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Dave Van Horn has turned to the portal for another catcher just before the start of the fall semester, as Houston’s Leyton Pinckney announced Thursday that he’d transfer to Arkansas.

“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Arkansas baseball program,” Pinckney told HawgBeat. “It doesn’t get any better than Arkansas in college baseball. You won’t find a better fan base in the entire country.”

Pinckney, who began his career at Mercer and also spent a year in junior college, is the fourth transfer - and second catcher - the Razorbacks have landed this offseason. He follows Kent State catcher Michael Turner, Oklahoma outfielder Jace Bohrofen and Wake Forest outfielder Chris Lanzilli.

In his lone season with the Cougars, Pinckney appeared in only seven games with two starts and went 2 for 9 (.222) at the plate. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he hit .310 (13 for 42) at Northwest Florida State C.C.

Following a standout career at Veterans High in Kathleen, Ga., Pinckney signed with Mercer and was a backup catcher for the Bears as a freshman in 2019. He started 14 of 37 games in which he appeared and hit .203/.301/.281 with one home run and 11 RBIs.

With the Razorbacks, Pinckney will join what has suddenly become a crowded group of catchers despite the departure of Casey Opitz.

Dylan Leach will be back as a sophomore after serving as Opitz’s backup this season, plus Arkansas brought in Turner as a graduate transfer and added highly regarded freshman Max Soliz Jr. as a signee.

“I am really excited to come in and help add some depth and experience to an already extremely talented catching group,” Pinckney said. “I can’t wait to get started, and I look forward to taking on whatever role is asked of me this year to help this team and program get back to Omaha.”

The addition of Pinckney puts the Razorbacks’ projected 2022 roster at 50 players. They’ll need to whittle that down to 40 before next spring.

Position Players (22)

Ethan Bates - INF/OF
Jalen Battles - INF
*Jace Bohrofen - OF
*Gabe D’Arcy - OF
*Kendall Diggs - INF
Zack Gregory - OF
*Chris Lanzilli - OF
*Cameron Leach - OF
Dylan Leach - C
*Reece McWilliams - INF
Robert Moore - INF
*Leyton Pinckney - C
*Jade Putz - INF
Brady Slavens - INF
*Max Soliz Jr. - C
*Peyton Stovall - INF
*Michael Turner - C/INF
*Drake Varnado - INF
Cayden Wallace - INF/OF
Braydon Webb - OF
Zac White - INF/OF
*Landrey Wilkerson - OF

Pitchers (28)

Mark Adamiak - RHP
Issac Bracken - RHP
Tyler Cacciatori - RHP
*Dylan Carter - RHP
*Jake Faherty - RHP
Evan Gray - RHP
Nick Griffin - LHP
*Austin Ledbetter - RHP (also 3B)
Matthew Magre - LHP
Will McEntire - RHP
*Isaac Mitchell - LHP
Zack Morris - LHP
*Nick Moten - RHP
Connor Noland - RHP
Peyton Pallette - RHP
Miller Pleimann - RHP
Kole Ramage - RHP
Nathan Rintz - RHP
*Hagen Smith - LHP
Corey Spain - LHP
Gabriel Starks - RHP
Evan Taylor - LHP
Heston Tole - RHP
*Vincent Trapani - RHP
Elijah Trest - RHP
*Brady Tygart - RHP
Zebulon Vermillion - RHP
Jaxon Wiggins - RHP

*newcomers

Exhausted Eligibility

~LHP Lael Lockhart (also drafted, signed)
~INF Cullen Smith

Retired

~RHP Jacob Burton
~INF Jacob Nesbit

Transfers/Headed Elsewhere

~RHP Blake Adams (Kansas State)
~RHP Caleb Bolden (TCU)
~RHP Louis Stallone (High Point)
~C/1B Cason Tollett (Arkansas State)
~INF/C signee Zac Vooletich (Texas Tech)
~RHP Nate Wohlgemuth (San Jacinto J.C.)

Drafted/Beginning Pro Career

~OF signee Braylon Bishop (signed)
~RHP Ryan Costeiu (signed)
~OF Christian Franklin (signed)
~DH/1B/OF Matt Goodheart (signed as UDFA)
~LHP/OF signee Drew Gray (signed)
~RHP Kevin Kopps (signed)
~LHP Caden Monke (signed)
~OF signee Max Muncy (signed)
~C Casey Opitz (signed)
~OF signee Jordan Viars (signed)
~C/1B Charlie Welch (signed)
~LHP Patrick Wicklander (signed)