The Arkansas baseball program aimed to fix some of its offensive woes this offseason, and it took a step in the right direction on Sunday when Southeast C.C. catcher Elliott Peterson committed to the Razorbacks.
A NJCAA First-Team All-American, Peterson slashed .517/.585/.894 with an OPS of 1.479. He racked up 85 runs, 107 hits, 21 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs and 91 RBIs through 59 games and 207 at-bats.
"Growing up, I've always been an Arkansas fan, and I've had the opportunity to see them play at the CWS many times, so it's always been a dream school of mine," Peterson said in an interview with SCC Athletics. "Yesterday after spending time on the campus and meeting with the coaches, I knew it was home."
Peterson began his career as the No. 21 overall player out of the state of Nebraska in the class of 2022 according to Perfect Game before he took his talents to the JUCO ranks, where he spent two years at SCC.
"First of all, it's the coaches," Peterson said. "They were very honest and told me how it is, and I loved that about them. Going down there and realizing that I'll have a shot to earn it and be the starting catcher there next year, it was everything I've ever imagined. That made the decision for me."
As a defender, Peterson was excellent behind the plate with 342 putouts, 19 assists and only two errors for a .994 fielding percentage.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder also posted an impressive 35-to-35 walk-to-strikeout ratio with 25 stolen bases in a season-long offensive masterclass.
"Honestly, it still blows my mind," Peterson said. "It was a blast. I was just trying to have the most fun I could, and by the end of the year I looked at my stats, and everything really came together for me as a baseball player."
Peterson joins fellow JUCO commits Brent Iredale (New Mexico J.C.), Kolton Reynolds (Crowder College), Trenton Rowan (Seward County C.C.), Carson Schrack (Coffeyville C.C.) and Justin Thomas (Florida SouthWestern State College) at Arkansas, where he'll look to continue his career both on and off the field.
"I think I'm going to get into something with sports science or communication," Peterson said. "After my career, I'd like to get into coaching. Baseball is something I don't want to step away from. If I'm able to go out and coach at the college level, I'd love to be able to do that."
Head coach Dave Van Horn and the Razorbacks still have needs around the diamond, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.
