PALO ALTO, Calif. - With its season-ending loss on Saturday in the Stanford Regional, Arkansas said goodbye to four seniors.

But there's an underclassmen leaving the Razorbacks as well and he might be the most sorely missed of them all.

Junior third baseman Logan Forsythe played in his final game for Arkansas on Saturday, a 5-1 loss to regional host Stanford. He said there's no doubt he will leave school early to enter the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

"I've tried not to think about the draft all year, but it's hard when a thousand people call you," Forsythe said. "At the same time, when I came here (to the regional) I thought we got a second chance and we've got a shot to do something.

"We've done this the past three years. We make it to a regional and we come close. But we don't have that one game that gives us the momentum to keep going. So it's tough. I don't want to take this jersey off. I don't want to not be in the locker room anymore. But at the same time, God willing I'm going to get drafted pretty good and we'll see what happens."

A first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick this season, Forsythe is projected as a second- or third-round pick. Ranked as the No. 61 prospect in the country by Keith Law of Scouts Inc. and No. 76 by Baseball America, the decision to leave early has been made for months.

Still, knowing Forsythe will be gone doesn't make it any easier for Arkansas to say goodbye.

"You hate to see a guy like Logan go. He's such a leader and the guys looked up to him in the clubhouse," Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn said. "He just came to play every day. He plays hard, he hustles and he doesn't like to lose.

"It's a little different than it was 20 years ago, some of the personalities we deal with kids. Logan is a little bit of a throwback and it's a pleasure to have a guy like that on the team. You know you get one guy like that, he'll bring 10 with him. So hopefully some other guys will develop that personality and take his leadership role next year."

A Bulldog Effort

Justin Wells pitched an effective three-plus innings of relief for Arkansas on Saturday, retiring nine of the first 11 batters he faced. But what made Wells' effort even more impressive was his willingness to play through the pain.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Stanford center fielder Sean Ratliff lined a drive back toward the mound. And Wells attempted to field the ball - with his bare hand.

Despite the stinging sensation, Wells stayed in the game and pitched another 1 2/3 innings before leaving.

"Wells did a great job," Van Horn said. "If he hadn't gotten hit in the hand, he would have been able to finish it. After that he kind of struggled and that's why we went out there and got him.

"He's just a bulldog out there. I love it when he pitches and I've got so much confidence in him. He's one of those guys, even if he gives up a few hits it doesn't bother you that much because you see the grit and determination. He's a guy that I think has been a big plus for us this season."

Regional Wrapup

Arkansas left a total of 23 runners on base in its two games. ... The Razorbacks went 0-2 in regional play for the first time since 1996. ... Leadoff batter Chase Leavitt led Arkansas at the plate, going 4-for-8 with two walks. ... The Diamond Hogs were one of two SEC teams to go 0-2 in regional play. Florida was the other, losing both games in the Tallahassee Regional.