First W of the summer for @USABaseballCNT and first ??, courtesy of @RazorbackBSB's Grant Koch! pic.twitter.com/HM5QpytbCR — USA Baseball (@USABaseball) June 23, 2017

(What's happening with the Arkansas Razorbacks? Make sure you're in the loop --- take five seconds to Sign up for our FREE Razorbacks newsletter now!)

If there was one Arkansas player who deserved a break this summer, it was Grant Koch.

The rising junior from Fayetteville was the Razorbacks’ starting catcher in all but four games in 2017 and his body wore down as the season progressed. Over the final 22 games, he hit just .175.

Still, he planned to play in the Cape Cod League. Those plans changed, though, when he was chosen to try out for the Collegiate National Team in Cary, N.C.

Koch was a defensive replacement in the sixth inning of Team USA’s first game this summer and made an immediate impact. His two-run home run in the eighth inning capped the scoring in a 10-2 win over the Catawba Valley Stars on Thursday.

It was the only home run of the game for Team USA. Video of the long ball is above.

He popped out in his first at bat and finished the game 1 for 2 with two RBIs.

The Collegiate National Team is still going through the tryout process. Koch won’t find out if he made the 24-man roster that will play a friendly series against Cuba and Japan until June 26.

Summer Ball updates

In addition to Koch playing for the National Collegiate Team, there are several other Razorbacks playing summer ball across the country.

Luke Bonfield represents Arkansas in the Cape Cod League in Massachusetts, the most prestigious of the summer leagues. He is playing for the Wareham Gatemen.

Although he got off to a cold start, going hitless in his first 12 at bats, Bonfield burst out with a huge game Wednesday. He went 4 for 5 with a three-run home run in Wareham’s 10-2 win over the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. Bonfield also had a sacrifice fly in Thursday’s game.

Luke Bonfield (5) celebrates with teammates after his three-run home run on Wednesday.

Third baseman Jack Kenley got hot at the end of the season and has carried it over into the summer with the Victoria Generals in the Texas Collegiate League. Through eight games, he is hitting .333/.459/.567 with one home run and six RBIs.

Another player who has carried his season performance over into the summer is Dominic Fletcher. The Freshman All-American centerfielder is hitting .320/.370/.640 with two home runs and eight RBIs through six games.

After not appearing in a game this season and posting an 8.18 ERA as a true freshman in 2016, right-handed pitcher Anthony Dahl seems to have turned a corner in three starts for the Rockford Rivets in the Northwoods League.

In 14 innings, he has allowed just one earned run on 10 hits and two walks while striking out 19. Dahl’s best game was on June 7, when he struck out 13 batters in eight shutout innings.

The most impressive Arkansas player so far this summer has been Evan Lee. Through seven games, he is hitting .400/.520/.600 with four doubles and two RBIs. On the mound, Lee has yet to allow an earned run in four innings and has struck out seven of the 13 batters he’s faced.

Future Hog throwing heat

Horatio (Ark.) right-handed pitcher and Arkansas class of 2018 commit Wade Beasley participated in the Perfect Game National Showcase over the weekend and lit up the radar gun.

His fastball was clocked at 94 miles per hour, which was tied for seventh fastest among the 147 pitchers at the event, and was consistently in the upper-80s and low-90s. According to Perfect Game scouts, he also “flashed a sharp curveball” at 81 mph.

Pro signings

Six Razorbacks and seven signees were among those selected in last week’s MLB Draft.

Half of the Arkansas players who were picked – Cannon Chadwick (Mets, ninth round), Taccolini (Padres, 10th round) and Josh Alberius (Marlins, 36th round) – were seniors and definitely will not return in 2018.

Chadwick signed for $10,000 and will begin his professional career with the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ single-A short-season affiliate.

Taccolini signed for $5,000 and it is unclear where he will begin his career. San Diego’s single-A short-season affiliate is the Tri-City Dust Devils in Pasco, Wash.

Those two signing for well under the slot value for their pick number – $139,700 and $136,600, respectively – is not surprising because they were seniors and had no negotiating power. They were picked where they were so teams could save money to sign their higher round picks.

The Marlins have yet to announce the signing of Alberius.

The other three Razorbacks picked were Trevor Stephan (Yankees, third round), Chad Spanberger (Rockies, sixth round) and Blaine Knight (Rangers, 29th round).

Stephan and Spanberger have signed, as expected. Being juniors, this is the prime time for them to turn pro because they still have a year of negotiating power.

The Yankees signed Stephan for $797,500, which is 35 percent above the slot value of $588,700, and are expected to send him to single-A short-season Staten Island. Details of Spanberger’s contract have not been released, but his slot value is $260,200. He will begin his career with the Grand Junction Rockies, Colorado’s rookie affiliate.

