FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas added another pitcher to its 2023 recruiting class Monday.
Right hander Riley Henfling (6-3, 215 pounds) of Kennett, Mo., committed to the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Missouri and Arkansas-Little Rock. Henfling informed Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs of his commitment.
“It’s the best program in the country,” Henfling said of Arkansas. “When they offered me a scholarship I was hyped up to commit to them.
“They hadn’t been recruiting me very long. It was kind of a whirlwind for me, honestly, because I just now got good, I guess. They’ve been talking to me for about a month, month and a half.”
Henfling throws a fastball, slider, splitter and knuckle curveball. His fastball was clocked at 90 mph Saturday while pitching for the Arkansas Sticks at the PBR Showcase in Emerson, Ga.
Henfling struck out five batters in four scoreless innings against Knight Baseball of Nashville, Tenn. It was his first time to pitch in a game since October.
“He’s just kind of a bulldog on the mound,” said Chase Brewster, who coaches Henfling on the Sticks. “The head PBR guy sent me a text and said, ‘Hey, you’ve got Max Scherzer throwing over here on Field 11.’ When I got over there he was throwing 90 and just a lot of emotion. Every pitch was a big pitch for him and he was locked in for four innings.
“He’s a strikeout guy and wants the ball every big game. He beat one of the better freshman teams in the country to win their pool and get into the playoffs of the PBR Showdown, which is normally a big event to start the summer.
“He’s always going to give you a chance to win, for sure.”
Henfling committed to being a pitcher only earlier this year. He previously was a catcher. He has been working out with Cory Lambert at Max Velocity Baseball in Jonesboro.
“He’s just developed into a power pitcher who’s going to throw extremely hard one day,” Brewster said.
“He’s a kid who as a junior you’re going to look up and it should be 92, 95, with a really good slider. He’ll have a chance to help at Arkansas immediately and rise in the rankings in some of the draft stuff as well.”
Henfling is at least the fifth player to commit to the Razorbacks’ 2023 class. Arkansas also has commitments from right-handed pitchers Barrett Kent of Pottsboro, Texas; Kyler Spencer of Conway; and Jared White of Southlake (Texas) Carroll; as well as left-handed pitcher Hayden Thomas of Lexington, S.C.
Verbal commitments are not binding.