Diamond Hogs dip into JUCO ranks to land 1st catcher for 2023
With none on its roster for next year, Arkansas is in the market for a catcher or two and it found one in the JUCO ranks.
Parker Rowland, a switch-hitting catcher out of Eastern Oklahoma State C.C., announced his commitment to the Razorbacks via a tweet Wednesday night.
He is now the only catcher currently on the 2023 roster, as this year’s starter — Michael Turner — exhausted his eligibility, backup Dylan Leach transferred to Missouri and freshman Max Soliz Jr. also entered the portal.
A native of Owasso, Okla., who played his high school ball at Bishop Kelly High, Rowland began his career at Arkansas State. He started seven games as a true freshman in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 18 games the following year before taking the junior college route.
Although he struggled at the plate with the Red Wolves, going 13 for 78 with 28 strikeouts in his limited action, Rowland put up big numbers at EOSC this season.
Playing alongside fellow Arkansas commit and infielder Isaac Webb, Rowland slashed .408/.509/.668 with 12 home runs and a team-high 78 RBIs in 51 games. He also had nearly as many walks (31) as strikeouts (33). That helped him land on the All-Region 2 second team.
Defensively, he posted a .988 fielding percentage and threw out 12 of 27 (44.4%) potential base stealers throughout the year, earning him the Region 2 Gold Glove award.
While most of the attention these days is on the transfer portal, the Razorbacks have had a lot of success landing players from the JUCO ranks, too. Just this season, three of their regular starters were junior college transfers — shortstop Jalen Battles, designated hitter Brady Slavens and center fielder Braydon Webb.
They have hit the JUCO ranks hard this offseason, as well, in an effort to fill holes created by the departure of many key players. In addition to Rowland and Webb from EOSC, Arkansas has secured the commitments of five junior college infielders and two pitchers.
Arkansas' current JUCO commits
~RHP Cody Adcock — Crowder C.C. (Ole Miss)
~INF Harold Coll — San Jacinto J.C.
~INF Tyson Fourkiller — Connors State C.C.
~INF Hunter Grimes — McLennan C.C.
~LHP Hunter Hollan — San Jacinto J.C. (Texas A&M)
~INF Peyton Holt — Crowder C.C. (Louisiana-Lafayette)
~INF Ben McLaughlin — Hutchinson C.C.
~C Parker Rowland — Eastern Oklahoma State C.C. (Arkansas State)
~INF Isaac Webb — Eastern Oklahoma State C.C.