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Jacobs' Heiss committs to Arkansas

Approximately fifty college baseball programs spoke to Lake in the Hills resident Brenden Heiss throughout the recruitment process and five made serious offers, but Arkansas made the right-handed pitcher from Jacobs truly feel wanted, he said.

Following a soul-searching meeting Sunday evening with Heiss' 17-U travel ball coach, Todd Fine of Top Tier, the junior decided there was no point in waiting further. He called Arkansas assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Tony Vitello at 10:30 p.m. and committed to the Razorbacks.

"It was late, but he didn't mind," said Heiss, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior whose repertoire includes a 2-seam fastball consistently thrown in the mid-90s, circle change, palmball and developing curveball.

"I wanted to go where someone really wanted me, and Arkansas definitely did that by constantly checking up on me and seeing how I was doing.

"And I wanted to go somewhere I know will help me get better. They have the No. 1 coaching pitching staff in the nation with (pitching coach) Dave Jorn, and (head) coach Dave Van Horn is one of the best. They're a phenomenal school that has everything I wanted, and they threw out an unbelievable offer for being an SEC school. They're a top-20 school in the nation. You can't pass that up."

Also a starting linebacker for the Jacobs football team, Heiss went 3-2 as a sophomore with a 2.15 ERA in 42 innings. He allowed 23 hits and 31 walks and struck out 44.

Heiss pitched Jacobs to its second consecutive regional championship last spring when he threw a 3-hitter with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks in a 7-2 title-game victory over 26-win Barrington.

Heiss joins a program that signed the top recruiting class in the nation a year ago, according to amateur baseball scouting service Perfect Game. Arkansas has made 13 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. The Razorbacks have appeared in seven College World Series, five Super Regionals and 27 NCAA Tournaments. They finished 40-25 in last season.

Heiss visited the Fayeteville, Arkansas campus in October. He said a key reason he gravitated toward the school was his rapport with the coaching staff.

"Being around the coaches and being able to talk to them about their school and have them be honest with me was definitely a factor," Heiss said.

Facilities were another factor. Heiss said he was impressed with Baum Field, a 10,000-seat stadium constructed in 1996, among other amenities: "They also have a $50 million indoor field so I can practice anytime I want."

Heiss said he will likely study business.

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