Interview: Arkansas Razorbacks 2016 Pitcher Signee Dylan Thompson Readies for Senior Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Since the 2004 college baseball season, the Arkansas Razorbacks have been one of the most consistent teams in the nation year after year. Dave Van Horn took the Diamond Hogs to the College World Series in 2004, 2009, 2012, and 2015 matching the program’s total CWS appearances in the 85 prior years of Arkansas baseball (93 total years as of the 2015 season).

The Razorbacks have produced 22 All-Americans with Andrew Benintendi being the most recent recipient parlaying his success in Fayetteville into the 2015 SEC Player of the Year, Baseball America College Player of the Year, and a MLB first round draft selection by the Boston Red Sox as the No. 7 overall selection.

The growing pile of wins, awards, and accolades Van Horn has brought to the Arkansas program has largely been built on the nasty stuff coming off the mound. Van Horn and staff has helped mold Ryne Stanek (2013), Brett Eibner (2010), Dallas Keuchel (2009), Jess Todd (2009), Drew Smyly (2010), D.J. Baxendale (2012), and Nolan Sanburn (2012), just to name a few, into next level talents. Another nasty pitcher ready to make his mark with the Razorbacks is Little Rock Catholic Class of 2016 signee Dylan Thompson.

Thompson has the makings of being another in a long line of quality pitchers Arkansas has rolled out in SEC play. Listed at 6’3”, 175 pounds, Thompson has four pitches he throws hitting his mark in the high 80’s consistently. Two things Thompson has going for him over most other pitchers, he’s a lefty with a lot of natural movement on his ball and does a great job of commanding the strike zone.

During his sophomore season, Thompson was a 7A All-State pitcher following up that terrific season posting a 2.19 ERA with 75 strikeouts against 22 walks in 64 innings pitched. Before his senior year at Catholic High began, Thompson committed to the Hogs on July 10, 2015, sealing his pitching talents with a perennial winner in an environment where he can further hone his craft to next level abilities.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Thompson before the beginning of his senior season to get caught up on his recruitment process with the Razorbacks and got the inside scoop on his stuff coming off the rubber.

Interview

Dylan, you had a great junior season. What pitches do you employ on the mound?

“I throw a fastball, curve, change-up, and a two seamer.”

What is your best pitch?

“My change-up is really effective after my fastball. People say it looks like it hits a wall. The look of my change-up comes out like a straight fastball but then floats down and away.”

What type of curveball are you throwing? A 12-6 or-

“My pitching coach and I have been working on that. I have an 11-5 curve. We’re working on getting a 12-6.”

What does your fastball hit on the radar gun?

“Last summer I was hitting 86, 87, and 88. My summer coach told me I hit 89 early in the summer. I’m not sure what I’m hitting now.”

What type of pitcher are you on the mound? Are you a command pitcher, an off-balance pitcher, and/or just do a great job of mixing everything up?

“I try to not let the batters read me so they can’t sit on me. I’m not afraid to start off a count with a curve or on a 3-2 count throw a curve. I make sure I stay poised even if I get rattled or hit. I don’t show my emotions. I always try to keep them off balanced.”

Are you playing any other positions for Catholic High this year other than pitcher?

“No, I’m just pitching. I recently moved to pitcher only after hitting the last three years.”

When does the season start for the Rockets?

“We start on Feb. 29 in a tournament in Benton.”

Have you started thinking about where you might play your summer ball before heading up to Fayetteville?

“No. Summer ball is when you play with other teams, usually our coach wants us to play for his summer team. This past summer he let us free so I went and played with a team called the Midwest Elite. They have a really good program out of Oklahoma. They bring in people from around the area. We played around the region in a bunch of good tournaments. I’ve been invited to play with some teams, we’ll see how it all goes.

“I am playing for a summer team out of Dallas. They called one of my summer coaches from last year to set it up.”

Before you committed to Arkansas, what offers were extended to you?

“I had offers from the Arkansas schools like UALR (Arkansas-Little Rock), UCA (Central Arkansas), ASU (Arkansas State), Arkansas, Missouri State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. There were three other schools that wanted me to come up to visit KSU (Kansas State), Wichita State, and Oral Roberts. I actually spoke with and saw a little bit of the Oral Roberts facilities. We were playing at a tournament next to their campus. Right after I pitched the coach asked me if I needed ice. We went to get ice and he took me on a quick tour.”

When did you officially sign with the Hogs?

“I signed on Nov. 13.”

What led you to sign with the Razorbacks?

“It’s the school everyone wants to go to and dreams about going to in the state for baseball, football, and basketball. I always thought how cool it would be to go to school there and play there. I went up there for an official and got an offer. It was surreal that it was actually happening. I always thought that if I didn’t play baseball I would more than likely go to Arkansas for college anyway. They went to the College World Series last year, their fields are the nicest I’ve seen, and their facilities are all top notch. It made a lot of sense for me to go there.”

Have they talked to you about how they want to use you once you are on campus? Will you be a starter, long reliever, short reliever, or closer?

“No they haven’t. They are leaving that up to us. They scrimmage a lot, they have a ton of scrimmages. They decide everything that way. They did not say you will be a starter, you can control that by well you perform.”

Do you have a preference?

“I have not thought about it yet. I’m not sure what I want to do yet.”

How is everything going in the classroom for you?

“I have a 3.8 GPA.”

Excellent. Have you squared away the ACT or SAT yet?

“I took the ACT once and got a 22. I felt that was good enough.”

Agreed. Dylan, thanks for your time today and good luck with your senior season with Catholic High.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: Thompson family; Dylan Thompson on the mound.

Photo credit: Thompson family; Dylan Thompson in the dugout during an official visit with the Razorbacks.

Photo credit: Thompson family; Dylan Thompson and friends on the field during an official visit with the Arkansas Razorbacks.