Arkansas' best high school baseball players: Meet the state's top outfielders
By Kevin Bohannon
SBLive is looking at the best baseball players in Arkansas. Today, we feature the outfielders.
These players possess a lot of the tools college coaches look for in a standout player. Arkansas has produced some very good outfielders the past few years that have gone on to success in college.
Note that players who play multiple positions might have been featured on other lists throughout the season. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are hundreds of great outfielders statewide.
Landon Jines | Norfork | SR
The senior leader of the “party crashers” had a record-breaking season. The centerfielder stole a state-record 85 bases and hit .623 on the season. The performance earned Jines First Team All State honors.
Jackson Mullens | Baptist Prep | SR
I have watched Jackson grow into one of the state’s best outfielders over the past four seasons. It would be hard to argue that any player gets more out of his talent than Mullens. For the season he slashed .597/.667/1.771 for the Eagles. He added a little power to his game this season belting 6 home runs.
Duke Walker | Paris | SR
Walker is one of the state’s best athletes no matter the classification. He rushed for 1,000 yards in football and hit .506 for the baseball team this spring. He used his next-level speed to swipe 29 bases. Duke also led the Eagles on the mound with a 5-0 record and 2.10 ERA. He collected 55 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. Walker will play baseball at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College next season.
Cooper McDaniel | Catholic | SR
McDaniel paced the 5A-Central champions with seven home runs on the season facing the best pitching in the state. He hit .425 and earned all-state and all-conference honors for the Rockets and led them to as high as #2 in SBLive Super 7 Class 6A rankings.
Caleb Teague | Batesville | SR
Teague hit a respectable .367 for the Pioneers out of the lead-off spot, but it was his defense that really shined this season. Teague has good speed but gets to a lot of balls that some outfielders can’t get to due to taking superb angles and always getting a great jump on the ball. Teague had 25 runs batted in with a .480 on base percentage. He also went 7-2 on the mound with 64 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched. Caleb will head to SAU Tech this fall and play baseball.
Grant Fitch | Cabot | SR
Fitch could be one of the fastest players in the state and received a scholarship to Arkansas State after turning in some great workouts the summer after his sophomore year. Since then, Fitch has refined his game and become a solid top-of-the order hitter for the Panthers.
Spencer Pepper | Lonoke | SR
It was easy for Pepper to get lost in the shuffle on the talented young Lonoke team. It’s not because Pepper couldn’t hold his weight as a player, it’s because he is the silent assassin and a man of few words. He fielded 1.000 and hit .379 on the season. The biggest accomplishment for Pepper is he was Valedictorian of his class and will attend Arkansas on a full academic scholarship.
Clark Jenkins | Har-Ber | SR
Jenkins was the thump in the middle of the Wildcats lineup this season. He earned all-conference honors in leading the team to the 6A semi-finals. Clark was originally committed to Arkansas State but has reopened his recruiting.
Carston Poole | Prescott | JR
The two-sport star led the Curley Wolves of Prescott to the 3A title game in football and to the state playoffs in baseball. Poole hit .487 with 11 homeruns with 36 runs batted in on the year.
Zeb Allen | Southside | JR
Allen has always been a big-time player in the outfield since he was a young guy. He is committed to UCA and wants to bring a title to the Mavericks before his time is up. Allen earned all-state honors for the Mavericks this spring.
Brennan Browning | HS Lakeside | JR
Browning is a stud on and off the field. He has a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and his talents have earned him a scholarship offer from UCA. He is a two-year starter for the Rams and known for his bat and wheels. On April 12th, he hit three doubles in a big conference win for the Rams over rival Hot Springs. Browning is off to a great start this summer playing for the Nebraska Prospects. He was 5-for-13 with 9 runs batted in this past weekend.
Chris Miller | Dardanelle | JR
Miller did it all in the district tournament for the champion Sand Lizards. He was the only pitcher to shut down regular-season champion Morrilton, and he hit all year even with a lingering injury. Miller is committed to Ivy League contender Dartmouth.
Martavius Thomas | Camden Fairview | JR
The two-sport star known as “Prime Time” had another big season for the Cardinals. Thomas slashed .400/.548/.686 while scoring 29 runs and swiping 16 bases. Thomas doesn’t lack for confidence on the field as he truly believes he can run down any fly ball that gets to the outfield. He is an Arkansas Razorback commit in baseball and could find his way to the gridiron as well.
Aiden Kennon | Greenwood | JR
Kennon excelled as a wide receiver on the state finalist football team, hit buzzer-beaters on the hardwood and was a big two-way player on the diamond this spring. Kennon was the ace of the pitching staff and when he wasn’t on the mound, he was running down fly balls with his plus speed.
Slade Caldwell | Valley View | SO
Caldwell could set multiple school and state records by the time his career is over. He has already played 70 plus games, and he just turned old enough to drive a car. He did it all for the Blazers this season hitting .511 with a .619 on base percentage. He belted 9 home runs with 46 runs batted in. When he got on base, he was a terror stealing 41 bases helping Valley View set the state record for stolen bases in a season with 230. Caldwell has played for Team USA and is an Ole Miss commit.
Webb Watson | CAC | SO
Watson led the Mustangs in almost every offensive category on their way to a conference title and state tournament appearance. Watson hit .516 with an on base percentage of .595 on the season. CAC head coach Patrick Smith relied on Watson late in games on the mound as he led the team with 3 saves.
Jackson Kirchner | LR Christian | SO
Kirchner was an outstanding two-way player for the Warriors this season. He improved on the mound throughout the season and came through in the clutch in big time games at the plate. I love his game and he plays with a high motor every pitch.
Dax Goff | Booneville | SO
A three-sport athlete that is built like a grown man. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards for the football team and triple jumped for the track team. On the diamond, he caught, he pitched and he played a superb outfield with multiple highlight reel diving catches. Goff earned all-conference for the Bearcats this spring. In the April 8th win over rival Danville, Goff pitched 5.2 innings and went 3-6 in one of the greatest games of the season.
Brooks Ward | Catholic | SO
On a senior-laden team, Ward made his presence known early and often this season. He hit over .300 earning all-conference honors for the Rockets. He hit a towering home run in the conference clinching win over Conway late this season. He has a lot of upside in the future and is sure to garner interest from colleges this summer.
Cory Jines | Norfork | SO
The younger Jines did big things in his first year of high school baseball hitting .447 with 42 runs batted in. He also stole 21 bases ranking second on the team behind is brother. Coach Ethan Davis says that Jines will only get better with experience and will be relied upon a lot next season with his older brother graduating.
Alex Downing | Bentonville West | SO
Downing comes from a baseball family. His father, Kevin, coached Mills to the 1999 5A State championship and his uncle Lance played in the Diamondbacks organization after an outstanding career at Watson Chapel. Alex is blazing his own path as a utility player hitting .358 and scoring 19 runs and was 7-for-7 in stolen bases for the Wolverines.
Jaxson Ingle | Lonoke | SO
Ingle did it all for the Jackrabbits this season earning all-state honors. He hit .370 while scoring 37 runs with 19 stolen bases for the potent Lonoke offense. On the mound, the lefty went 5-2 with a 1.89 ERA. He struck out 66 batters in 37 innings pitched.
