Fresno State OF Rocco Peppi, Oregon State RHP Aiden Jimenez commit to Arkansas baseball | Whole Hog Sports

FAYETTEVILLE — Two West Coast baseball players committed to play at Arkansas on Tuesday. 

Fresno State outfielder Rocco Peppi and Oregon State right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez committed in social media posts.

Jimenez, 6-3 and 216 pounds, will be a redshirt sophomore next season. He is the second pitcher to commit to the Razorbacks this week. Former Ohio State left-hander Landon Beidelschies, a rising junior, committed Monday. 

Jimenez did not pitch for the Beavers this season after undergoing season-ending surgery in February, according to The Oregonian. The injury was reportedly to his arm, but specifics of the injury were not reported. 

As a freshman in 2023, Jimenez went 5-2 with a 5.68 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He struck out 35 and walked 7 in 38 innings and batters had a .283 average against him. 

Jimenez made 21 relief appearances as a freshman and threw six shutout innings in his only career start, an elimination game against Sam Houston State at the Baton Rouge (La.) Regional. Jimenez was an all-star at the Cape Cod League last summer when he recorded a 1.14 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 15 2/3 innings. 

D1Baseball reported Jimenez threw a 94-96 mph fastball and 85-86 mph slider during fall practice. He also throws a sinker and splitter. Jimenez was projected to be a starter as a sophomore at Oregon State before his injury. 

The Elk Grove, Calif., native is the son of Jason Jimenez, an eight-year professional baseball veteran who pitched six games in relief while playing for the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays in 2002. 

Peppi, who will be a redshirt senior in 2025, batted .327 from the right side with 14 home runs, 16 doubles, 56 RBI and 43 runs scored in 56 games in his only year playing for the Bulldogs. He primarily batted second in the Fresno State lineup and started in left field 38 times. He also started 12 times as a designated hitter and three times in right field. 

The 5-11, 200-pound native of Huntington Beach, Calif., spent his first three collegiate seasons at Long Beach State, where he was honorable mention All-Big West Conference in 2022 after leading the team with 23 multiple-hit games. Peppi batted .278 with 6 home runs, 14 doubles and 33 RBI at Long Beach State in 2023. 

Peppi had 17 multiple-hit games at Fresno State this year, including 4-hit games in games at New Mexico on April 13 and at Washington State on April 28. He homered twice against San Jose State on April 20 and had a season-high 4 RBI against Columbia on March 10 and at UNLV on March 29. 

Peppi and Jimenez are the seventh and eighth Division I transfers to publicly commit to the Razorbacks this offseason. Arkansas also has commitments from Beidelschies and position players Charles Davalan of Florida Gulf Coast, Kuhio Aloy of BYU, Carson Hansen of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Maximus Martin of Georgia State and Logan Maxwell of TCU. 

Arkansas has commitments from five junior college players, including three who were All-Americans at that level.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Fresno State’s conference. The Bulldogs are a member of the Mountain West Conference.