Stovall awoke with mind set on playing for Razorbacks

Peyton Stovall

FAYETTEVILLE — Peyton Stovall has described his baseball future as a win-win.

On Monday, Arkansas beat out pro baseball for Stovall, one of the top high school recruits in the class of 2021.

Stovall, an 18-year-old shortstop from Haughton, La., announced he would pull his name out of the MLB Draft just before the start of the second round. The 33rd-best prospect in this year’s draft, according to Baseball America, plans to spend the next three seasons playing for the Razorbacks.

“I woke up this morning and honestly the first thing I thought was, ‘I want to go play college ball. I want to go play for the University of Arkansas,’” Stovall said Monday.

Stovall said teams showed interest in the first round through his adviser, former Razorback pitcher Jess Todd, but the sides were not in agreement on a signing bonus.

Stovall did not specify how much he asked for, but it was believed to be in the millions of dollars.

“It was a good chunk to where I would be financially stable for years to come,” Stovall said.

“We knew that ultimately education was important and it would have to take a lot to get me out of Arkansas. We went into (Sunday) still, ‘I’m going to Arkansas unless.’ That’s how I’ve been this whole entire time. There were some teams that called…and they had some interest and they threw out some money that was not for me to take, that did not fit me and that was not my number.

“After the (first round of the) draft, my adviser talked to me and said, ‘Hey, there’s a couple of teams that are looking at you early in the second round, with the second and third pick in the second round.’ I said I’d sleep on it.”

Stovall said he informed his parents, who were supportive of his decision, after he woke up Monday, then called Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn and assistant coach Nate Thompson.

“They were excited and pumped up,” Stovall said.

On June 23, Van Horn mentioned Stovall as a player who could immediately help the Razorbacks if he made it to campus. Stovall hit .505 and had an OPS of 1.795 as a senior at Haughton High School, and hit 14 home runs with 43 RBI.

Thompson said last week there was optimism Stovall might come to school.

“He’s strong in his beliefs and convictions about what kind of player he is and what he’s worth, and he feels good about showing up,” Thompson said. “He wants to come to college; he would love that. He loves the Razorbacks and this program and the way we go about our business.”

Stovall said he was influenced by statistics that show college players are more likely to be successful in pro baseball. While not very common, some high-profile prospects have taken their name out of the draft in recent years.

Dylan Crews, who was a Freshman All-American this year at LSU, took his name out of the shortened five-round draft in 2020. Tyree Reed, who was Baseball America’s No. 276 prospect, pulled his name out of the draft last week in order to attend Oregon State.

“I definitely think college baseball is changing to where it’s more competitive,” Stovall said. “More guys want to go to college and more guys want to go win a national championship, and I love to see the direction it’s going.”

Stovall said he was appreciative of the way Arkansas’ coaches allowed him to navigate the draft process. He was in communication with Van Horn throughout the past week.

“He understood and was very supportive, and wasn’t pushy or anything like that,” Stovall said. “I’m very thankful for that.”

Stovall also had conversations with Arkansas players, including Cayden Wallace and Robert Moore, who provided insight about the program.

“Three days ago I ended up on the phone with Bob Moore, and Robert was just telling me that he supports me whatever I do,” Stovall said. “Those are guys I look up to and love watching them play. Being able to play with those guys next year and being able to learn from those guys is a dream come true.

“I’ve had very supportive people around me that have allowed me to make this decision. I firmly believe this is the best decision for me.”

Stovall said he heard from former Arkansas player Carson Shaddy after he announced his intent to pull out of the draft.

“He was telling me, ‘This is the best decision that you’ll make and you won’t regret anything about it,’” Stovall said. “Just little stuff like that…that’s how I know I made the right decision.

“Players that have been through the University of Arkansas, if they thought it wasn’t a good decision, they wouldn’t even bother reaching out. That means a lot to me.”