BASEBALL
Landon McAllister
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH Connors State College (Warner, Okla.)
NOTABLE Was 7-0 as a starter last season and appeared in 10 games. ... Had a 0.98 ERA, which brought his career ERA to 2.85. ... Decided to go the junior college route to give himself a chance to play for a Division I program later on.
QUOTABLE "This was just the best fit for me. I believe I can make it to the D-I level or even professional after this just because of the coaching staff. They're so great and dedicated to their players."
Jameson Clardy
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH Hendrix College (Conway)
NOTABLE Despite no varsity playing experience, Jameson showed extreme promise in junior varsity and caught the attention of college scouts. ... Had 28 strikeouts last season and walked only five batters. ... The movement on his pitches throws off batters and makes him unique.
QUOTABLE "Playing the game of baseball really shapes you as a person. No matter how it goes, I think I'm just going to be a better person after I'm done."
Kirby Jenkins
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH St. Louis University
NOTABLE Racked up 32 hits and 22 RBIs in his two years playing varsity. ... Has a .802 career fielding percentage. ... Earned his spot as a team leader due to experience, as he's played in 54 games.
QUOTABLE "St. Louis ended up talking to me, coming and watching us play at Fayetteville last year, and I went to SLU on a visit, and I just love the campus. Their coaches are awesome, and it's a great baseball school."
Trevor Johnson
SCHOOL Van Buren
SIGNED WITH Arkansas-Fort Smith
NOTABLE Four-year starter with a 16-2 career record and 1.80 ERA with seven saves. ... Helped team reach the Class 7A state semifinals last spring. ... Was named to the all-state team.
QUOTABLE "First of all I would like to thank God and my family for getting me to where I am today. I wouldn't change anything about my time here at Van Buren. I would not have been able to get where I am today without the help of my coaches, my teammates, and the community of Van Buren. Finally, I am grateful for the coaches at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith for allowing me to continue my education and baseball career."
Landrey Wilkerson
SCHOOL Van Buren
SIGNED WITH Crowder College (Neosho, Mo.)
NOTABLE Lead-off batter and center-fielder since his freshman season. ... Batted .381 with 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs with a .467 OBP last season. ... Team advanced to the Class 7A semifinals. ... A two-time all-state selection.
QUOTABLE "The past 3 years playing Van Buren has been more than I could have ever asked for. I've made lifelong friends each year and plan on making this year the best. It's been a privilege being coached by coach Loyd and coach Weatherford. I owe a lot to them for shaping me into the person I am today. They are a big reason I get to continue my education and play baseball at Crowder. I also want to thank coach Lallemand and coach Sawyer for investing in me and I can't wait to be a Roughrider."
Jeff Sinacore
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH Ft. Scott (Kan.) Community College
NOTABLE A three-year letterman with 59 starts in his sophomore and junior season. ... Earned All-Conference honors his sophomore year. ... Hit over .300 the past two seasons with 40 runs and 36 RBIs
QUOTABLE "I'm excited to get after it, to see how good I can really be. Going to a JUCO, it's kind of like putting your life on hold, but you can get really strong, a lot bigger and you just get to see how really good of a player you can become."
Kole Freeman
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH North Arkansas College (Harrison)
NOTABLE Returns as a two-year letterman after making varsity in his junior season. ... Was part of Fayetteville team that made it to the 2018 7A state tournament. ... Will get first varsity playing experience this season
QUOTABLE "We all work for something, and college baseball has been one of my things I've been wanting to do my whole life."
Joey Aden
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Ohio State
NOTABLE West's starting centerfielder, earned all-conference honors with a .362 batting average and helped West earn its first trip to the Class 7A state tournament last season. ... He led the team with three home runs, was second in runs scored with 28 and third on the team in RBIs with 28. ... Also had five doubles and two triples.
QUOTABLE "I've been incredibly blessed. It's good to see a lot of hard work pay off, and I'm ready to get up there and get after it. I really like what coach (Greg) Beals is doing up there with his program. They have a lot of faith in me and the other players, and it's evident in what they say. I've been a Buckeye fan my entire life, so I'm excited to go up there and be a part of it."
Dylan Carter
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Crowder College (Neosho, Mo.)
NOTABLE Pitched in 12 games last season, and his nine starts on the mound were the most by a Wolverine pitcher. ... Also split time as the team's catcher, but could see time at first base this spring. ... Finished the season with a 3-4 record and a 5.31 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 31 walks. ... Hit .310 with one home run and 13 RBIs, and he also had three doubles and one triple.
QUOTABLE "I'm just super excited to be going where I'm going. Crowder is one of the top junior colleges in the nation and send guys off the majors, and not just sophomores. They send freshmen. They think I have a good future ahead of me, and they think I have big potential."
