Arkansas baseball head coach Dave Van Horn and the Diamond Hogs picked up a 2025 commitment from a junior college transfer on Friday, this time from former Georgia Bulldog outfielder Justin Thomas.
The Savannah, Georgia, native slashed .103/.350/.241 with an OPS of .591 as a freshman for the Bulldogs in 2023. He totaled three hits, one double, one home run, five RBIs, seven walks and 15 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances.
Out of 25 games played and eight starts (4-CF, 4-RF), Thomas fielded a perfect 1.000 with 22 putouts and one assist in 23 total chances.
Named the 2022 Savannah Morning News Baseball Player of the Year after batting .517 and hitting a Benedictine Military High School record 16 home runs, Thomas was a teammate of current Vanderbilt left-handed pitcher Carter Holton with the Cadets. Perfect Game ranked Thomas as the 301st overall player and 55th rated outfielder in the country out of high school.
Arkansas is already loaded in the outfield this season after another stellar transfer portal class, so the need for Thomas this season isn’t exactly pressing.
Thomas is attending Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida, for the upcoming baseball season with plans to join the Razorbacks in 2024.
Does the name of the X/Twitter account above sound familiar? It should, as Cullen Smith was an infielder for the Hogs during their 50-13 overall 2021 season in which they won the SEC and SEC Tournament. He also served as a student assistant under Van Horn for the 2022-23 seasons.
Now an assistant baseball coach for the Buccaneers, Smith will get a year to help develop Thomas before he makes his way to Fayetteville.
For an in-depth look at the rest of Arkansas' transfer portal haul, click here.
