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This is the fourth story in our series spotlighting members of Arkansas baseball's highly touted 2020 signing class, which is ranked third nationally by Perfect Game and Baseball America. Links to previous profiles can be found below.
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Nick Griffin had it all planned out.
Following a solid senior season at Monticello, the talented left-hander was going to head to Fayetteville during the summer to take a class and start getting acclimated to college life. He was even going to get a jump on workouts with the Razorbacks.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench into those plans. Griffin’s senior season was canceled after just four games and all athletics facilities at Arkansas are closed through at least May 31, with a reopening date still unknown.
He remains optimistic that he’ll get the go ahead from head coach Dave Van Horn and pitching coach Matt Hobbs, though.
“I’m trying to do that, but they don’t know if they’re going to let kids come on campus or if it’s going to be online,” Griffin said. “So I’m keeping in contact with them to see what we’re going to do about that. It’s just a dead zone right now.”
Of course, Arkansas fans are just optimistic that Griffin will make it to campus at all - whether it’s during the summer or in the fall.
Part of the Razorbacks’ third-ranked 2020 signing class, the left-hander is considered a top prospect for this summer’s MLB Draft. Ranked the No. 87 overall player in his class, he’s also 139th and 189th on draft prospect lists by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, respectively.
Although the draft being shortened to 160 picks over five rounds (opposed to the usual 40) has made things “weird,” as Griffin describes it, he’ll certainly be a candidate to get picked if signability concerns don’t drop him out.
“The end goal is to play Major League Baseball and if it’s go to college and help win a national championship and grow and develop with Coach Hobbs and all of those coaches - they’re just amazing, great facilities and everything - or go out of high school, I’m going to do what’s best for me and what I’ve discussed with my family,” Griffin said. “Whenever that time comes, I’ll make a decision.”
Griffin has been committed to Arkansas since September of his sophomore year, so he’s been a known commodity for a while, but he really exploded in the past year or so.