Carter Bourg
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Cameron University (Lawton, Okla.)
NOTABLE Earned all-conference honors last season after he pitched in 12 games (four starts) and had a 3-3 record with a 2.40 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 17 walks. ... Had only 10 at-bats last season but had three hits and drove in a run.
QUOTABLE "Cameron is a little bit smaller school, and I like that. It's a D-II program in Oklahoma, and it's a really nice program. The coaches over there know what they are doing, and I like that. Hopefully, I will be a starting pitcher there, but anywhere I can fit in on the team will be great."
Hunter Mayes
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Oklahoma Wesleyan (Bartlesville, Okla.)
NOTABLE Hit .224 with no home runs and four RBIs. ... Finished the season with 11 hits but had 15 runs scored. ... Pitched in four games, including two starts, and had a 1.68 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 3 walks over a total of nine innings.
QUOTABLE "I'm very excited to continue my baseball career there, and I think it's going to go good for me. I'm going to learn a lot of new stuff over there. I think my freshman year I will be pitching, then hopefully when I get older I'll also be playing outfield for them. I'll be working on my hitting since that is what I struggle with right now."
BOYS BASKETBALL
Colin Cooper
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH University of Central Arkansas (Conway)
NOTABLE Averaged 19 points per game his junior season. ...Earned All-Conference honors in 2017 and 2018. ... Earned All-State honors in 2018. ...Voted team captain for his senior season by his teammates
QUOTABLE "It's a big day for me. I'm just happy knowing that I made my family proud."
Connor Deffenbaugh
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH Washburn (Topeka, Kan.)
NOTABLE Moved to Bentonville before his junior season after spending his sophomore season at Fayetteville. ... Averaged seven points and three rebounds per game last season and helped Bentonville reach the Class 7A state tournament. ... Hit 63 percent of his field-goal attempts and 65 percent from the free-throw line. ... Chose Washburn over Southwest Baptist.
QUOTABLE "I want to enjoy this moment with my family and friends, then focus on the season. I liked both schools, and I just weighed my options. Washburn was the place I wanted to go. I like their style of play, and I think I fit in pretty good there. On my visit, I got along with the guys that will still be there next year, and I still talk to them now."
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Alexis Roach
SCHOOL Farmington
SIGNED WITH Evangel University (Springfield, Mo.)
NOTABLE Averaged 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals per game as a junior helping Farmington win the 5A West Conference tournament and advance to the State 5A quarterfinals. ... Played her sophomore season at Siloam Springs before transferring to Farmington. ... Made 143 of 246 field goal attempts leading the team in overall field goal percentage at 58.
QUOTABLE "Moving from Siloam Springs to Farmington has opened up so many doors. I've come in and worked extra in the gym. I've been surrounded by really good teammates, who pushed me the whole way and made me where I am today. Really, it's because I moved here and the teammates that pushed me and made me better."
Madisyn Pense
SCHOOL Farmington
SIGNED WITH Central Missouri (Warrensburg, Mo.)
NOTABLE Named 5A-West All-Conference and 5A All-State. ... Played in all 32 games, logging 23.5 minutes-per-contest helping Farmington achieve a 26-6 record. ... Averaged 12.9 points with 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 steals. ... Connected on 95 of 253 3-point attempts. ... Played 752 minutes, the most of any Lady Cardinal.
QUOTABLE "I'm very excited to go to such a high-performance team coming from Farmington. It's a blessing."
BOWLING
Lindsey Gann
SCHOOL Bentonville
SIGNED WITH Ottawa (Kan.) University
NOTABLE Was the top bowler on a team that went 28-0 in the regular season last year and earned all-conference honors. ... Bowled a personal-best 675 series. ... Bowled a 479 series in the Class 6A/7A state tournament and helped Bentonville earn a third-place finish.
QUOTABLE "Thank goodness it's over. It's a lot of stress lifted off my shoulders. I chose Ottawa because of the family feeling, both the university and the program itself. As soon as I walked on the campus, I felt welcomed. It felt like my home for the next 4 years. I visited two other schools, and they just didn't feel like home."
Lindsay Tribble
SCHOOL Bentonville
SIGNED WITH Columbia (M0.) College
NOTABLE A two-time all-conference bowler who was the top performer on the Lady Tigers' team as a sophomore two years ago. ... Bowled a 466 series in the 6A/7A state tournament last year and helped Bentonville earn a third-place finish.
QUOTABLE "A first met the coach during a national tournament, and he told me about the program and the school itself. I thought I might want to check it out. The campus was really nice and the program seemed really good. The degree program I will be going into is really nice, too."
