Razorbacks add another outfield piece in latest transfer pickup

Niu comes to Arkansas after spending the his junior season with the Marshall Thundering Herd where he slashed .276/.343/.560 with 15 homers and 52 runs batted in to go along with 14 stolen bases.

He will be eligible for the MLB Draft next week, having already spent three seasons in college, the first two at New Orleans. He is a career .282 hitter in college.

A native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Niu brings an element of positional versatility that would rival former Razorback Peyton Holt. Across his two seasons at New Orleans, Niu played at least one game at five different positions, including all three outfield positions.

In 2024, he made 43 out of 46 starts at corner infield positions (24 at first base, 19 at third base) with the rest coming in the outfield.

In 2025 with Marshall, Niu started all 58 games at shortstop and committed 33 errors for a fielding percentage of just .889, but he has since then transitioned back into a outfield position with Falmouth this summer. He's started all 17 games so far in center field without making an error.

Niu was ranked as the No. 3 outfield prospect in Pennsylvania out of high school and the No. 13 overall for the class of 2022, according to Perfect Game.

Niu is hitting the cover off the ball so far in the Cape Cod League, widely regraded as the best summer ball league for college players.

He leads all hitters with six home runs in just 66 at-bats, two more than any other player. He's also tied for fifth in the league with eight stolen bases while only being caught twice, showcasing all the tools that he possesses.

The Razorback outfield for coach Dave Van Horn remains in flux until after the MLB Draft is complete and players make their decision on whether to return to school or start their journey in pro ball. Logan Maxwell is out of eligibility after transferring to Arkansas from TCU for his senior season.

Charles Davalan is almost certainly going to sign as a high draft pick after being ranked in the Top 60 of the MLB PIpeline Top 200 List.

Justin Thomas Jr. is also draft-eligible and could open a third spot in the starting outfield, which would make it three straight seasons that all three positions from the previous year that would need to be replaced. Niu is the second outfielder in this year's Division I portal class, joining Zack Stewart of Missouri State.

Portal Tracker (D1 Only):

Departures (9):
Tag Andrews & Luke Williams
Gabe Fraser
1B Michael Anderson
C Zane Becker
RHP Lance Davis
LHP Jackson Farrell
RHP Ross Felder
C Elliott Peterson

Incoming Players (6):
Jackson Wells, Little Rock
Ethan McElvain, Vanderbilt
Dylan Grego, Ball State
Jackson Kircher, Oklahoma
Zack Stewart, Missouri State
TJ Pompey, Texas Tech
Maika Niu, Marshall

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