It was announced Tuesday that former Arkansas Razorback Eric Hinske was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the New York Yankees. In return, the Pirates will receive minor leaguers Casey Erickson and Eric Fryer.

Hinske, 31, played with Arkansas from 1996 to 1998. He set the Razorback’s single season record for runs scored when he crossed the plate 87 times in 1997. He was drafted by Chicago in ‘98 and made it to the Majors in 2002, the year he became the AL’s Rookie of the Year.

Hinske hit .255 with 1 homerun with Pittsburgh prior to the trade.

Dallas Keuchel, an Arkansas Razorback pitcher for the last three years, signed on with the Houston Astros last week, becoming the 7th 2009 draftee with a connection to Arkansas to go professional.

Keuchel, a native of Tulsa, OK, was selected by Houston in the 7th round of the draft as the 221st overall pick. The 6′3″ lefty compiled a 9-3 record this season with a 3.92 ERA. In his three season with Arkansas, he went 19-9 with a 4.56 ERA.

Keuchel was the first Razorback to selected in the 2009 draft, but is the third to sign. Scott Lyons and Ben Tshcepikow each signed with Kansas City, while other Razorback draftees Ryan Cisterna, Mike Bolsinger and Stephen Richards have yet to sign.

With the Arkansas Razorbacks no longer in the running for the College World Series, Scott Lyons’ and Ben Tschepikow’s collegiate baseball careers are over. But on Monday, both signed with the Kansas City Royals to begin their professional baseball careers.

Lyons and Tschepikow, both infielders, are the first of 6 Razorbacks selected in the 2009 Draft to go pro.

Lyons was picked in the 15th round (452nd overall) in 2009, though it was not his first time being selected. In 2007, the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the 36th round out of Mt San Jacinto College. He hit .295 with 8 homeruns with the Razorbacks in ‘09.

Tschepikow was selected two rounds after Lyons in the 17th round as the 512th overall pick. The Fayettville native hit .317 with 8 homeruns and 17 stoeln bases in 23 attemps.

Both players will have a shot at once again playing in Arkansas if they can make it to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the AA team for Kansas City

North Little Rock, AR native A.J. Burnett was originally given a 6-game suspension earlier this month for purposely throwing at a pitch at the head of a hitter. But on Sunday, the righty’s suspension was dropped to only 5 games after working out an agreement with MLB.

Burnett, according to MLB, allegedly threw at Texas Ranger Nelson Cruz with the intent of hitting him on June 2nd in the 5th inning. He was not ejected from the game and was eventually awarded the win.

Burnett’s suspension will start immediately. The Yankee hurler is 5-4 with a 4.24 ERA

The 1,428th overall pick in this years draft, Jordan Sallis, signed with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday after spending his 2009 season with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Contract terms were not disclosed.

Sallis, a lead off hitter by trade, was drafted in the 22nd round. He hit .280 with the UAFS Lions while stealing 28 bases. The Muskogee, OK native will likely start his professional career with the Lowell Spinners.

Sallis is the 5th 2009 draftee with connections to Arkansas to go professional.

Two days after the St. Louis Cardinals signed Southern Arkansas University pitcher Aaron Terry, another SAU player, James Schroeder, signed with the New York Mets on Wednesday after being drafted in the 33rd round during the 2009 Draft.

Schroeder, who spent the 2009 at pitcher and third base with SAU, will begin his professional career with the Brooklyn Cyclones, who start their season on June 19th. The Montgomery, TX native hit .344 with 19 homeruns at the plate while going 8-2 with a 3.38 ERA on the mound in ‘09.

Following in the footsteps of his brother, Jake Sullvian signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, becoming the third 2009 draftee from Arkansas to go professional. He will start his career with the Princeton Rays.

Sullivan, a native of Little Rock, AR, was drafted by Tampa bay in the 22nd round as the 679th player overall to be selected. He spent 2009 with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, going 5-5 with a 5.82 ERA. The Little Rock Central High product previously pitched with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith in 2006.

Jake’s brother Josh, who is also from Little Rock, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2005. He pitched up until last season, going 6 and 8 with a 3.16 ERA.

It was announced Monday that Aaron Terry has come to terms with the St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted in the 42nd round (1269th overall). Contract amounts were not announced.

Terry, a native of Rison, AR, went 7-2 record with a 2.97 ERA with the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders in 2009. He also struckout 78 hitters in only 60.2 innings while walking only 23. Another Mulerider, James Schroeder, was also selected in the draft.

The Houston Astros signed 22 players from the 2009 draft Monday, and included in the group was Ryan Humphrey, a native of Blytheville, AR.

Humphrey, a St. Louis Community College - Meramec outfielder, was selected by Houston as the 461st overall pick in the 15th round of the draft. The Gosnell High School product hit .278 with SCCM in 2009.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Los Angels Angels’ outfielder Torii Hunter became the 4th Arkansan in baseball history to hit 3 homeruns in one game Saturday. He completed the feat against the San Diego Padres, becoming second player ever to do so in an Interleague game.

Hunter, a Pine Bluff, AR native, hit a homerun in each of the 3rd, 5th and 7th innings during the Angels 9-1 win. His season homerun total now stands at 16, tied for 5th best in the AL.

Hunter joins Jim King, Tommy McCraw and Rick Monday as the only Arkansas-born baseball players to accomplish the rare feat.