Van Horn Says Arkansas Will Hunt Transfers After Early NCAA Exit

He plans to add experienced players from the transfer portal to cover likely draft departures and exhausted starters.

Overview

Arkansas was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Kansas in the Lawrence Regional on Sunday, May 31, and coaches returned to campus to begin offseason work.
The NCAA baseball transfer portal opened June 1 and Van Horn said the Razorbacks will be active in the window to find experienced players for the 2027 roster.
Two Arkansas redshirt infielders, Cayden Mitchell and Tyler Holland, have already announced plans to enter the portal and other departures are expected.
The staff expects to replace roughly eight regular starters and the team’s top three pitchers as several contributors are draft-eligible, including Hunter Dietz, Ryder Helfrick and Gabe Gaeckle.
A pending NCAA Division I Cabinet vote on June 23-24 about granting a fifth year of eligibility could change players’ draft leverage, and Van Horn must balance incoming 2026 signees with the need for seasoned transfers to compete in the SEC.