How Historic is Hogs' Success and What Does It Mean?
Arkansas knocking down program records, but won't matter if Razorbacks can't make run
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas baseball team is off to one of the hottest starts in the history of college baseball. That might change with series at No. 4 Kentucky and at No. 1 Texas A&M still on the docket, but right now the Hogs are on pace to finish the regular season 47-8.
So, with such impressive numbers in mind, what does history tell us about how truly historical this year is and what it may mean heading into the postseason. The Hogs are no strangers to putting up seasons with a lot of wins, so there's plenty of evidence from which to draw.
35 Wins
That seems like a big number considering the Hogs haven't even reached the final weekend of April, but not so much for a full season. At least so far as the Razorbacks are concerned.
While 35 wins is a really good year for most programs, Arkansas has only failed to reach that number twice in Dave Van Horn's 22 seasons in Fayetteville.
However, this year's Razorbacks reached this total nearly a full week earlier than any team of the past decade.
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2023 - May 6
2022 - May 6
2021 - May 7
2020 - COVID
2019 - April 28
2018 - May 11
2017 - Didn't reach 35 wins
2016 - May 6
2015 - May 20
2014 - May 17
Running Out Of Steam?
The question over the years has been whether Arkansas can finish as strong as it starts. The idea is the hotter the Razorbacks start, the less they have in the tank down the final stretch and postseason when it really matters. So what do the numbers tell us about what happens after 35 wins?
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2023 - 8-6 (Regional)
2022 - 12-10 (3-2 at CWS)
2021 - 15-5 (Super Regional)
2020 - COVID
2019 - 12-9 (0-2 at CWS)
2018 - 16-6 (CWS runner-up)
2017 - Didn't reach 35 wins
2016 - 10-6 (Regional)
2015 - 5-5 (0-2 at CWS)
2014 - 5-4 (Regional)
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Only twice has Arkansas built up a head of steam after getting to 35 wins. One resulted in the dramatic CWS finish where the Razorbacks dropped a pop-up that cost them the national championship and the other saw the Hogs run out of gas against North Carolina State in a huge Super Regional upset. Other than that, it's been borderline .500 ball for Van Horn's teams once they get to 35, although it should be noted that was enough to get them three more trips to Omaha.
The biggest thing that can really be gained from this analysis is no one should expect Arkansas to fall completely off the table and finish the rest of the season with a losing record over however many games end up being left to play. The other is there is no need to panic if the Hogs go on a little bit of a losing streak because even with a 5-5 finish the Razorbacks found a way to Omaha.
HOGS FEED:
• Elson's call added to ESPN broadcast evoked reminders of more dangerous times when voice of Razorbacks announced Travelers game
• Arkansas in on another highly regarded basketball recruit
• Aloy's huge rbi day sparks Razorbacks late offense against UAPB
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