GOLF
Lilly Thomas
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH Tulsa
NOTABLE Earned all-state and all-conference honors for the second straight year and led Bentonville's girls to their second consecutive state championship. ... Finished as the runnerup in the Class 6A state tournament and in the Overall state tournament after a one-hole playoff. ... Shot a season-best 5-under 31 with six birdies over nine holes during a match at Bella Vista Country Club and had a 64 over 18 holes. ... Did not lose a regular-season match in her two years at Bentonville after transferring from Heber Springs.
QUOTABLE "There's a lot of pressure off of me. It was a great thing to find Tulsa and be committed to them. The coach, Annie Young, has taken players who haven't reached their potential and made them so much better at the game. I'm looking forward to growing so much and learning from her."
Jonathan Sanchez
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH Missouri Southern (Joplin, Mo.)
NOTABLE A four-year member of the Tigers' golf team and earned all-conference honors this fall. ... Chose Missouri Southern over Washburn and Southern Nazarene. ... Shot an even-par 72 in his final round of high school golf for a two-day total of 149 and finished 13th as an individual as he helped Bentonville to a fourth-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
QUOTABLE "I chose Missouri Southern because it's pretty close. I had two other offers, but they were a little too far away. This way, I can stay close to my friends and family. In the meantime, I'll be practicing a lot, just to stay in shape and get myself ready for college."
SOFTBALL
Cailey Cochran
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH University of Central Arkansas (C0nway)
NOTABLE Went 22-2 in the circle with a 1.11 ERA in 25 starts last season to help the Lady Tigers to their third straight state championship and earn all-state and all-NWA Democrat-Gazette honors. ... Struck out 207 and walked only.
QUOTABLE "I am very thankful for my parents and my coaches, my teammates and everyone who has helped me get to where I am. This season I hope for another state championship and just to do my best and for our team to be very successful."
Jenna Wildeman
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH University of Central Arkansas (Conway)
NOTABLE Batted .559 with 62 hits, 4 doubles, 6 triples, 1 home run and 30 RBIs to earn all-state and all-NWA Democrat-Gazette honors as a junior and helped the Lady Tigers to a Class 7A state championship, their third straight. ... Played the outfield, mostly center for the Lady Tigers.
QUOTABLE "This is really exciting for us all because all three of us have been wanting to go to UCA for a long time. Our families, friends and teammates have helped us get there. This year we're just going to keep on working hard and hopefully win another state championship."
Megan Crownover
SCHOOL Bentonville High
SIGNED WITH University of Central Arkansas (Conway)
NOTABLE Split time between first base and right field to help the Lady Tigers to their third straight Class 7A state title. ... Hit .383 with 3 home runs, 32 RBIs and 31 runs scored, eight doubles and eight stolen bases.
QUOTABLE "Today's special because we've been looking forward to it for a long time. I'm thankful for everyone who helped us get here. It's just an exciting day, ready to go for the next level."
Alyssa Cordell
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Williams Baptist (Walnut Ridge)
NOTABLE Played second base for the Lady Wolverines. ... Hit .419 with a .451 on-base percentage, 4 home runs, 18 RBIs and 27 runs scored last season.
QUOTABLE "As soon as I stepped onto the Williams (Baptist) campus I just loved it so much. This day, I've just looked forward to it for so long, worked hard for it and it's just like a dream come true. This season I'm just looking to get better and better."
Honesty Holt
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Davis and Elkins College (Elkins, WV)
NOTABLE Earned all-state honors behind the plate as a junior and helped the Lady Wolverines to a Class 7A state runner-up finish ... Hit .453 with a 522 on-base percentage with four home runs, 35 RBIs and 14 doubles last season.
QUOTABLE "My hope is that everybody just balls out our senior season. We want to win a state championship. This day means a lot because all of these people came out and supported us and it shows how much it means to everyone in this town."
Alexis McManus
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.)
NOTABLE Pitched just one inning last season because of injury, but it was a big one in the state semifinals against Bryant to help the Lady Wolverines advance to the title game.
QUOTABLE "I want to get on the field as fast as I can now. This has been a long time in the making. I've waited for this moment for years, committing in September of my freshman year. It's just been a crazy, wild journey and I'm really, really thankful to be here. We have an amazing team and I think the sky is the limit this year."
Emily Roberson
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Thomas University (Thomasville, Ga.)
NOTABLE Was the designated player and played some first base to help the Lady Wolverines to a Class 7A state runner-up finish as a junior. ... Hit .333 and drove in two runs in limited action last season.
QUOTABLE "So I wasn't even thinking I was going to be able to play college ball because I got sick so much. This day, I didn't think it was ever gonna come. This team is incredible and they make it worth coming and worth the effort to get back into it."
Sydney Sneed
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Drury University (Springfield, Mo.)
