2/9/2024 baseball Edit

Arkansas Baseball 2024 Lineup Projection: SS Wehiwa Aloy

Mason Choate • HawgBeat

Publisher

NOT A SUBSCRIBER? SIGN UP TODAY FOR ACCESS TO ALL OF HAWGBEAT'S PREMIUM CONTENT AND FEATURES

We are seven days away from Arkansas baseball, and HawgBeat is continuing its annual lineup preview series for the 2024 Diamond Hogs.

With scrimmage coverage, analysis, interviews, previews, the Diamond Hawgs Podcast and more, HawgBeat provides the best Arkansas baseball coverage around.

We continue things with the four-hole spot in the lineup, which shortstop Wehiwa Aloy is projected to fill...

#9 - Wehiwa Aloy - SS

So. | R/R | 6-2 | 200

Wailuku, Hawai'i / H.P. Baldwin HS / Sacramento State

2023 stats: 56 GP, .376/.427/.662, 15 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 15 BB/44 K, 2 SB

Sacramento State transfer Wehiwa Aloy has quickly become a fan favorite before even playing a game for the Diamond Hogs. The Hawai'i native was a D1Baseball First Team Freshman All-American in 2023, and now he has his sights set on the SEC.

"I watched (SEC baseball) growing up," Aloy said on Monday. "I always looked up to many people in the SEC. Once I saw Peyton (Stovall) at Arkansas, I said ‘Yeah, I really want to work with him.’ Because he’s one of the best in the nation and he gets me better everyday."

Facing higher competition is something that Aloy said has helped mold his game, but it hasn't seemed to slow him down much. He has put his power on display against some of Arkansas' top arms with three home runs through the first two weekends of preseason intrasquad scrimmages.

"You can’t teach that stuff," Peyton Holt said Monday. "I mean, the kid rolls up to the field and hits a double or home run about every scrimmage. He’s a special talent. Love having him on our team, middle of the lineup, going to be fun to watch this year."

Across fall and spring scrimmages attended by Arkansas media, Aloy leads the team in OPS (1.291) and RBIs (17), but he also has the fewest walks (2).

During Monday's Swatter's Club luncheon, head coach Dave Van Horn said the Razorbacks were close to having to compete against Aloy, likely alluding to the fact that another SEC team was recruiting him hard.

"We feel very fortunate to have him," Van Horn said. "He's going to probably hit in the four-hole for us, somewhere in there. Great guy. Really good person. I think you'll enjoy watching him play."

The recruiting visit to Fayetteville for Aloy didn't go exactly as planned, but it did lead to a lingering problem getting taken care of.

"He wasn’t feeling real good on his visit, and he ended up having to go and get his gallbladder taken out," Van Horn said Monday. "He was going to go play in the (Cape Cod Baseball League) after he committed to us from the airport. I gave him one more shot. I called him at the airport before he got on the plane, he committed and canceled his other trips.

"He might be playing in another uniform. It was scary. He had been having problems. He played with stomach issues all spring last year. They took his gallbladder out. He’s been fine ever since. He was super quiet on his visit. We hoped he liked it. We felt like he did. But that’s kind of just his personality."

Aloy has been sharp in the field at shortstop for the Razorbacks this preseason, but it is worth mentioning that he had 17 errors and a .928 fielding percentage last season at Sacramento State. He will have a new infield partner at second for the start of the season, as second baseman Peyton Stovall suffered a broken foot Monday that'll keep him out for 4-6 weeks.

Arkansas will host James Madison at Baum-Walker Stadium on Friday, Feb. 16 for Opening Day. The first game of the season is set for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch and it will be streamed on the SEC Network+.