Mays-Hunt cherishes Arkansas baseball offer

Kam'ron Mays-Hunt of Bentonville fist bumps teammate Tyler Johnson after scoring in the first inning Monday, April 10, 2017, during a game against Springdale at the Tiger Athletic Complex in Bentonville.

— Bentonville’s Kam’ron Mays-Hunt may have gotten most of his high school acclaim on the football field, but his path may be as a pitcher on the baseball diamond.

Arkansas gave Mays-Hunt (6-0, 175 pounds) - who is playing for the Arkansas Sticks travel team this summer - his first baseball scholarship offer last week after Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn saw him play twice in a matter of weeks.

“I was very excited to get the offer,” Mays-Hunt said. “It’s a great school and I really like Arkansas. What was great was I got a chance to go down and visit with him one-on-one and tour everything. That was the first time I have ever really had a one-on-one visit like that and it was really good.”

Mays-Hunt, who moved from White Hall to Bentonville after his freshman season, also plays shortstop and in the outfield, but the fact his fastball has touched 91 mph recently in front of Van Horn got him the offer as a pitcher.

He is looked upon as a late-inning reliever that could be a closer later in his career.

“Coach Van Horn has seen me pitched twice recently,” Mays-Hunt said. “…I know the second time he saw me pitch he had the speed gun and I got it up to 91 and struck out a couple of guys in one inning.”

The Arkansas offer is also appealing to Mays-Hunt because of the fact that Sticks summer baseball team includes Connor Noland of Greenwood and Little Rock Catholic's Evan Hiatt, fellow 2018 graduates who have already committed to Arkansas.

"I have played with those guys for a long time and it would be great to play in college with them," Mays-Hunt said. "That makes Arkansas even more appealing."

Mays-Hunt, who has 51 catches for 688 yards and 7 touchdowns in two seasons, has football offers so far from Illinois State, Central Arkansas and Division III Missouri Western State.

He is still considering both sports - which is not surprising since football offers or full scholarships while baseball offers just offer partial ones.

“I am just going to see how it plays all out,” Mays-Hunt said. “I am really excited about the Arkansas offer, but just want to be sure about everything.”

Arkansas high school athletes are currently in a two-week dead period that keeps them from getting together for team activities.

Mays-Hunt will be with Bentonville when it competes in the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 tournament July 13-15 at Shiloh Christian High School in Springdale.

“It’s been pretty much baseball for me,” Mays-Hunt said. “No 7-on-7 until this dead period is over and then I’ll jump into it.”