Listen Up Baseball Fans: It's Mostly Good News So Take a Deep Breath

Van Horn's track record says Razorbacks will be in the mix for SEC title and World Series trip

Arkansas Razorbacks outfielder Kuhio Aloy is a key hitter in this season's lineup, which has potential but has suffered inconsistency int he first 10 games of 2026. | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Dave Van Horn's highly regarded Arkansas baseball team opens SEC play in just 13 days.

If the Hogs want to contend for the league championship and another trip to the College World Series, they'd better get their act together — and quickly.

Good news for DVH and his players is they host Mississippi State in the opening SEC weekend in the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium.

Bad news is the Razorbacks were just 4-2 at home entering Saturday's game against UT Arlington following their second home setback this week.

Good news is the No. 6 Razorbacks have talent. Bad news is the hitters have been inconsistent and strike out too much, The pitching staff once again has hard throwers — witness the 118 strikeouts in 89 innings, an excellent percentage, and limiting opposing hitters to a lowly .197 average.

But the moundsmen have walked 27 in those 89 innings, not bad, but it gets worse as they've hit nine batters in just 10 games, producing a free-pass rate approaching four per contest.

Another promising stat is the defense, which owns a stellar .981 percentage, just .002 behind last year's outstanding glove work.

Calm Down: It's Way too Early for Baum Faithful to Panic

Good news that overrides all else is fan need to remember this is baseball. The guys play 60 games, 30 of those from mid-March to mid-May in the absolute best conference in the country.

This isn't football, which has a 12-game regular season and a loss to the likes of UT Arlington would signal the firing of Arkansas' coach. UT Arlington hasn't fielded a football team since 1985, but you get the point. Just think Citadel.

Losing to the likes of UT Arlington in basketball would also be unthinkable. John Calipari would lose sleep, his players would be ridiculed.

That shouldn't be the case in baseball, because any team can beat another because of one player. If the starting pitcher dominates the game, as Mavericks' right-hander Caylon Dygert did Friday, it can basically be game over.

Dygert blanked the Hogs for eight innings and was pulled one out from a complete game despite allowing just two hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out 11.

It's one game, or two if we count the Tuesday loss to Arkansas State. Fans should simply put both in the rear-view mirror and move on. The season is still young.

Keep Faith Because Van Horn Deserves Loyalty

Come post-season, the Hogs will be battle tested and likely worthy of a Top 10 ranking and high seed come NCAA Tournament time.

What needs fixed will likely happen because Van Horn, hitting coach Nate Thompson, pitching coach Matt Hobbs, and longtime assistant Bobby Wernes have a long track record together that is full of success.

One more thing, as we swing back to one loss in baseball doesn't mean the end of the world is approaching.

Arkansas was the second Top 10 scalp for UT Arlington this season. The Mavericks knocked off then-No. 7 TCU, 11–8, earlier this month at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers.

The Hogs' only other loss this season is to the Horned Frogs, 6-5, in the middle game of the season-opening Shriners Children's College Showdown at Globe Life Field. The Hogs topped a pair of strong programs in Oklahome State and Texas Tech in that showcase two weeks ago.

Weekend Series with Mavericks Continues, Ends Sunday

Besides the wins against Arkansas and TCU, the Mavericks have been bad. They lost two of three at Northwestern (La.) State and two of three at home to Lamar. They also lost 6-1 at home to Dallas Baptist on Tuesday and traveled to Fayetteville with a three-game losing streak.

Arkansas and UT Arlington play Game 2 of the weekend series Saturday at Baum-Walker. First pitch was scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game will stream on SEC Network+.

Fans can also listen to the game on Razorback Sports Network on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home. The game will also be available in broadcast markets online at HitThatLine.com

Game 3 of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m. at Baum-Walker, with the same ways to watch or listen.