Hogs' loss in 1985 World Series 'bothers me to this day!'

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' first golden age of Razorback baseball occurred from 1979 to '89. Seems like a long time ago, but current Hogs coach Dave Van Horn is a link to those superb seasons.

Hogs coach Norm DeBriyn led the Hogs to four appearances in the College World Series in those 11 seasons: 1979, '85, '87 and '89.

Van Horn played his junior season at Arkansas in 1982 and earned All-Southwest Conference honors along with SWC Newcomer of the Year.

After playing three minor league seasons, he returned to Arkansas and was a graduate assistant coach on DeBriyn's staff for four seasons, from 1984-88.

A large contingent of that 1985 team gathered for a reunion this weekend and will be recognized on the field about 30 minutes prior to Saturday's 2 p.m. game against Texas.

The Hogs were a perennial contender for the national championship back in the '80s — as they are now — but the 1985 team helped create that mentality.

"When I came as a freshman in the fall of 82, upperclassmen talked about Texas like they were the Philistine army with a bunch of Goliaths!" former center fielder Mike Liggins said. "I refuted that thought process immediately!"

Some say the '85 bunch is the best in Hogs history. I'd argue it's the '79 team with big leaguers Kevin McReynolds, Johnny Ray, Tim Lollar and Ronn Reynolds.

I thought the '85 Hogs were the best team at the College World Series 40 years ago, despite future pros that dotted other rosters, including Mississippi State's Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley and Bobby Thigpen.

DeBriyn's team featured future big leaguers Jeff King, Pat Rice, Kevin Campbell and Jim Kremers. King and outfielder Ralph Kraus earned All-CWS honors.

The '85 team had 10 players drafted that season and several in subsequent years:
* Mike Loggins, center field, 3rd round
* Ellis Roby, second base, 5th
* Tim Deitz, closer, 6th
* Mark Jackson, right field, 8th
* Norm Roberts, left field, 8th
* Fred Farwell, pitcher, 10th
* Gary Murphy, pitcher, 14th
* Gary Curtis, infielder, 20th
* Derrick Richardson, shortstop, 21st
* Howard Hilton, pitcher, 22nd

Here's a collection of comments from members of that '85 team, which was 51-15 and won the regional at Florida State to advance to the CWS in Omaha, Neb.:

Pitching coach Dave Jorn:

"We were crushed by Mississippi State on the last day of April. They were still hitting in the bottom of 5 with the score 16-2.

"We played them the next day in Little Rock and I was not happy. I ran the pitchers unmercifully before the game, including our starter, Fred Farwell. They needed a wake up call.

"Freddy went eight innings and we won 13-1. That was May 1 and we never lost again in May. Very proud of the toughness of that group! Winners!"

Pitcher Fred Farwell:

Best memory:
Going to the World Series! A chance to be national champions!
"First night game in Fayetteville, a 5-4 win on Kraus' ninth-inning homer. The crowd was electric the whole game and when Ralph hit the dinger, the top blew off."

What made the '85 team special:
"We all got along and did things together off the field. We had a lot of fun and we expected to win every game we played."

First thought about the '85 season:
"The World Series and what an awesome team we had. I have followed the (Arkansas) teams and I still think we are the best TEAM in school history! We should have won it. It bothers me to this day!"

Center fielder Mike Loggins:

"We had it all — pitching, hitting, defense — and we all liked each other."

Best memory:
"I showed my kids the video of me homering against Texas in the CWS. Still have the video!"

Pitcher Rick Huntze:

"We beat future MLB stud Kevin Brown of Georgia Tech to advance to the CWS.
Obviously, our offense was stacked but our defense was outstanding. If a ball was hit to the outfield, I knew it would be caught.

Our pitching got hot at the right time, thanks to Howard Hilton. Until recently, we had the best winning percentage ever for a Hogs team."

Pitcher Ray Harris:

"I was just a pup (a freshman) and only threw seven innings that year. My highlight was getting torched by (future big leaguers) Ralphie Palmeiro and Bobby Thigpen. I did manage to get Will "The Thrill” Clark out, though.

"I couldn’t have had a better group of upperclassman to teach me the right way to play the game and to push me to be my best.

"Howard Hilton shutting out South Carolina and us winning 1-0 in 14 innings in our first game at the World Series."

Steve Clements:

"We should never have lost the Mississippi State game, 5-4, in the College World Series. Norm Roberts made a superb diving catch in left field and when he was attempting to get up, put his right hand in his glove to show the ball, and it slipped out of his hand, but after the catch was made [it was ruled not a catch.] Terrible call.