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Razorback Baseball Commits Open Up About Why They Chose Van Horn's Program

Arkansas steadily reloads their program with several high profile high school commits
Peyton Sanders|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in the dugout during game with the Xavier Muskateers at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in the dugout during game with the Xavier Muskateers at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas baseball head coach Dave Van Horn has begun to solidify his 2028 recruiting class as the Razorbacks look to build on future success, with the Hogs streaking on the trail.

After this past weekend, when the Razorbacks began hosting players for their official visits, several key pieces have started to fall into place as they look to call Fayetteville home for the coming years.

Brooks Bond, SS

Leading the charge for the 2028 Diamond Hogs recruiting class is the six-foot, 175-pound shortstop out of Council Bluff, Iowa. Bonds, who announced his commitment to the Razorbacks on Thursday. He became the highest-ranked commit in the class so far, coming in as the No. 165 overall player in the class of 2028 and the No. 2 overall player in Iowa, according to Perfect Game.

Arkansas's winning culture and coaching staff played the biggest role in Bond's recruitment and set the Razorbacks apart from the rest of the field, as he mentioned Oklahoma State and Texas were also at the top of his list.

"It felt like home," Bonds said. "The fan support is unmatched, and winning and being able to play under the coaching staff is awesome."

Griffin Gowens, 3B

Next up is the 6-foot-3, 190-pound righty out of Greenville, South Carolina. Gowens, who announced his commitment to the Razorbacks yesterday evening. He comes in as a true power threat for the coming seasons.

The powerful righty currently sits as the No. 258 overall player for the class of 2028 and is the No. 4 player from South Carolina.

Griffin was quickly shocked with Arkansas and made his decision easier to call Fayetteville home.

"I chose Arkansas because it felt like home," Gowens said. "The staff is absolutely amazing, the culture is off the charts, and they win more than anyone. They have a huge community supporting the program and they really show up for the team, that means something.

"My parents and I fell in love with it and I'm so blessed to be able to choose a school of this caliber."

Iggy Robinson, OF

The Maine native quickly became a vital part of this recruiting class, posting a .476 batting average through his tournament season and tacking on 108 hits. Robinson currently ranks as the No. 285 player in the class of 2028 and the No. 5 player in Maine.

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound, 16-year-old is one that Razorback fans should quickly learn about leading up to this class, making it onto campus in Fayetteville. During his official visit to Arkansas, he was quickly impressed by the development of Arkansas players.

"I definitely wanted to go somewhere where I could best develop as a baseball player," Robinson said. "I think with the amount of draft picks Arkansas has had, they are the best at that. I also loved the coaches and how they operate."

Cade Cantrell, P

The dominant Missouri pitcher Cade Cantrell is also a highly touted prospect in this star-studded recruiting class, as he chose the Razorbacks on Sept. 22. Cantrell currently ranks as the No. 500 overall recruit and the No. 26 player from Missouri.

Through 10 games of tournament ball, Cantrell boasts a 1.68 ERA and tacked on 41 strikeouts.

During his official visit to Fayetteville, Cantrell quickly realized Fayetteville was home and where he was meant to be.

"It felt like home,' Cantrell said. "You couldn't get any better coaches, and it just felt like the right choice!"

Arkansas 2028 Baseball Commits

Brooks Bond, SS (Council Bluff, Iowa)
Evan Canode, SS (Bentonville, Arkansas)
Cade Cantrell, RHP (Knob Noster, Missouri)
Levi Abrego, SS (Iowa Colony, Texas)
Cameron Henderson, LHP (Rogers, Arkansas)
Iggy Robinson, OF (Milton, Maine)
Brooks Robinson, RHP (Paragould, Arkansas)
Griffin Gowens, 3B (Greenville, South Carolina)

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Peyton Sanders
PEYTON SANDERS

Peyton Sanders covers football and baseball for Razorbacks on SI. He previously worked for Athlon Sports where he covered the Razorbacks basketball team.

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