Arkansas full of several intriguing outfield candidates for 2026

Razorbacks will need to replenish all three starters again but Van Horn likes group he's assembled

Arkansas Razorbacks shortstop Kuhio Aloy leads off second base in game against Oral Roberts at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For the third straight season, Arkansas' Dave Van Horn has three spots open on his lineup card in the outfield. The Razorbacks did not retain any of the three primary outfielders from its 2025 run to Omaha.

Right fielder Logan Maxwell exhausted his final year of eligiblity and signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Yankees. Left fielder Charles Davalan signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for nearly $2 million after being selected with the 41st overall pick.

The only chance that the Hogs had at retaining someone was center fielder Justin Thomas Jr, but he was selected in the 11th round by the Houston Astros and signed shortly after.

When the Razorbacks lost its prior to 2025, the Hogs' replacement plan was rather simple, get three transfers, all with at least one year of college experience in the outfield. Davalan played outfield for Florida Gulf Coast. Maxwell had three years of experince with TCU. Thomas had less experinece at the JUCO level.

The 2026 succession plan remains unclear. Arkansas could follow the 2025 plan, but the Hogs only brought in two players with outfield expereince at the college level Zack Stewart and Damian Ruiz. That means at least one of the three outfield positions will likely be filled by someone with less than 10 college games in the outfield:
Zack Stewart: 137 games in the outfield
Damian Ruiz: 96
Maika Niu: 9
Kuhio Aloy: 1
Brenton Clark: 0 (redshirt freshman)

Niu and Aloy both have interesting prospects as outfielders despite lack of experince. Niu has been getting plenty of reps with the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League. He's started 28 games in center field and has made just two errors in 60 chances with two outfield assists for a .967 fielding percentage.

"Maika just wants to prove that he can play in the SEC and that he deserves to be a good draft pick next year," Van Horn said. "We’re excited to have him. He can play anywhere in the outfield."

An incoming transfer from Marshall who was draft-eligible, Niu played exclusively shortstop and made 33 errors for an .889 fielding percentage, but will play outfield for Arkansas.

"He played in the infield last year," Van Horn said. "Outfield is what he wants to do, and that's what he told me when I talked with him face-to-face. I told him, that’s what you’re going to do. Just getting him through [the draft] gives us a lot of Division I at-bats. He’s confident and excited that he had a good summer."

Niu has been tearing the cover off the ball in the Cape. He currently ranks second among all qualified hitters with a .931 OPS behind incoming Texas transfer Aiden Robbins (.962) Niu also leads the league with eight homers in 119 at-bats.

Falmouth's Maika Niu gets bat on ball for a base hit during a Cape Cod Baseball League game against Cotuit at Lowell Park in Cotuit, MA on July 11, 2025. | Allen Gunn/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aloy's fielding percentage is zero in the outfield, he's only ever made one start during his first season at Arkansas and made an error on his only chance against Arkansas-Pine Bluff April 15. He has also been getting vauable expereince.

A designated hitter during his sophomore season, Aloy made 11 starts in right field for the Bourne Braves without commiting an error before being sent home by the Arkansas coaching staff due to some hand discomfort. Van Horn remains bullish on his outfield potential.

"I talked with their [Cape Cod] coaches about his defense," Van Horn said. "They said he really had gotten better, and he was working at it. Hopefully, for him and the team, but really for him, that he can play in the field. I really believe that he will be able to. He can really throw, and he's a really good runner, especially under way, maybe not right out of the chute, but under way."

Kuhio Aloy celebrates with Bourne teammate Logan Hughes after hitting a home run against Wareham. Cape League baseball July 3 2025 | Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clark also figures to return to the mix after redshirting and impresssing during fall ball in 2024. Clark has put together an impressive summer, hitting .359 in 31 games in the California Collegiate League. Arkansas has just one listed outfielder as part of the incoming 2025 signing class, Christian Turner from Haughton, La.

Fall ball for Arkansas begins on Sept. 3.