The Arkansas high school baseball season kicks off on Feb. 26, opening day for regular season action under AAA regulations. Leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2024 spring season, touching on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Arkansas Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Perennially, we’ve submitted a preseason questionnaire to high school head coaches across the entire state. Their responses have been flooding in and we’re using the detailed insight they’ve provided in our team-by-team preseason analysis.

Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Elkins
Head Coach: Hunter Corbell (8)
Classification: 3A
2023 Record: 25-4, 3A-1 Conference Champion, 3A-1 District Tournament Champion, 3A-1 Regional Champion, 1st Round of 3A State Tournament

 

---

2024 SEASON OUTLOOK

No. of Returning Starters:

2

Top Returning Players:

Caleb Hankins, Position: IF/P, Class: 2026, Ht.: 6'3", Wt.: 160, B/T: R/R

Caleb did a great job for us last year. He was our nonconference starter and came in to close most of our conference games when we needed him. He primarily pitched for us last year but stepped up with some big time at bats when he got the opportunity. Caleb faced some of our toughest opponents in the 2023 season and rose to the occasion every time his number was called. We are expecting him to play a pivotal role on our team this season and look forward to seeing how he can contribute by potentially being in the lineup on a daily basis.

Stats:
Pitching:
Record: 2-1
Saves: 6-6
ERA: 3.24
BAA: .241
SO: 69 (2nd on the team)
LOB: 43 (Led the team)

Hitting:
BA: .429
OBP: .487

Landon Martin, Position: OF/P, Class: 2025, Ht.: 6'0, Wt.: 175, B/T: R/R

Landon did a phenomenal job shifting from IF to OF last year. He stepped up and filled a hole in LF and never relinquished the spot. He did a great job throughout the season of making routine plays and threw out a runner in our State Tournament game vs. Prescott. Landon started one game for us on the mound and threw a complete game no-hitter against Cedar Ridge. We are expecting him to step up and help more in that role this season. He batted 9-hole for us last year and did a great job of finding a way on base and turning the lineup over. He brought power tot he bottom of our order and we expect him to bring the same thing as we look to move him up in the lineup this year. We know he is ready to be a big time contributor in 2024.

Stats:
Hitting:
BA: .377
OBP: .527
2B: 4
3B: 2 (2nd on the team)
HR: 1
RBI: 25
R: 33

Fielding:
Fielding %: 1.000
A: 1
PO: 18

Ryan Dugan, Position: C/P, Class: 2024, Ht.: 5'10, Wt.: 175, B/T: R/R

Ryan did a great job for us on the mound and has been a solid catcher for us throughout his 1st 3 years in our program. We are excited about what he brings to the table and the potential of him being our everyday guy behind the dish. He has a really good work ethic and great arm that enables him to be able to throw out guys. He has primarily been a great pitcher for us, especially last year. His off-speed pitches keep hitters guessing and prove to be pivotal in his arsenal as a pitcher. He can definitely help us in both facets of the game. He also brings some good pop at the plate. He has extremely quick hands and does a great job of running the bases when he gets on. We are excited to see how Ryan can contribute in an everyday role for our team in 2024.

Stats:
Pitching:
Record: 2-0
ERA: 3.93
SO: 15

Hitting:
BA: .429
OBP: .667

Fielding:
Fielding %: 1.000
A: 3 (Caught 7.0 innings)

Top Newcomers:

Zayne Walker, Position: IF/P, Class: 2027, Ht.: 5'10, Wt.: 150, B/T: L/R

We are excited about what Zayne can bring to the table. He did really well in our tryouts in August and has been putting in work all offseason along with playing basketball. He brings a new dynamic to our team being a left-handed bat that we haven't had a lot of since I got here in 2020. He runs the bases well and is surehanded in the field which we are excited to see in action. We are expecting him to contribute at the plate, in the field, and on the mound this upcoming season.

Trevor Ritchie, Position: IF/P, Class: 2024, Ht.: 5'9, Wt.: 150, B/T: R/R

Trevor has been putting in work this offseason in the weight room and the results are showing as we move into our full team practices. We look for him to be an asset on defense and at the plate this season. He does a great job in the middle infield and could possibly play some 3rd if the opportunity presents itself. On the mound, he does a great job of controlling both his fastball and curveball. At the plate, he has good power and does a great job running bases that reflect our offensive philosophy. We look for him to contribute greatly for our team in 2024.

Logan Farber, Position: IF/P, Class: 2027, Ht.: 5'7, Wt.: 160, B/T: L/R

Logan is another freshman that stood out in our tryouts in August. He is athletic and strong which shows as he had the highest exit velocity of any of our incoming freshmen. Logan is a player that can possibly play multiple positions based off the skill set we saw in August. He has been putting in work and is currently on the basketball team. He also brings a LH bat to our team which is exciting.

Coach’s Insight:

“I believe our team strengths will be at the plate and baserunning. I am excited to see our players buy into our philosophy of offensive baseball. We still have a lot to build on but I know that the work all of our players are putting in is going to pay off in the long run. I am excited to see how our run production improves throughout the season. Unknowns for us this upcoming season is going to be on defense and pitching. We are replacing essentially 8 starters and the only returning pitcher we have was primarily our back end guy for most of the season. We are going to have to rely on a lot of young guys and guys that haven't played a lot. However, even though these are unknowns, every day at practice is starting to solidify my confidence in each one of our players and their commitment to improve daily. If we keep that approach, I like our chances this season.” – Hunter Corbell, head coach

---

Find more information on the 2024 Elkins program below:

+ Follow them on X: @Elkins_Baseball.
+ Visit Prep Baseball Arkansas’ 2024 AAA Season Preview page to learn more.

---

Related Content