Arkansas baseball could be getting a major boost sooner rather than later with the return of infielder Nolan Souza, a key piece of the Razorbacks’ lineup who was lost to a season-ending labrum injury a year ago.
Nolan Souza Aims for Comeback After 2025 Injury
Before the injury cut his season short, Souza was in the middle of a productive sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder appeared in 32 games with 28 starts, all at second base, and showed the well-rounded skill set that made him one of Arkansas’ most intriguing position players. He slashed .250/.374/.427, launched four home runs, drove in 22 runs, and scored 24 times while adding a perfect 9-for-9 mark in stolen base attempts.
Souza entered last season with high expectations after an impressive true freshman year that earned him Freshman All-SEC honors. In his first season, the native Hawaiian played in 40 games with 31 starts, lining up at designated hitter (17 starts), second base (eight), and third base (six). He posted a .255/.366/.509 slash line, totaled 28 hits, hit seven home runs, drove in 28 runs, and scored 21 more, numbers that hinted at significant power potential to go along with his athleticism to add to his toolbox on the diamond.
That blend of speed, strength, and defensive versatility is exactly what makes Souza such an appealing piece for Arkansas as he works his way back to full strength. While he has shown the ability to play multiple positions, second base appears to be his most natural fit. That was where he was expected to spend the majority of the 2025 season before the labrum injury sidelined him.
Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn has expressed excitement about the possibility of finally seeing Souza get a full, healthy season after a year focused on rehab and development. The belief inside the program is that Souza’s best baseball may still be ahead of him.
The tools are undeniable. Souza’s size, speed, and raw power give him a ceiling that few players possess, and it's hard not to see some similarities to former Razorback shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, the electric star who parlayed his talent into a first-round selection by the Baltimore Orioles a year ago.
If Souza can return to form, Arkansas won’t just be adding another bat to the lineup, they’ll be reintroducing a dynamic, multi-dimensional athlete capable of impacting the game in a variety of ways. For a Razorbacks team with championship aspirations, getting a healthy Nolan Souza back in the fold could prove to be one of the most important developments of the season.