Baring something unforeseen, Knight will return to Arkansas for his junior season. The draft-eligible sophomore could have been drafted in the top five rounds, but likely fell because of signability concerns. He’ll still have a year of negotiating power for the 2018 MLB Draft.

As for the signees, Iowa Western C.C. left-handed pitcher Daniel Tillo (Royals, third round), Rockwall (Texas) Heath catcher Canaan Smith (Yankees, fourth round) and Eva (Ala.) Albert Brewer left-handed pitcher Dakota Bennett (Marlins, 11th round) will not make it to campus.

Tillo signed for $557,500 – 8 percent below slot value – and Smith signed for $497,500 – 15 percent above slot value.

According to AL.com, Bennett signed with the Marlins for $350,000. That means Miami will have to count $225,000 of Bennett’s contract toward its draft bonus pool limit.

The other signees – Bryce Bonnin (Cubs, 26th round), Casey Optiz (Indians, 27th round), Cole Turney (Indians, 34th round) and Heston Kjerstad (Mariners, 36th round) – are expected to play for the Razorbacks.

Williams transfer

The successful draft comes with some negatives for Arkansas.

Second baseman Jaxon Williams announced Thursday that he was transferring to Howard College, a junior college in Big Spring, Texas.

It is not a surprising decision because starter Carson Shaddy is returning for his senior season and the Razorbacks retained most of their signees, several of whom head coach Dave Van Horn has said could compete for playing time as freshmen.

Williams appeared in 24 games and made 10 starts as a true freshman this season. He hit a three-run double on the first pitch of his career and began the season 6 for 14 with 12 RBIs, but cooled off once conference play rolled around and his playing time dwindled.

He finished the year hitting .245/.333/.327 with three extra-base hits and 14 RBIs.

With Shaddy and Luke Bonfield returning for their senior seasons and most of Arkansas’ signing class intact, more transfers are expected.

Former Hogs land at DI schools

A pair of former Arkansas pitchers from the 2016 team has landed at Division I schools after spending 2017 at Crowder C.C. in Missouri.

Ty Harris, a left-hander from Rogers Heritage, will finish his career at UAB. He made seven appearances with the Razorbacks in 2016, allowing five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. At Crowder, Harris posted a 3.88 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 65 innings.

Nate Alberius, a right-hander from Little Rock and the younger brother of Josh Alberius, has signed with Arkansas State. He never appeared in a game at Arkansas, but had a 2.52 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings at Crowder.

Former Arkansas signee Zach Jackson, a right-hander from Bryant, is also at Crowder. He went 12-3 with a 3.90 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 97 innings as a freshman.

Another former Arkansas pitcher to keep an eye on is Parker Sanburn, who earned NJCAA All-Region honors at Des Moines Area C.C. this season with a 3.44 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55 innings.

He has also pitched well in 13 1/3 innings of relief for the Lakeshore Chinooks of the Northwoods League, allowing just one earned run on two hits and five walks while striking out 27.

Sanburn, the younger brother of former Arkansas standout Nolan Sanburn, allowed 15 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings for the Razorbacks in 2015. Instead of finding another four-year college, he is trying to begin his professional career as a free agent.

Local offer

Van Horn has said that Arkansas’ 2018 recruiting class is pretty much complete, but that didn’t stop him from offering a local standout.

Bentonville right-handed pitcher/shortstop/outfielder Kam’ron Mays-Hunt tweeted that the Razorbacks offered him on Thursday.

Hawgs247 saw him pitch for the Arkansas Sticks, his summer team, last weekend and he retired all three batters he faced to pick up a save in a one-run victory.

Here is a quick scouting report of him from his head coach with the Sticks, Chase Brewster:

He profiles as a reliever I think. He's been 88-91 all summer with a hard breaking ball. He's going to come into college as a two-pitch back-inning reliever who can throw the seventh or eighth inning as a freshman and who should add some velocity along the way. Could be a big time closer in college baseball in 2-3 years. He threw one inning in high school this year, so the more he throws the better he's going to be and the harder he's going to throw.

Arkansas is his first baseball offer, but Mays-Hunt is also an excellent football player. Central Arkansas and Illinois State in the FCS and Missouri Western in Division II have offered him as a wide receiver.

Tip of the cap

Jared Poche’ made LSU history at the College World Series on Wednesday when he picked up his school-record 39th career win.

It goes against Arkansas fans’ nature to acknowledge such an impressive accomplishment, but they can take solace in knowing that none of Poche’s victories came against the Razorbacks.

In four career starts against Arkansas, he was 0-1 with a 12.21 ERA and 2.714 WHIP. The Razorbacks also hit .485 against him.

Against all other opponents, Poche’ is 39-11 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.169 WHIP and he’s held them to a .233 batting average.

Be sure to enjoy VIP access to Hawgs247 with our 7-day free trial promotional offer.