 IP, 23 K, 6 BB)
• Jr. RHP Cooper Dossett (2024: 14 APP, 0 GS, 3-1, 5.17 ERA, 15 2/3 IP, 20 K, 7 BB)
• R-Sr. RHP Dylan Carter (2024: 8 APP, 0 GS, 1-0, 8.18 ERA, 11 IP, 6 K, 6 BB)
• So. RHP Tate McGuire (2024: 2 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1 2/3 IP, 4 K, 2 BB)
• R-Fr. LHP Hunter Dietz (2024: 2 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 2 K, 2 BB)

Departing Players:

• Sr. INF Ben McLaughlin (2024: 60 G, .302 AVG, 11 2B, 9 HR, 42 RBI, .490 SLG%, .447 OBP% – 16th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. INF Peyton Stovall (2024: 48 G, .340 AVG, 12 2B, 9 HR, 38 RBI, .535 SLG%, .409 OBP% – 4th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. INF Jared Sprague-Lott (2024: 48 G, .290 AVG, 7 2B, 9 HR, 28 RBI, .491 SLG%, .425 OBP% – 9th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Gr. OF Ty Wilmsmeyer (2024: 47 G, .214 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .256 SLG%, .319 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. INF/OF Peyton Holt (2024: 46 G, .322 AVG, 2 2B, 8 HR, 27 RBI, .507 SLG%, .412 OBP% – Graduated)
• Jr. C Hudson White (2024: 46 G, .297 AVG, 12 2B, 8 HR, 33 RBI, .525 SLG%, .396 OBP% – 9th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. OF Will Edumunson (2024: 39 G, .241 AVG, 5 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .333 SLG%, .362 OBP% – Transfer Portal)
• Sr. OF Ross Lovich (2024: 34 G, .286 AVG, 4 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .429 SLG%, .408 OBP% – Graduated)
• So. INF/OF Jayson Jones (2024: 23 G, .194 AVG, 3 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .403 SLG%, .301 OBP% – Transferred to Oklahoma State)
• Gr. INF/OF Jack Wagner (2024: 19 G, .260 AVG, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, .500 SLG%, .344 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. C Parker Rowland (2024: 16 G, .241 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .414 SLG%, .410 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. C Hudson Polk (2024: 9 G, .143 AVG, 0 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .286 SLG%, .269 OBP% – Graduated)

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• Jr. LHP Hagen Smith (2024: 16 APP, 16 GS, 9-2, 2.04 ERA, 84 IP, 161 K, 34 BB – 1st Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. RHP Brady Tygart (2024: 14 APP, 13 GS, 4-3, 3.94 ERA, 59 1/3 IP, 69 K, 36 BB – 12th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. LHP Mason Molina (2024: 15 APP, 13 GS, 4-2, 4.47 ERA, 58 1/3 IP, 81 K, 36 BB – 7th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Gr. RHP Koty Frank (2024: 20 APP, 0 GS, 2-0, 5.58 ERA, 30 2/3 IP, 30 K, 9 BB – Graduated)
• Jr. RHP Jake Faherty (2024: 16 APP, 0 GS, 0-1, 1.84 ERA, 14 2/3 IP, 26 K, 9 BB – 11th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. LHP Stone Hewlett (2024: 23 APP, 0 GS, 1-0, 3.46 ERA, 13 IP, 23 K, 8 BB – Graduated)

Incoming Transfers

• So. OF Charles Davalan (2024: 56 G, .290 AVG, 17 2B, 10 HR, 38 RBI, .520 SLG%, .417 OBP% – Transferred from Florida Gulf Coast)
• So. IF Kuhio Aloy (2024: 52 G, .269 AVG, 9 2B, 8 HR, 38 RBI, .447 SLG%, .329 OBP% – Transferred from BYU)
• Jr. IF Michael Anderson (2024: 48 G, .250 AVG, 9 2B, 13 HR, 42 RBI, .571 SLG%, .423 OBP% – Transferred from Rhode Island)
• Sr. OF Logan Maxwell (2024: 46 G, .335 AVG, 12 2B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, .482 SLG%, .447 OBP% – Transferred from TCU)
• So. IF Cam Kozeal (2024: 43 G, .284 AVG, 8 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI, .439 SLG%, .349 OBP% – Transferred from Vanderbilt)
• Sr. OF Carson Boles (2023: 25 G, .381 AVG, 7 2B, 5 HR, 22 RBI, .649 SLG%, .460 OBP% – Transferred from Lincoln Memorial)
• Jr. OF Justin Thomas Jr. (2023: 25 G, .103 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .241 SLG%, .350 OBP% – Transferred from Georgia)
• R-Sr. OF Rocco Peppi (2024: 24 G, .297 AVG, 10 2B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, .505 SLG%, .358 OBP% – Transferred from Fresno State)

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• Jr. LHP Landon Beidelschies (2024: 15 APP, 15 GS, 6-9, 4.15 ERA, 84 2/3 IP, 91 K, 31 BB – Transferred from Ohio State)
• Jr. LHP Zach Root (2024: 12 APP, 11 GS, 5-2, 3.82 ERA, 63 2/3 IP, 69 K, 20 BB – Transferred from East Carolina)
• R-So. RHP Aiden Jimenez (2023: 22 APP, 1 GS, 5-2, 5.68 ERA, 38 IP, 35 K, 7 BB – Transferred from Oregon State)

Although Arkansas lost multiple great players to the 2024 MLB Draft and graduation including the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings National Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-American Hagen Smith and Third Team All-American Peyton Stovall, the Hogs absolutely loaded up in the Transfer Portal.

Sophomore INF Kuhio Aloy (brother of now teammate Wehiwa Aloy) from BYU and sophomore INF Cam Kozeal from Vanderbilt lead an absolutely loaded class that was ranked No. 2 in all of College Baseball by D1Baseball. Kozeal, who was named SEC Freshman of the Week (March 4) after leading all of NCAA DI with 14 hits on the week, was lured from Vanderbilt to Arkansas after hitting for a .284 AVG his freshman season.

Along with the strong transfer class, 2023 Second Team All-SEC selection outfielder Kendall Diggs returns for his senior season along with 2024 Freshman All-SEC Team selections third baseman Nolan Souza and right-hander Gabe Gaeckle. With two sophomore superstars in Souza and Gaeckle, the future is insanely bright in Fayetteville. The Hogs will open the season ranked No. 5 in the country.

Arky is currently scheduled to face seven SEC teams present in D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings this season (No. 1 Texas A&M, at No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Tennessee, at No. 8 Georgia, at No. 10 Florida, at No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 19 Texas).

Kentucky is currently not scheduled to face Arkansas in the regular season, but could meet the Hogs in the SEC Tournament (like they did last season) or the Men’s College World Series. Arkansas leads the all-time series against Kentucky 29-47, although the Cats took the series over the Hogs two games to one last season.