Arkansas Razorbacks Lead Nation with Four Baseball America Preseason Picks

All-American teams cover every key section of field with Van Horn's Hogs.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Gabe Gaeckle delivers a pitch against Mississippi State on Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium. | Craven Whitlow-allHOGS Images

Arkansas earned early national recognition with four players named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America, the most of any program entering the 2026 season.

The Razorbacks placed right-handed pitchers Gabe Gaeckle and Carson Wiggins on the First Team, catcher Ryder Helfrick on the Second Team and infielder Camden Kozeal on the Third Team.

The preseason All-America teams are selected by scouting departments from Major League Baseball organizations.

No. 7 Arkansas and No. 25 Texas A&M were the only two programs with four preseason selections.

The honors reflect depth across Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn's roster, with recognition coming from the mound, behind the plate and in the infield.

The Hogs are coming off a 50-15 season that included 20 SEC wins and a trip to the College World Series.

Those results helped set expectations heading into another season under Van Horn.

Our @BaseballAmerica Preseason All-Americans 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DtbAmPlKyp

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) February 3, 2026

Pitching Duo Anchors First Team Honors

Gaeckle appeared in 19 games last season, including nine starts, and finished with a 4-2 record. He posted a 4.42 earned-run average across 71.1 innings while recording two saves.

Gaeckle struck out 92 batters and held opposing hitters to a .235 batting average.

His postseason performance stood out during the College World Series. Against LSU, he recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings of relief.

Wiggins earned First Team honors after a strong freshman season before suffering a season-ending injury that required surgery on his elbow. The Roland, Okla., native made 14 relief appearances. He went 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA and limited hitters to a .152 batting average.

Arkansas Razorbacks infielder Cam Kozeal during practice for the Super Regional against the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday afternoon at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

Helfrick, Kozeal Provide Balance Across Lineup

Helfrick appeared in 61 games last season and started 56. At the plate, he hit .305 with a .420 on-base percentage and a .616 slugging percentage.

He added 15 home runs and drove in 38 runs. In SEC play, Helfrick hit .337 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs.

Defensively, he committed three errors in 629 chances for a .995 fielding percentage. He also threw out 10 of 45 attempted base stealers.

Kozeal made an immediate impact in his first season with Arkansas after transferring from Vanderbilt. He appeared in 60 games with 55 starts while also managing to host a relatively popular fishing channel on YouTube throughout the season.

Kozeal hit .333 with a .606 slugging percentage, along with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs. The Omaha, Neb., native earned All-SEC honors at first base.

Catcher Ryder Helfrick rounds third in the third inning in a regional game against Creighton. The Razorbacks won 12-1 to advance to the final | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Watch Lists, What Comes Next

In addition to their preseason All-America honors, Gaeckle and Helfrick were named to Baseball America preseason watch lists.

Gaeckle landed on the college pitcher of the year watch list.

Helfrick was included on the college player of the year watch list.

Freshman infielder Carson Brumbaugh also received recognition.

Brumbaugh was named to Baseball America’s preseason watch list for college freshman of the year.

Transfer Maika Niu, entering his first season with the Razorbacks after playing at Marshall, earned preseason All-America honors from Perfect Game.

Arkansas opens the 2026 season Friday, Feb. 13, against Oklahoma State.

The game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, during the Shriners Children’s College Showdown as part of a string of four games that will be played in Dallas-Fort Worth.