Pitcher Bonnin to transfer

FAYETTEVILLE — Bryce Bonnin, who was one of the Arkansas Razorbacks’ top baseball signees a year ago, is transferring, Coach Dave Van Horn said Tuesday.

Bonnin — who starred as a hitter and pitcher at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, and was rated the No. 9 player in the state — was strictly a pitcher for the Razorbacks this season. He was 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 11 games, including one start.

Van Horn said Bonnin likely will go to a junior college where he can be a starting pitcher.

“He sees himself as a starter, and we saw him as a reliever,” Van Horn said. “In my opinion, he needs to go to a junior college and they put him on the mound so he can pitch.”

Bonnin had 16 strikeouts and 12 walks in 19 innings this season.

“Kind of up and down with the strike zone, a lot of things jumping around,” Van Horn said. “He just needs to be ready to help his team win. He’s a guy that has a lot of talent with arm strength. Hopefully, he picks the right place and has a lot of success.”

Other freshmen transferring include pitchers Jackson Rutledge and Ben McClain, and outfielder Cole Turney.

Rutledge, 6-8 and armed with a fastball that at times reached 97 miles per hour, is transferring to San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College. He didn’t play after throwing three wild pitches in the same inning against Alabama on April 29, and for the season he had 14 strikeouts and 11 walks in 152/3 innings.

“He’s going to go to a good program where they turn out a lot of pro guys,” Van Horn said. “It’ll give him an option to sign [after next season].”

Turney was slowed by ankle and shoulder injuries and went 0 for 7 in his only at-bats for Arkansas.

“Cole is going to junior college,” Van Horn said. “He needs at-bats. Talking with Cole, he needs confidence. Hopefully, he can go somewhere and get in the lineup every day. I think that will be big for him.”