Forsythe awaiting next step

STANFORD, Calif. — Logan Forsythe tried to hang onto the idea that his Arkansas baseball career wasn’t over.

But given Forsythe is projected as high as a secondround pick in Thursday’s major league draft, the reality is Saturday’s 5-1 loss to Stanford was probably it for the junior third baseman, the face of these Razorbacks.

“I tried not to think about the draft all year, but it’s hard when a thousand people call you,” said Forsythe, whom Baseball America ranks as the 76 th-best prospect in the draft. “I don’t want to take this jersey off, but at the same time, God willing, I’m going to get drafted pretty good and we’ll see what happens.”

Forsythe was 1 for 3 with an RBI on Saturday, walking twice in his last two plate appearances but stranded both times. Of course it’s not 100 percent Forsythe will come to terms with whatever team drafts him, but Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn is realistic enough to think the guy who has been the team’s best position player the past two seasons won’t be back. “He’s going to go. We’re going to miss him a lot,” Van Horn said. “He kicked it into gear and he gave us a chance down the stretch to get us rolling, got hot, played great defense, and it’s one reason we made it to a regional. “ You hate to see a guy like Logan go. He’s such a leader, the guys look up to him the clubhouse. He comes to play every day. He plays hard, he hustles. He doesn’t like to lose.”

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Justin time The Razorbacks could use junior pitcher Justin Wells’ toughness next season if he doesn’t get drafted high enough to sign a contract, and Coach Dave Van Horn isn’t sure about where Wells fits in with pro scouts. Wells relieved starter Dallas Keuchel in the fifth inning Saturday and provided 3 solid innings with 2 earned runs and 4 hits allowed. Wells also stayed on the mound in the sixth when he tried to bare-hand Sean Ratliff’s sharp grounder just to the right of the mound. The ball deflected hard off the hand for an infield single, and Wells was clearly in discomfort as he

2 continued on for another 1 / 3 innings before leaving. Count on Yount Stanford’s Austin Yount, the winning pitcher Saturday, perhaps inherited his versatility genes from his uncle Robin Yount, a Baseball Hall of Famer who won major-league MVP awards playing catcher and shortstop. Austin Yount is a two-way player for the Cardinal who seems to have a future as a pitcher after starting as a third baseman. His quick reflexes fielding Andy Wilkins’ onehopper to the mound in the fifth was probably benefited by his background as a corner infielder. “That’s the thing about Austin,” Stanford designated hitter Randy Molina said. “He’s a converted infielder. That’s just his reaction and his experience as a third baseman playing the hot corner.”