FAYETTEVILLE — Ryder Helfrick committed to Arkansas’ baseball program sight unseen.
The first time Helfrick experienced Razorback baseball in person was as part of a big recruiting weekend for high school prospects that coincided with an Arkansas home football game. Helfrick attended a Friday night scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium.
So did thousands of others.
“I’m from California and college sports are not what it is here,” said Helfrick, now the Razorbacks' junior catcher. “Going to a college game on a Friday night, UCLA vs. Cal, there’s probably about 1,000 people there. So to see that fall ball game with 4,000 people, where you’re just scrimmaging yourself, it was eye-opening.