Razorback head baseball coach Dave Van Horn watches his team take infield practice before their game versus Ole Miss in the CWS at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, NE

By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- The 2022 MLB Draft begins Sunday and Dave Van Horn will be among the coaches following it closely.

The first two rounds will be Sunday with 80 picks being made that day. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projects two current Razorbacks to hear their names called that day.

McDaniel projects Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace to the Colorado Rockies at the No. 38-overall spot which is in the competitive balance Round A. Wallace is a sophomore at Arkansas, but eligible to be drafted due to his age. This season in 67 games, Wallace hit 16 home runs with 60 RBI and a .298 batting average.

McDaniel also projects former Benton right-handed pitcher Peyton Pallette, who missed the entire 2022 season due to surgery, to be taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks at No. 43. Despite him missing the season, it appears the professional teams are ready to make him a good offer. In 2021, Pallette pitched in 15 games including 11 starts. He was 1-2 with an ERA of 4.02 in 56 innings. He fanned 67 and walked 20. Pallette was being penciled in as the Friday starter for the Hogs in 2022 before the injury.

McDaniel then listed one Razorback and a commitment as players not in his Top 80 picks, but could have been. They are second baseman Robert Moore and then Boerne (Texas) right-handed pitcher Cole Phillips, who is pledged to the Razorbacks. 

Moore was outstanding in the field in 2022, but struggled at the plate. He hit .232 with eight home runs and 44 RBI. That followed the 2021 season where Moore hit .283, 16 home runs and 53 RBI. 

Other Razorbacks, current or commitments, in McDaniel's Top 300 are Basic (Nev.) center fielder Mason Neville (115), Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles (162), Braswell (Texas) third baseman Jayson Jones (216) and Hogs first baseman Brady Slavens (256).