After a collision with the outfield wall derailed Arkansas outfielder Jace Bohrofen's sophomore campaign in 2022, he was fed up and ready to have a big year in 2023.
"I see Jace Bohrofen a lot more comfortable here," head coach Dave Van Horn said on Jan. 20. "I think he’s fed up with what’s gone on as far as how much he’s gotten to play and how he’s played, the injuries. I think he’s ready to have a big year for us.
"The team voted him one of our captains. He didn’t even get to play last year, hardly, once he hurt himself when he ran into that wall in a pregame drill, which was unbelievable when you talk about it."
With five weekends of SEC play down, it's safe to say that Bohrofen is playing with something to prove this season.
The native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, leads the Diamond Hogs with a .402 batting average, .720 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage. He also has a team-best 40 runs scored and 45 hits.
Following a week where he belted four home runs in four straight games, drove in a team-best nine runs and slashed .375/.476/1.188 across five games, Bohrofen was named the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week on Monday.
The four homers in four straight games marked the second time this season he's done so (March 5-11). Even though he's having so much success from the left side of the plate, Bohrofen said it's just business as usual when asked how he's performing at such a high level.
"I'm not very sure," Bohrofen said. "Usually, when my approach is going good, I get into good hitter's count and just do damage. I just try to swing the same way every single time."
Bohrofen ranks fourth in the SEC in batting average, fourth in OBP, 11th in slugging percentage and his OPS of 1.283 is the third highest among draft eligible players in the league. His performance during Arkansas' weekend sweep over Tennessee earned him some high praise from Volunteers' head coach Tony Vitello.
After center fielder Tavian Josenberger led the bottom of the first inning of Saturday's game off with an 11-pitch walk, Bohrofen blasted a one-out two-run homer to give Arkansas a 2-1 lead.
“The first inning, you’re got two of the better competitors win the league going at it and the guy ends up drawing a walk," Vitello said. "And then arguably the best left-handed hitter - or one of them as I don’t know how you lined them up and no disrespect to anybody but that guy is pretty good - (comes to bat)."
That home run was hit off of right-hander Chase Dollander, who is the No. 2 overall prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft. Bohrofen isn't just stat piling in the midweeks, when games are out of hand or against lesser pitchers. He is having success against top-level SEC pitchers in games that Arkansas is winning.
On a team that has two of its top arms out for the year — Jaxon Wiggins (torn UCL) and Koty Frank (torn lat) — the hits just keep coming as starting left fielder Jared Wegner has a hairline fracture in his thumb that will keep him out three-to-four weeks, according to Van Horn.
Wegner's injury caused Bohrofen to move from right field to left field during the Tennessee series and Kendall Diggs filled in for Bohrofen in right. Despite the injuries and moving parts, Arkansas keeps finding ways to win.
"I think the biggest thing is just the team chemistry," Bohrofen said Saturday. "We've got guys that are really good right now that aren't playing. When we have a guy get hurt, whether it's on the pitching staff or a position player, we have someone step up.
"Offensively, with Wegner out, we've got to have some guys step up with the bat. Ben McLaughlin's done an awesome job at that (as designated hitter). We've got plenty more guys ready to get out there, too."
What is known is the fact that Bohrofen is going to step up. He even received some national recognition from Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman, hosts of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, following Friday's game, in which Bohrofen had a fifth inning solo home run.
Bohrofen and the Razorbacks will face off against Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network Plus.
