FAYETTEVILLE — One of Arkansas' top baseball signees said he will turn down professional baseball and play for the Razorbacks next season.
Outfielder Jordan McFarland (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) of Waterloo, Ill., said he won't sign with the Washington Nationals after he was selected by the organization in the 36th round of the MLB Draft on Saturday.
McFarland was rated the 374th-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, but fell to the late round because of a high asking price for a signing bonus. McFarland didn't give an exact number for his asking price, but said it would have taken first or second round money to persuade him to skip college.
According to slot values posted on MLB.com, second round picks command a signing bonus of between $920,100 and $1.53 million.
"I set a specific number and several teams that came just didn't reach it," McFarland said. "I stuck to the number I set before the draft came around. I think a lot of people when draft day comes around, they give in to the emotions of draft day and that was something going in that I definitely didn't want to do. I'm glad I didn't."
McFarland was considered one of the nation's top hitters as a senior and was named the 17-and-under national player of the year by Perfect Game USA last December. The right-handed hitter finished his senior season with a .500 batting average, 6 home runs, 31 RBI and 37 stolen bases.
"He's a little raw on the defensive end of things, but he's so strong and athletic, and he has such a passion for hitting that he's always in the cage," said Tony Vitello, Arkansas' hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. "He's pretty polished at the plate. He's a true bat."
McFarland said he expects to play corner outfield at Arkansas. He committed to the Razorbacks prior to his junior year of high school despite offers from other SEC programs.
"Arkansas was my first visit and it just felt special right away," McFarland said. "I took tours at other colleges and it just didn't feel the same."
With McFarland, the Razorbacks will keep at least two signees who were highly-projected by Baseball America. Dominic Fletcher, an outfielder from Cypress, Calif., and Lucas Krull, a left-handed pitcher from Shawnee, Kan., went undrafted despite being ranked among the top 500 prospects by Baseball America.
In addition to McFarland, Arkansas had six signees drafted, including catcher Ben Rortvedt of Verona, Wis., in the second round by the Minnesota Twins, and infielder Cole Stobbe of Omaha, Neb., in the third round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Drafted players have until July 15 to sign professional contracts or opt for college.