On Saturday, February 15th, the Prep Baseball Arkansas team hosted the annual Northwest Arkansas Preseason ID at Upper Deck Indoor Ballpark in Fort Smith, AR. This event was open for all high school classes (2025-28), and gave our staff an ample look at the area's top players. 

For a full look at the players that attended, click HERE.

Shortly after the event, our staff compiled several of the day’s stat leaders inside our traditional ‘Stat Story’, which you can find HERE. 

Today, after combing through our notes from the day, we’ve compiled some of the event’s standouts below within these ‘Quick Hits’.

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Caden Mendenhall SS / RHP / Greenwood, AR / 2028 Rankings  StateRank: 7 / POS: 3 Mendenhall continues to solidify himself as a standout two-way prospect in the state’s 2028 class. Boasting an ultra-projectable frame at 6-foot-2, 168 pounds, Mendenhall has plenty of room to add strength and size. At the plate, he showed a knack for consistent hard contact, posting an 86.0 mph average exit velocity and driving line drives to all fields, peaking at 91.7 mph. Defensively, his arm strength stood out, delivering an 85 mph infield velocity with smooth, reliable actions. That same arm strength translated seamlessly to the mound, where he ran his fastball up to 82.1 mph (sitting 80-82 mph) with more velocity likely to come. He complemented it with a sharp 70-71 mph slider and a 73-75 mph changeup featuring heavy arm-side action. With his high ceiling and all-around skill set, Mendenhall is a name to watch in the years ahead.

Max Stewart OF / RHP / Har-Ber, AR / 2026 Stewart put together an impressive all-around performance on Saturday, showcasing his two-way potential. The 6-foot-1, 184-pound junior stood out most at the plate, where his quick, rotational swing consistently found the barrel. Stewart recorded the highest exit velocity of the day at 96 mph, with a strong average of 88.4 mph per batted ball. Defensively, his arm strength was on full display, as he uncorked the day’s top outfield velocity at 87 mph. He capped off his performance on the mound, sitting in the low-to-mid-80s and touching 85.7 mph with a fastball that occasionally showed ride through the top of the zone. His 70-72 mph curveball featured depth and swing-and-miss potential, while his 72-73 mph changeup generated 17.3 inches of horizontal movement.

Logan Renfro C / 3B / Gravette, AR / 2026 Rankings  StateRank: 113 / POS: 12 Renfro delivered one of the most impactful BP rounds in this look, showcasing his strength and repeatable inside-out swing to drive balls gap to gap with consistency. His simple swing, built for the next level, produced a peak exit velocity of 95.2 mph while averaging an impressive 86.8 mph per batted ball.

Ronin Ketchum SS / RHP / Northside, AR / 2028 Another standout freshman two-way talent, Ketchum showcased an advanced all-around skill set in this look. At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, he possesses a physically mature frame and plenty of raw power in his quick, intent-driven right-handed swing, posting a peak exit velocity of 94.6 mph. On the mound, the right-hander impressed with a polished four-pitch mix and a knack for filling up the zone. His fastball jumped out of the hand at 82-85 mph, spinning at 2,400+ RPM. He showed the ability to manipulate spin with two distinct breaking balls—a 64-67 mph curveball and a sharp 71-77 mph slider that generated up to -18.5 inches of horizontal movement. Rounding out his arsenal, he turned over a fading 73-75 mph changeup. With his advanced feel for both sides of the game, Ketchum is a high-upside prospect to watch in the coming years.

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