FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas picked up a commitment Wednesday from one of the nation's top recruits.
Greenbrier sophomore third baseman Cayden Wallace became the Razorbacks' eighth commit in the 2020 senior class, and fourth from the state of Arkansas. Wallace (6-1, 200 pounds) also had been considering TCU and Vanderbilt.
Perfect Game ranks Wallace the No. 18 player in his class and the third-best player at his position nationally. PrepBaseballReport.com ranks him the No. 1 prospect in Arkansas.
Wallace committed to Arkansas coaches during a trip to Fayetteville on Wednesday and watched the first scrimmage of the Razorbacks' fall intrasquad series.
"I just really felt like it was the place for me," Wallace said. "I didn't think any other school treated me the way they did and I just really enjoyed all the coaches there, and felt like I was at home."
Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson became Wallace's lead recruiter this summer after he was hired away from the same position at Missouri State.
"We built a really strong relationship," said Wallace, who noted he also had been recruited by Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson and former hitting coach Tony Vitello, who now is the head coach at Tennessee. "I feel like (Coach Thompson) and I are always on the same page and we bonded more than I ever have with a coach."
As a freshman at Greenbrier, Wallace batted .349 with 4 home runs and 37 RBI in 35 games. He also stole four of five base attempts and fielded .966.
Wallace played summer baseball for the Arkansas Prospects and was teammates with two other Arkansas commits, right-handed pitcher Tyler Cacciatori of Sheridan and outfielder Clayton Gray of Cabot. Wallace said their commitments didn't play much of a factor in his decision to commit.
"I know I'll have friends there, but I felt so good there that I don't think it mattered if I had friends there or not," Wallace said.
Verbal commitments are not binding.
2020 Arkansas Baseball Commitments
Austin Atkinson, LHP, 6-5, 152, Plano, Texas
Tyler Cacciatori, RHP, 6-2, 170, Sheridan, Ark.
Hunter Cramer, SS, 6-1, 160, Conroe (Oak Ridge), Texas
Clayton Gray, OF, 5-10, 155, Cabot, Ark.
Nick Griffin, LHP/OF, 6-2, 160, Monticello, Ark.
Heston Tole, INF, 6-5, 185, Bowie, Texas
Cayden Wallace, 3B, 6-1, 200, Greenbrier, Ark.
Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, 6-3, 178, Roland, Okla.