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Diamond Hog 3B pledge McLaughlin hopes to have instant impact

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

While the headlines have been full lately of Arkansas baseball players announcing they were entering the NCAA transfer portal, a soon to be Razorback got a little unexpected attention on Wednesday.

That would be a second-team junior college All-American third baseman and gold glove winner in Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College star Ben McLaughlin (6-3, 200), who bats left and throws right.

“I made it public on Twitter about two months ago, but it kind of blew up again today because I guess somebody retweeted it,” McLaughlin said.“That’s fine because I’m excited about it, too.”

Arkansas added the pledge of Eastern Oklahoma State switch-hitting catcher Parker Rowland (6-3, 220) on Wednesday. He hit .408 this past season with 12 homers and 78 RBIs.

He also won the Region 2 Gold Glove as a catcher.

McLaughlin, who is playing summer baseball near Denver in his hometown of Golden, Colo., chose Arkansas over Oklahoma, USC, California, Wichita State and others.

“My dream has always been to play in and win a College World Series and I can’t think of any better place to do that than at Arkansas,” McLaughlin said. “It just a great place to be around – just a baseball paradise if you ask me.

“This is just one more step to accomplishing that. I’ve always wanted to win one and I can thing of no better to do that than at Arkansas, where the facilities and fan support are second to none. This is just a dream come true for sure.”

McLaughlin hit .411 (88 of 214) with 19 home runs and 83 RBIs (seventh among NJCAA players) this past season with 23 doubles, a .511 on-base percentage, seven steals and team highs of 34 walks and 13 hit-by-pitches.

He had hitting streaks of 16 and 13 games during the season and had 12 contests in which he had three or more hits.

McLaughlin set a single-game school record with nine RBIs against Pratt as a freshman on April 3, 2021.

“I think one of the things that I had to change after my freshman year was putting on weight,” McLaughlin said. “I was listed at 175 and now I am 200 pounds. I think that was good for me.

“Also I became more of a selective hitter. I got pitched to differently this year compared to others years. I saw more off-speed pitches and I just started to take what the game was giving me.
“Knowing what I could do and trusting in any abilities was big.”

He appears to be a prime candidate to replace Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace, an expected early round choice in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft on July 17-19.

“My goal is to come in and make an impact right away,” McLaughlin said. “Seeing those guys before me like Cayden Wallace, Jalen Battles and Robert Moore, they are all tremendous baseball players. I know it is going to be some big shoes to fill.

“Watching that big post-season run was amazing and all of those guys were really professionals.

“I am excited about the opportunity to go in and earn a spot and follow in their footsteps, get back to where they were and finish what those guys started.

“I know the opportunity is there, but I have to go in and earn it.”

McLaughlin started the season at first base, but was moved to the hot corner on March 24 and flourished there with only two errors, none in his team’s final 32 games.

That earned him the NJCAA ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award for the Dragons (38-23).

“I actually came in as a third baseman and pitcher, but after two months into my (freshman) season, I had Tommy John surgery lst June,” McLaughlin said. “So I am about a year out from that now.

“I started off at first base because I was about seven months into recovery. Once I hit nine months, I moved back to third base.”

Arkansas is adding at least nine transfers in  Creighton first-team All-Big East outfielder Jared Wegner, the Neosho (Mo.) Crowder College duo of infielder-outfielder Peyton Holt and pitcher Cody Adcock,  a pair of San Jacinto  (Texas) JC stars in shortstop Harold Coll and pitcher Hunter Hollan, Eastern (Okla.) State pitcher Isaac Webb,  Connors State infielder Tyson Fourkiller, McLaughlin and Rowland.

Arkansas players who have announced  they were entering the NCAA transfer portal are starting outfielder Zack Gregory, pitchers Heston Tole (Texas), Gabriel Starks, Evan Gray, Mark Adamiak and Vincent Trapani, catchers Dylan Leach (Missouri) and Max Soliz, Jr., and shortstop Drake Vanardo (Arizona State).

The Razorbacks have no catchers on the current roster, but are expected to add at least two.

Arkansas players who have announced  they were entering the NCAA transfer portal are starting outfielder Zack Gregory, pitchers Heston Tole (Texas), Gabriel Starks, Evan Gray, Mark Adamiak and Vincent Trapani, catchers Dylan Leach (Missouri) and Max Soliz, Jr., and shortstop Drake Vanardo (Arizona State).