Razorbacks can't afford to lose momentum after sweeping Texas

Fans back riding wave they can't afford to lose in Baton Rouge next weekend

Arkansas Razorbacks shortstop Wehiwa Aloy at the plate against the Texas Longhorns at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-HogsonSI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Arkansas finished sweeping Texas at Baum-Walker Stadium they got the bad taste of recent problems out of everybody's mouth.

Now they have a challenge just as big. The Razorbacks can't afford to pick up another one against LSU down on The Bayou. As the end of the regular season is coming fast, momentum could be huge.

"We needed to win the series," Hogs coach Dave Van Horn said later. "We’d lost three in a row. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, life in the SEC, it’s tough.

"About the time you think you’ve got it figured out somebody will get you three times on a weekend."

Van Horn has avoided that this year. Dropping series on the road against Georgia and Florida took the shine off what was promising hopes. Things were dim.

Being the first team in college baseball to rack up 40 wins, though, has the wagon rolling against. Fans jumping on, then off and now back on again are going to be worn out.

The credit really goes to the players. All Van Horn did was keep the attitude and confidence up there and that may have been the biggest thing of all.

"Today could have been a day where they’re scoring and we’re not pitching real good and they got their guys going, but our guys wouldn’t have any of it," Van Horn said. "They just kept fighting — fighting for another pitch and let the next guy do the job if I take ball four and three or four times today we did, with home runs."

That's the spirit he tries to instill in some of his players. He knows better than anybody it won't be there for every series.

If he didn't feel they had the ability to do something big he probably would handle things differently. This team has shown signs of being able to accomplish big things.

The Aloy brothers have been doing their thing all season. At times those have been mind-boggling. Charles Davalan seems to get a big hit once or twice almost every game.

Against Texas, other guys stepped up and made big plays when it was absolutely needed. Justin Thomas Jr. and Reese Robinett along with Brent Iredale made the biggest ones sweeping the Longhorns.

"Guys are injured, guys got to step up," Van Horn said. "If you've been playing a lot, you've got to play a little better. If you haven't played, you've got to help us. Those two position players did a tremendous job and just really happy for them."

Injuries are part of it. The thing about all college sports is if you're on the bench and hang around like Robinett has, sooner or later you'll get your opportunity.

"They're both really good teammates," Van Horn said. "Players really like them, pulling for them, you can tell in the dugout. When Reese hit the first home run, the dugout went nuts. That was his first home run of the year.

"Then the second home run, he's made up for not hitting many and hittwo at once, it looked like to me. That ball was crushed, and that was a big swing for us. So it's exciting."

It's all part of creating the momentum for the end of the year. That starts Friday in Baton Rouge against the Tigers who split a doubleheader with Texas A&M on Saturday. Sunday's game will decide the winner.