Hayes Hering committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday, becoming the program’s 17th pledge for the high school class of 2028.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound first baseman from China Spring High School in Waco, Texas, chose the Razorbacks.
Hering said the coaching staff is recruiting him primarily as a position player, though he also pitches left-handed.
“I would say I’m a big middle of the order hitter who has power, but is more of just a hitter,” Hering said.
“I think a lot of these big guys … they’re more just big power guys and just hit the ball really far,” Hering said.
Holden Hering, an older brother and a sophomore right-handed pitcher for Arkansas, signed with the Razorbacks last November and transferred from Weatherford College during the summer.
Hayes Hering visited Fayetteville from September 18 to 20, taking in an intrasquad scrimmage and a football game against Georgia, which preceded a wave of commitments from other prospects who made the trip. Hering also visited Oklahoma State and Baylor this fall and canceled a scheduled visit to LSU.
“I just knew Arkansas was the place,” Hering said.
While the brothers will share a campus, they are unlikely to play together unless Holden Hering stays for his senior year. Hayes Hering said that his brother did not pressure him to choose Fayetteville.
“He didn’t want me to come to Arkansas just because he’s there,” Hering said. “He always wants the best for me. It’s just a really good spot.”
“Unless he stays for his senior year, we won’t really be there together,” Hering said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Come here so we can play together.’ Obviously that would be cool and all, but I think he just wanted what was best for me and that just happened to be Arkansas.”
“That was really cool just kind of getting to see everything,” Hering said. Cory Beckham, who coaches Hering at China Spring High School, pointed to the player’s physical development and left-handed swing as key traits for the Southeastern Conference program.
“He’s got some unbelievable pop in his bat,” Beckham said.
“From what I hear, being a left-handed first baseman and hitter is something that the Arkansas coaching staff is really high on.”
“They’ve had some left-handed hitting first baseman, but they haven’t had many left-handed defensive first basemen, [and that] is something they really like,” Beckham said.
Beckham said Hering has “a really big frame” and has lost about 25 pounds.
“He’s gained muscle, moving better, running better,” Beckham said.
Hering joined a growing list of commitments for the Razorbacks’ 2028 recruiting class. Other recent additions include infielders Levi Abrego, Brooks Bond, Evan Canode, Griffin Gowens, and Madden Pike alongside catcher Cooper Mitchamore and outfielders Iggy Robinson and Jaxxon Tweedt. Catchers Cooper Mitchamore and Kai Watanabe round out the group.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette also provided coverage of the recruitment and the family’s baseball background, noting that Hart Hering, the father of Holden and Hayes, serves as an assistant coach at China Spring and previously played at Weatherford College, Texas A&M, and in the minor leagues.
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