FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn didn’t waste any time moving ahead after the waiting game ended for college baseball coaches.
That game ended Monday at 11 p.m. Central, when the signing deadline passed for players who were selected in the June major league draft.
“I turned my phone off at 11:01 our time,” Van Horn said after the Razorbacks lost three top signees to the pros late Monday. “I’m happy for those guys but disappointed they didn’t come in.
“I knew what was going on, and I was good with it.”
Arkansas took a hit when pitcher Dillon Howard of Searcy, outfielder Brandon Nimmo of Cheyenne, Wyo., and first baseman Greg Bird of Aurora, Colo., all came to terms with professional teams Monday.
Howard, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Year as a high school senior, signed with the Cleveland Indians after being selected in the second round (67th overall). He reportedly received a $1.85 million signing bonus.
Nimmo, a first-round pick (13th overall) by the New York Mets, received a $2.1 million signing bonus. Bird, who was a fifth-round pick (179th overall) by the New York Yankees, received a $1.1 million signing bonus.
The Razorbacks also lost pitcher Michael Fulmer of Deer Creek, Okla., who signed earlier this summer for $937,500 after being drafted in the supplemental round (44th overall) by the Mets.
“We had an idea we were going to lose three or four guys, and that’s basically what we lost,” Van Horn said. “Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job.
“Our focus really is on the future and the seven drafted kids that we kept.”
Arkansas’ incoming freshmen include infielder Joe Serrano of Tucson, Ariz., pitcher Connor Costello of Edmond, Okla., and infielder Brian Anderson of Deer Creek, Okla., who were all taken in the first 20 rounds of the draft.
Arkansas also received some good news when pitcher Trent Daniel decided to return to the Razorbacks after being selected in the 23rd round (707th overall) by the Detroit Tigers. Daniel, a left-hander, went 2-0 with a 2.91 ERA and 4 saves as a redshirt sophomore last year.
“Deep down, [Daniel] wanted to come back and be the guy, whether he is starting or closing,” Van Horn said. “He’ll have some more bargaining power as a redshirt junior, and he knew he was going to be on a really good team.”
Arkansas, which finished 40-22 last season, will begin fall practice for the 2012 season Sept. 9.
“There’s going to be some high expectations, no doubt,” Van Horn said. “[The SEC] is going to be a really good league, and we plan on winning it.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 08/17/2011