Three Razorbacks Secure NCBWA Preseason All-America Recognition

DALLAS – Three Razorbacks, including Camden Kozeal (first team), Ryder Helfrick (second team) and Kuhio Aloy (third team), secured preseason All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The NCBWA’s preseason All-America squads are considered the first step toward the eventual selection of the Dick Howser Trophy, which has been voted upon for 28 seasons by members of the association. Aloy is the sixth Razorback to be named a preseason All-American this year, joining Gabe Gaeckle, Helfrick, Kozeal, Maika Niu and Carson Wiggins.

Kozeal, who earned first-team praise at second base, played in 60 games with 55 starts as a sophomore last season, slashing .333/.386/.606 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI in his first year as a Razorback after transferring from Vanderbilt. The Omaha, Neb., native, who enters the campaign as a Baseball America preseason All-American and a preseason coaches’ All-SEC selection, had 23 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games, including three 5+ RBI games, in 2025.

Helfrick, who picked up second-team honors at catcher, played in 61 games with 56 starts as a sophomore last season, slashing .305/.420/.616 with 15 home runs and 38 RBI. The Discovery Bay, Calif., native, who recorded 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games in 2025, was even better in SEC play, slashing .337/.449/.635 with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games against conference opponents. Defensively, Helfrick, also named a preseason All-American by Baseball America and D1Baseball as well as a preseason watch list honoree for Baseball America’s player of the year award and the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award to enter the campaign, was one of the best behind the dish in all of college baseball last year, committing only three errors in 629 total chances (.995 fielding percentage) and throwing out 10-of-45 attempted base stealers (.222 caught stealing percentage).

Aloy, meanwhile, collected third-team recognition at designated hitter after turning in an All-America campaign as a sophomore last season. Playing alongside his older brother, Wehiwa, Kuhio slashed .317/.404/.539 with 13 home runs and a team-high 70 RBI. The Wailuku, Hawaiʻi, native, who had 20 multi-hit games and a team-best 19 multi-RBI games, was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and earned All-SEC praise at designated hitter in his first year as a Hog. Expected to man right field this year, he enters the campaign as a preseason coaches’ All-SEC selection as an outfielder.

Seventh-ranked Arkansas, led by 24th-year head coach Dave Van Horn, opens the season against Big 12 foe Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

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