re: 2024 Omahogs Baseball - projected returners and newcomers

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Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick (Aaron Fitt)

And the coaching staff believes Helfrick has superstar potential, with an innate knack for finding the barrel, which he did four times in five plate appearances during my visit. His bat will be hard to keep out of the lineup early in his career, and he is undoubtedly the catcher of the future — but he might also wind up being the catcher of the present, despite the presence of the three more experienced veterans on the roster. He’s that good.

“Here’s a guy that comes in here and we didn’t think he was gonna get to school,” Van Horn said. “Then he gets to school, and all of a sudden — this is what we deal with. We don’t know. We didn’t have enough catchers the last two years, and then we get our starter back [Rowland], and he’s had the best fall. Helfrick’s hit three or four homers, Rowland’s hit three or four, but he’s also hit some doubles. Helfrick’s just been a tough out. He doesn’t strike out much. He’s gonna make us play him, and we’re gonna play him. He’s got a great arm, and he can really catch.”

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