Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas figures to have a solid pitching staff in 2012. Many of the Razorbacks’ top arms are set to return, including ace D.J. Baxendale and a talented group of freshmen and sophomores who contributed as starters and out of the bullpen.

Dave Van Horn can think of a way to make the staff, which finished with a 2.39 earned run average, much better, though. Getting Searcy pitcher Dillon Howard to campus would be huge for the Razorbacks, Van Horn said on Thursday. Howard was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the second round, pick No. 67 overall.

“We need Dillion Howard, and I hope that he’ll come in here and grow up as a person and as a player, and then in two years, it’s going to be there for him, big-time,” Van Horn said.  

Van Horn met with media Thursday to wrap up the 2011 season and touched on a number of topics, including current players and recruits recently taken in the MLB Draft. He made sure to spend plenty of time of Howard, the talented right-handed pitcher with a 95-plus mile-per-hour fast ball.

Howard was projected as high as the No. 18 pick overall. Questions about his signability may have pushed him further down some team’s draft boards. Howard is also draft-eligible after his sophomore season should he choose to come to Arkansas. That is something that works in Arkansas’ favor.

Van Horn said adding Howard to the staff could put the Razorbacks in the class of programs like North Carolina and Florida, which are national seeds in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas made the NCAA Tournament, but was eliminated the first weekend because of offensive struggles and the lack of a clear No. 2 pitcher behind Baxendale. Howard could be that guy, Van Horn said.

“I think that [Howard] sees himself as a Razorback. He sees himself pitching at Baum Stadium in front of 10,000 people on a weekend,” Van Horn said. “I hope that he’ll come and live that dream for two years and help us get back to Omaha and hopefully win a national championship.”

Howard was one of nine Razorback signees drafted. They’ll have until Aug. 15 to decide whether to come to Arkansas or go pro, but Van Horn hopes to have it wrapped up sooner. He’ll be an assistant with Team USA this summer and  Van Horn said he hoped to know most of what the players would do by the time he leaves in three weeks.

Arkansas had two players taken by the New York Mets within the first 44 picks of the draft that are likely gone. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo and pitcher Michael Fulmer will command signing bonuses that are too big to turn down.

First baseman Greg Bird is likely gone as well, Van Horn said. Bird was a fifth-round pick, which wouldn’t normally cause Van Horn concern, but the New York Yankees have the money, star power and prestige to be an attractive option.

“So now it’s the waiting game,” Van Horn said. “…I hope a lot of things are settled by then, but if not, we’re staying in the continental United States and I’ll have a phone on me, and I’ll be working from wherever we are.”