NOTABLE Served as a utility player, playing a variety of positions at different times, to help the Lady Wolverines to a Class 7A state runner-up finish as a junior. ... Hit .422 with 8 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run with 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored last season.
QUOTABLE "I know I've always dreamed of being here and signing to go to college. I never really thought it would happen. But a couple years ago I started taking softball more serious and started working hard. It's always been a dream of mine ever since I was five years old playing T-Ball."
Emma Wood
SCHOOL Bentonville West
SIGNED WITH Southwest Baptist (Bolivar, Mo.)
NOTABLE Was a workhorse in the circle to help the Lady Wolverines to a Class 7A state runner-up finish as a junior. ... Went 17-4 with one save and a 2.02 ERA last season with 124 strikeouts and just 22 walks in 124.2 innings.
QUOTABLE "This is honestly a dream come true because since I was a little girl my dream was to play college softball. But then I got injured my freshman year. I put so much work into it and got recruited my junior year. I'm just so excited to go and play. It's great to be official and sign today. It's an amazing feeling."
SWIM/DIVE
Audrey McKinnon
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH University of Houston
NOTABLE A two-time U.S. Open qualifier in the 200-meter breaststroke. ... Helped Fayetteville to the 2018 state championship with a runner-up finish in the 100-meter breaststroke and freestyle. ... Finished sixth at the 2016 Speedo Futures Meet. ... Was a two-time state qualifier at the Tennessee State High School Swimming Championships. ... Earned USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2017
QUOTABLE "I'm looking forward to all the improvements I'm going to make because I just know that under that coaching staff and all of the opportunities I get, I'll improve as a swimmer and as a person too with all of the people around me."
Hailey Rissinger
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH University of Arkansas
NOTABLE Went undefeated during the 2017-18 season dive season. ... Earned all-state honors in 2016 and 2018. ... Won the 2018 state and conference titles. ... Finished runner-up for the 2016 state championship. ... Garnered Diver of the Year Honors in 2018 from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and All Arkansas Preps
QUOTABLE "I'm excited to just be a part of the actual team and get to train with them. I'm already friends with them, and we've already gotten close and everything."
VOLLEYBALL
Hallie Roberts
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH Southwest Baptist (Bolivar, Mo.)
NOTABLE Played 217 total sets over her three-year varsity career. ... Had 123 kills and 15 serving aces as a senior. ... Will major in Mass Communications.
QUOTABLE "My coach went there and said it's a great program. Even though I am small, I have a lot of passion and energy. Although sometimes the odds are stacked against me because of my height, I make up for that with my passion and drive."
Molly Kingston
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH Hendrix College (Conway)
NOTABLE Played in 308 total sets over her three-year varsity career. ... Had a 20.5-percent kill rate as a senior from her defensive specialist position. ... Chose Hendrix over Arkansas Tech after visiting the campus.
QUOTABLE "Team is a big thing in volleyball because you can't blame the loss of a point on one person. We have to be together and be a team if we're going to accomplish what we want to accomplish, and I think I can really add to the team."
Lauren Cloud
SCHOOL Springdale Har-Ber
SIGNED WITH John Brown University (Siloam Springs)
NOTABLE Racked up 44 serving aces as a senior, giving her a 9.1-percent ace clip. ... Had 211 digs, which significantly jumped from the 10 she had as a junior. ...Will pursue a career as a nurse once she's finished with volleyball.
QUOTABLE "Ever since I was really little, I always wanted to play college volleyball. As I've gotten older, I made it my goal ... if it was in God's plan for me, I wanted to go on and play volleyball. I can play any position, usually except for front row."
Riley Robbe
SCHOOL Bentonville
SIGNED WITH University of Sioux Falls
NOTABLE The left-hander was a two-year starter and served as a right-side hitter and recorded 151 kills, good for fourth on the team. ... She finished second in aces with 30 and in blocks with 45 and added 82 digs.
QUOTABLE "I contacted them first. I was interested in going back north for volleyball since I grew up in Chicago, and the coaches also reached out to me after I sent them clips of me playing. When I visited the campus, I just fell in love with it. Sioux Falls was my best option because of the coaches and the atmosphere."
WRESTLING
Matthew Muller
SCHOOL Fayetteville
SIGNED WITH Arkansas-Little Rock
NOTABLE Enters his senior season with an 80-24 record on the mat. ... Won the 2018 state championship in the 182-pound weight class. ... Finished as a two-time conference champion. ... A two-time Arkansas National Team member. ... Became the first wrestler in the state to sign with UALR's wrestling team
QUOTABLE "This is something I've wanted to do for a very long time and to be able to compete at the Division I level has just always been a dream of mine.
Sports on 11/15/2018