Projected SEC Freshman of the Year Finds Fit Among 4 New Faces in Hogs' 2026 Lineup

The 2026 Arkansas baseball team is loaded with new talent, but how will will the batting order shake out? Here's our prediction.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team enters the 2026 season as a consensus top-10 team, ranked as high as No. 4 by Perfect Game. With five out of nine regular starters from last year graduating or getting drafted, as well as similar upheaval on the pitching staff, the Razorbacks will have a new look on Opening Day. Fueled by another loaded class of touted transfers and heralded high school recruits, Arkansas will once again be a major factor in the race for the SEC and national crowns.

Why it matters

The Razorbacks' lineup will feature several new faces, including the projected SEC Freshman of the Year, Carson Brumbaugh. How these new players fit into the batting order and mesh with the returning veterans will be crucial to Arkansas' success in the 2026 season as they chase an elusive national title.

The details

Based on head coach Dave Van Horn's preseason remarks, the lineups the Hogs have deployed in scrimmages, and some intuition, the projected 2026 Arkansas baseball lineup is: 1. Maika Niu (CF), 2. Nolan Souza (DH), 3. Ryder Helfrick (C), 4. Camden Kozeal (2B), 5. Kuhio Aloy (RF), 6. TJ Pompey (3B), 7. Reese Robinett (1B), 8. Carson Brumbaugh (SS), 9. Damian Ruiz (LF). The lineup features several key transfers and a highly touted freshman in Brumbaugh, who has been tabbed the Preseason SEC Freshman of the Year by multiple outlets.

  • The 2026 season begins this weekend at Globe Life Field in Arlington with a trio of Big 12 opponents on tap in Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech.
  • The Razorbacks' chase for the SEC and national crowns starts this weekend.

The players

Maika Niu

A senior transfer from Marshall, Niu put up Ruthian stats down the stretch of his junior season and carried it over into an MVP performance in the prestigious Cape Cod League. He has the makings of a solid leadoff man with good plate discipline and speed.

Nolan Souza

A junior transfer, Souza is the preseason pick to be this year's breakout star for the Razorbacks. After missing half the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury, he is expected to at least begin the year as the designated hitter.

Ryder Helfrick

The Razorbacks' best candidate for the Golden Spikes Award, Helfrick is arguably the best catcher in college baseball. He's coming off a season in which he hit .337 in SEC play and is praised for his leadership skills handling Arkansas' talented pitching staff.

Carson Brumbaugh

The highly touted freshman from Edmond, Oklahoma is expected to be the Razorbacks' starting shortstop on Opening Day, ending a nearly two-decade drought of freshmen starting at that position for Arkansas.

Damian Ruiz

The biggest question mark entering the season resides in left field, where Ruiz, a redshirt junior transfer from Lamar, is slated to start. Ruiz has the tools, but has struggled some adjusting to the pitching he's faced this preseason.

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What they’re saying

“We're banking on him returning to his 2024 form, when he hit .279 with 10 home runs, 49 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 55 games and earned Freshman All-America honors.”

— Dave Van Horn, Arkansas baseball coach (bestofarkansassports.com)

“Niu's power could move him down the lineup a few spots, but he has all the makings of a solid leadoff man. He has good plate discipline and speed, and Van Horn has said he wants to steal bases.”

— Andrew Hutchinson, Author (bestofarkansassports.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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