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Razorback Baseball Fans Should Calm Down, Trust Van Horn

Diamond Hogs need to improve quickly to meet high expectations, reach coach's lofty goals
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn knows his team must improve to achieve what both he and fans expect.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn knows his team must improve to achieve what both he and fans expect. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas RazorbacksMississippi State Bulldogs

FAYETTEVILLE - Here's my biggest takeaway from Arkansas' baseball team losing its last two games to Stetson: The college season is a marathon.

Simply put, the Razorbacks haven't played a third of their season and lots of supposedly loyal Diamond Hog fans are up in arms.

But here's the thing. Nobody gets a prize halfway through the race. So if you're a Razorback fan, I'm here to say keep the faith.

Yes, coach Dave Van Horn's team should beat Stetson more than half the time. But upsets happen in sports, more in college baseball than football or basketball.

Lose to a team in football when your fans don't even know that school's mascot, then you've got a problem and will soon be looking for a new coach.

Baseball is different. Teams play 60 games, not a dozen. Teams with one good pitcher can steal a game from a nationally ranked program. Sometimes twice.

An old baseball adage is this: Don't get too high. Don't get too low. Even keel is what legendary Hogs skipper Norm DeBriyn, a Hall of Fame coach, preached when I played for him 50 years ago.

Former Hogs coach Norm DeBriyn and current coach Dave Van Horn walking onto field.
Former Arkansas Razorbacks coach Norm DeBriyn and current coach Dave Van Horn at a game against Missouri State on April 30, 2024, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

Reputations in baseball are earned in postseason, not in March

Van Horn knows what the Hogs do against SEC competition will determine their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

He also knows what the Hogs do in the postseason is how they'll be remembered by fans and the history books. That's when reputations are made.

Van Horn has led the Hogs to the College World Series eight times, spawning the nickname "Omahogs."

But two of his best teams failed to reach Omaha. Those were the '23 and '24 clubs, which were a combined 87-34. That was a huge disappointment for the coaches, players and fans who figured that was the year to win the national title.

But DVH has led the Razorbacks to the Series when nobody expected it. His 2009 team was 14-15 in the SEC and earned a trip to Omaha. In 2012 the Hogs were 16-14 in conference and reached the Series.

What the Hogs do against Stetson is important, yes. But March is about basketball. What the Diamond Hogs do beginning in mid-May is what creates memories for fans.

DVH has built a national power; it won't crumble in a week

My perspective was formed as a shortstop and pitcher, as a 19th-round draft pick, and over five decades of seeing Arkansas baseball up close. I covered the team as a sportswriter for 22 seasons, rarely missing a pitch.

I've seen the greats from Kevin McReynolds to Tom Pagnozzi, Jeff King, Ryan Lundquist, Andrew Benintendi, Kevin Kopps, Hagen Smith and Wehiwa Aloy.

I've seen the recent generation of stars up close at Baum-Walker and have known Van Horn since he played for the Razorbacks in 1982. He was back three years later as part of DeBriyn's staff.

Van Horn knew the game, had a feel for relationships, and seemed destined to succeed. I'd say he's done that and more. He's a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

So when a fan screams, "Unacceptable" as one social media hero posted the other day, I invariably suggest patience. That's not a common trait among most fans, but it sure helps keep the game in perspective.

Will Hog fans remember the Hatters when it matters?

In college baseball, teams play four times a week. The goal, of course, is win every game. Doesn't work that way, never has, never will. Nobody goes undefeated in baseball.

So you strive to win every game possible, but don't celebrate too much and don't fret over the setbacks. Yes, it seems outrageous to lose to a team called the Hatters but, as Van Horn said Monday, "That's just the way it goes sometimes."

I half expected DVH to utter this old baseball truism, the one that says a team is going to win a third of its games, lose a third, and success or failure is determined by what happens in that other third.

As a coach, all you can do is move on, help your players learn from mistakes and improve, and take 'em one at a time.

If the Hogs are hosting a Super Regional in May, or even playing in one on the road, two losses to the Hatters will be long forgotten.

Has Van Horn earned your respect and trust?

Coach Van Horn still thinks he has a good team, but he's trying to figure out how to plug some holes, how to get consistency with the bats.

He knows this group has to get better, and fast, if it is to have any chance to live up to its No. 6 national ranking. Supposedly, Van Horn had a stellar recruiting class.

That hasn't translated to great performances or playing what he might call Razorbacks baseball.

"We've gotta take our walks. We've gotta swing at strikes," Van Horn said. "We do that, we'll be pretty good."

It goes a bit deeper than that, though, and he certainly got his players' attention with this short, but powerful jab at the end of Monday's post-game press conference.

The Razorbacks' next contest is Friday when they open SEC action at Baum-Walker Stadium against No. 3 Mississippi State. Fans will show up — they always do — but will be wondering if they'll see the Hogs who had won five straight games by a 50-5 margin or the team that lost the next two to the Stetson Hatters.

My instincts say the Hogs will play well although all their problems won't suddenly be fixed. What's certain is it'll be a show worth the price of admission.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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