Kincaid Chooses Razorbacks

Aaron Kincaid, center, Prairie Grove senior, signs Thursday to play baseball for the University of Arkansas while his father, Chris, left; mother, Bonnie; and Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron watch during a ceremony at the school. Kincaid will join fellow Tiger Jalen Beeks on the Razorback roster.

— It took a big distraction for Prairie Grove students in the school lunchroom Friday to briefly pause while eating a turkey dinner.

That’s when Aaron Kincaid took the stage at the east side of the lunchroom and signed a letter-of-intent to play baseball for Arkansas. Kincaid chose the Razorbacks over offers from Missouri, Missouri State, and Central Arkansas.

“It’s always been my dream to go to Arkansas and it’s just right down the road,” said Kincaid, a four-year starter for the Tigers. “Every kid in the state dreams about being a Razorback and it just felt like it was a good fit for me.”

Kincaid (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) is likely a redshirt candidate as a freshman for Arkansas, which finished 46-22 and advanced to the College World Series last year. He’ll play in the infield after pitching and starting at shortstop for Prairie Grove, which finished 23-5 last season.

As a junior, Kincaid batted .350 with 28 RBIs and he was 8-2 on the mound with a 1.50 ERA.

“Aaron can really run and he’s very smooth at shortstop with good hands,” Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron said. “Offensively, Aaron has improved by leaps and bounds and he’ll continue to improve once he gets in the weight room and gains some weight.”

Kincaid will join former Prairie Grove pitcher Jalen Beeks on the Razorbacks’ roster next fall. Beeks, a left-hander, transferred to Arkansas after one year at Crowder Community College in Neosho, Mo., where he was 6-3 with a 3.22 ERA.

Beeks will begin his Arkansas career as a sophomore in February,when the 2013 season begins.

“With Aaron being able to join Jalen Beeks as our second signee with the Razorbacks, that’s a big accomplishment for us here at Prairie Grove,” Cameron said. “Aaron has been to the semifinals twice, the state finals once, so he’s been a valuable asset to our program.”