Dave Van Horn shares position plan for Nolan Souza moving forward

Arkansas freshman Nolan Souza looked the part of a future star for the Razorback baseball team as a freshman in 2024, and Dave Van Horn is only hoping to expand his role next season.

Souza earned Freshman All-SEC honors and picked up an SEC Freshman of the Week award during his rookie season, in which he proved to be a very dangerous bat in the Arkansas lineup through the regular season.

The broad-framed rookie only finished with a .255 batting average in his 40 appearances and 100+ at bats, but unfortunately had his numbers sunk thanks to a cold postseason. Souza recorded his final hit of the season on May 1 in the regular season finally vs. Missouri State. Over the next month, through the team’s final game on June 2, Souza was 0-9 in SEC and NCAA Tournament at bats, getting on base just two times overall and zero times in the NCAA tourney.

Sure, the end of the year was no good, however, Souza’s freshman numbers still look outstanding in the regular season for a youngster on what was a top-tier Hogs squad. Plus, he was mostly saddled in the designated hitter’s role for 2024, and Dave Van Horn is hoping to get him a more consistent day-to-day role out in the field.

“I mean, ideally, he’s a good fielder. He’s got a really good arm,” said Van Horn when asked about Souza at a recent press conference, noting that there are multiple places he could slot the rising sophomore in the field.

“He’s playing third base this summer. Looks like most of the time he’s played some second. We had him working in the outfield,” Van Horn noted, explaining what Souza brings to the table as a potential fielder.

“I mean, honestly, his speed, as big as he is, he can really run. I mean, he was probably one of the fastest or right with (Ty) Wilmsmeyer running last year on our team. So he can play anywhere. Ideally, maybe in the infield. But who’s to say.”

When it comes to potentially playing at the pro level, Van Horn says he could envision Nolan Souza at third base or in the outfield. It’s for he and the coaching staff to figure out where the youngster is best suited on the field once he’s apart of the everyday lineup.

“He looks like a big league right fielder, kind of looks like maybe a big league third baseman as well. So, he’s going to kind of show us what we need to do. But he’s out working on the dirt, so to speak, this summer and putting in a lot of time there.”

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