LHP Owen Davenport is one of the top arms for the 2026 grad class and looks to continue his dominance in the upcoming season. Davenport possesses clean mechanical delivery from the left-side with swing and miss stuff. Repeatable mechanics that produce easy velocity. Look for him to play a big role in Conway's spring season. 

We recently had the chance to talk to Davenport about his recruitment process along with some other fun topics, below.

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Our Q&A

Prep Baseball: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Owen: I was going into the recruiting process hoping to find a school that I knew would be the right fit for me. I didn't know that much about what to expect from schools reaching out, but I knew that I wanted the school to be a place that felt like home. I wanted to go somewhere that I felt like I had a good chance to play early in my career, and get the opportunity to build a strong relationship with teammates that I would be able to spend the next 4 years with and love it the whole time. 

PB: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

O: I love UCA, being from Conway I was able to already get to know a lot of the guys on the team before I was there, especially with players from UCA leading our high school teams small group. I love what the program stands for, with their motto being Fight, Finish, Faith. A school that puts God first is something that I knew was going to be a good fit for me, and knowing that the guys on the team have a similar mindset made committing to UCA an easy choice. The coaches are believers in growing their players into not only better athletes, but also developing them into being better men. It felt more like a family than a business which I loved.

PB: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

O: I would say that it is important that you find a school that really wants you on their team. If you are going into the recruiting process, make sure that where you decide to go feels like home, and that it feels like a place where you can thrive. When you find the school that's the right fit for you, you will know in your heart that it's the right place.

PB: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

O: I would say that distance wasn't the thing that I was most worried about, but I lucked out that it's just down the road so my parents can come to every home game and not have too much of a drive.

PB: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

O: I got a couple calls August 1st, including from UCA, but after that there really wasn't a whole lot coming in. I committed pretty early in the recruiting process so I didn't really have too much time to sit and think about where I was going to end up. Since I'm from Conway, UCA had been able to watch games all year, and I got the opportunity to play at their field against Greenbrier my sophomore year, which I knew all the coaches were at. 

PB: Was there a particular Prep Baseball tournament or showcase that helped accelerate your recruiting process? If yes, how so?

O: Getting to play in the Futures Games definitely helped me out a lot. I was able to play with a great group of guys there and had a good outing which I think was a key factor in helping my recruitment. If given the chance to play in that showcase I think every player should take that opportunity, just go out there and play your game, and don't try to do too much. Coaches want to see your game and how you play.

PB: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

O: The only offer I had was from UCA, and since I committed pretty early there weren't many schools that had reached out yet.

PB: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

O: The player that has probably done the best against me in High School is probably Ethan Young. He has gotten a hit more times than he's gotten out against me. Luckily I play with the two best players in the state in my opinion, being Max Holland and Shaun Cover. Those guys are by far the best players and are even better teammates. I am blessed to have gotten the opportunity to play with those guys, along with the rest of my teammates at Conway High.

PB: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?

O: I would steal Noah Bolingers control, we played against him last year at Arkansas Tech and he had our number. He was hitting spots left and right and is the most underrated arm in the state without a doubt.

PB: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?

O: Sophomore Simon Abel is an absolute stud on our team. If Nate Wanamaker wasn't already committed he would be here too.

PB: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

O: My whole life I had always told myself I would play in college. I knew from a young age that in order to make it to the next level I had to truly believe I was good enough to make it. I really started to notice that it was paying off when I was 14, the first year I started playing in showcase events and was still performing how I wanted to.

PB: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

O: Sophomore year closing out the game against Bryant to win Conference Champs. That game was so electric and was a hard fought game with my team.

PB: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

O: I think that the guys are all ready to have a great year. We have a lot of Seniors and we have all tried to take a step to get to the next level after our loss against Fayetteville last year in the Semis. We have a lot of competitors on this team and we are looking to have a great year, trying to glorify the Lord in every game we play.