FAYETTEVILLE -- Maybe Blaine Knight hasn't thrown his last pitch for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Knight, a right-hander from Bryant, is eligible to be picked in the Major League Baseball amateur draft even though he just completed his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Normally a college player can't be selected until after his junior season, but Knight, 6-3, 165 pounds, is eligible because he'll turn 21 on June 28, which is within 45 days of the draft.
This year's draft begins on Monday and runs through Wednesday.
Arkansas lost outfielder Andrew Benintendi, the national player of the year in 2015, after his sophomore season because he turned 21 on July 6 that year.
Benintendi was the No. 7 pick in the first round by Boston and now is starting in left field for the Red Sox.
Knight isn't projected to be picked in the first round -- Baseball America rates him the No. 88 prospect -- and improving his stock could provide the incentive to return to Arkansas for his junior season.
"I think there's a chance he might come back," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "That would be huge for our team, and I think in the long run it would be huge for him."
The signing slot for the No. 88 pick in this year's draft is about $625,000.
What if Knight returns to Arkansas and pitches his way into being, for example, the No. 20 pick in the first round? The signing bonus for that slot is about $3 million.
This season Knight was 8-4 with a 3.28 ERA in 90 2/3 innings with 96 strikeouts.
"People know what he can do," Van Horn said. "Now, if he gets better, bigger and stronger -- which he will -- he moves way up, and when you move way up, (the money) can go way up."
Van Horn sounded resigned to losing Knight in the aftermath of Knight throwing two-thirds of an inning in Monday night's 3-2 loss to Missouri State at Baum Stadium in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
"He really wanted to go out and pitch one more time," Van Horn said after the game, the season-ender for the Hogs. "He'll probably be moving on here shortly."
So what gives Van Horn the reason now to believe Knight might be back at Arkansas?
"He does, his family," Van Horn said. "A few other things probably I can't talk about.
"I had two or three coaches in our league tell me, 'That kid needs to come back.' He'll be the guy they all talk about next year. So if you're guaranteed to make the same money or probably have a chance to go, who knows how high the next year?
"If you can be patient and feel good about it, come on back. We're optimistic.
"It's his decision. We don't get involved when you start talking about that kind of money. But if they (Knight and his family) call and ask, we're going to give them our opinion."
Arkansas could potentially have Knight and Isaiah Campbell at the top of its rotation next season.
Campbell, a sophomore right-hander, was expected to be the Razorbacks' No. 1 starter this season, but he redshirted after undergoing surgery to have 13 bone spurs removed from his right elbow. He pitched two-thirds of an inning.
Van Horn said he expects Campbell to be completely healthy for the start of fall practice.
"Campbell's good," Van Horn said. "He didn't have anything cut on really or replaced."
Van Horn said it's questionable if two other injured pitchers who redshirted -- Keaton McKinney and Cody Scroggins -- will be back next season. Both suffered a torn elbow ligament and had surgery. McKinney also previously underwent hip surgery.
Van Horn said he believes it's "50-50" whether McKinney pitches. Scroggins' chances of pitching are "slim if any," Van Horn said, but that he could be drafted and sign professionally.
Scroggins, a converted infielder, pitched 2 1/3 innings this season. He's a draft-eligible sophomore.
"Some scouts saw him pitch in the fall and then early," Van Horn said. "They like the fact that he's got a really good arm and he's a new pitcher."
It's a given that Trevor Stephan, who went 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA for the Razorbacks this season as a junior, will be drafted and sign professionally. He's Baseball America's No. 178 prospect.
Pitchers who should return for Arkansas next season include Kacey Murphy, Jake Reindl, Kevin Kopps and Matt Cronin. Evan Lee can pitch as well as play the outfield or DH.
Murphy (5-1, 3.65 ERA), a left-hander who will be a junior next season, had starts on back-to-back days in the NCAA regional against Oral Roberts University and Missouri State and went a combined 8 1/3 innings and threw 150 pitches.
"Kacey's a guy that could be a conference starter for us next year," Van Horn said. "He could pitch out of the pen. He could start on Tuesday and pitch out out of the pen on the weekend."
Murphy's fastball is in the 88-to-91 mph range.
"He's going to stay around here this summer and get bigger and stronger and try to get in better shape," Van Horn said. "I think the velocity will go up and he'll be ready to really contribute next year."
Among Arkansas' pitching signees, right-hander Bryce Bonnin from Belvieu (Texas) Barbers Hill High School, who also plays on the infield, is ranked as the No. 74 draft prospect by Baseball America; left-hander Daniel Tillo from Iowa West Community College is ranked No. 94; and Jackson Rutledge, a 6-8 right-hander from Rockwood Summitt High School in St. Louis, is No. 184.
Van Horn said he's hopeful the signees will be pitching for the Razorbacks next season, but there are no guarantees.
The best news Arkansas could get pitchingwise regarding the draft would be if Knight returns.
"It's whatever he and his family thinks is best," said Arkansas catcher Grant Koch, who will be a junior next season. "We have his back no matter what decision he makes.
"But selfishly, we'd love to have him back because of how good we know he is."
Sports on 06/10/2017