Diamond Hogs Continue to Play in Summer Leagues

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2008 Arkansas baseball season may have ended at the Stanford Regional, but the Razorbacks are continuing to play, although with new teammates, as members of various summer leagues.

Nearly all of Arkansas’ returnees for the 2009 season chose to play in various leagues including the prestigious Cape Cod, Northwoods and the West Coast Collegiate.

“We have a bunch of guys playing summer ball,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “In some cases this is a player’s first chance to hit with a wood bat and every player gets an opportunity to continue playing which will only make him better. I was happy to hear that most of them wanted to continue to play this summer and I think that Arkansas will be a better team next season because of it.”

Five players are slated for the Cape Cod League on four different teams. Freshman Brett Eibner and sophomore Dallas Keuchel are with the Wareham Gatemen, freshman Andy Wilkins joined the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, sophomore Tim Smalling is with the Harwich Mariners and Scott Lyons is scheduled to play with the Chatham Athletics. Located southeast of Boston, Mass., the Cape Cod League is one of the oldest and most prestigious summer baseball leagues in the country. In operations since 1885, the league has been a stepping stone for 212 current major league players.

A trio of Razorbacks is playing with the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League. Sophomore Evan Cox, redshirt freshman Sam Murphy and freshman Collin Kuhn represent the Razorbacks in the league which operates just like a minor league baseball organization. Duluth opened its season at the end of May and is scheduled to play through mid-August.

Playing with the West Coast Collegiate League’s Bend Elks are pitchers Houston Slemp and James Mahler and outfielder Andrew Darr. The West Coast League, like the Northwoods, is associated with the Summer Collegiate Baseball Association and has teams throughout the Pacific Northwest including Bend, Ore.; Spokane, Wash. and Corvalis, Ore.

For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit www.hogwired.com.