Hogs’ Coach Dave Van Horn Not Hitting Panic Button

With number of transfers, Razorbacks' coach feels replacements on way

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jul 7, 2022 6:26 PM EDT

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Some fans are worrying about Arkansas players leaving.

Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn appeared Thursday morning to be more focused on the ones coming in.

He doesn't panic.

"Fall ball will be fun this year," he said in a recap of a season that ended in Omaha with a loss to eventual national champion Ole Miss.

Dave Van Horn-Ole Miss CWS — Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn on the field before a game in the College World Series in Omaha against eventual national champion Ole Miss. (Crant Osborne / allHOGS Images)

It will be with a lot of new faces.

"There’s going to be a lot of competition, as it should be when you’re talking an SEC-type school," Van Horn said. "You should have good players on campus, the ones that you want to go into the SEC games with and the ones that know how to battle and earn a spot."

Like every other sport it comes down to recruiting. He doesn't bring in guys that don't fit the mindset of what he's learned over the years is needed to compete for a championship.

"They know they have to come in here and work and beat some guys out," Van Horn said. "The kids that wanted us to tell them, ‘hey, it’s yours. We’re not going to go after anyone else.’ Maybe we didn’t want that guy. We want guys that want to work and battle."

The transfer portal that is apparently here with us to stay awhile took some Hogs. That wasn't a surprise.

"We understand what’s going on now with the portal and opportunity to play," Van Horn said. "These are guys that have been in the program a couple of years and hadn’t played much."

He may understand, but some of them that doesn't necessarily make it easier.

"It gets difficult the older they get," Van Horn said.

As usual, though, there is a talented bunch of freshmen coming in, at least the ones who make it here. Some might be fairly high draft choices.

"If we lose them, we get it," he said.

But he's already got a good idea of who's coming but there is sometimes one that surprises him.

"They’re trying to figure out if they really going to get the amount that they want?" he said. "Then if they don’t, we just want them to stay strong.

"If they say they want a million dollars, and they’re being told we can’t give you more than $500,000, then they should come to school and triple that."

Connor Noland-Grand Canyon — Arkansas pitcher Connor Noland in the Razorbacks' 7-1 win over Grand Canyon in the first game of the NCAA Regional in Stillwater, Okla. (Walt Beazley / Arkansas Communications)

The biggest question, though, is whether pitcher Connor Noland will come back for a fifth season.

"Obviously we’d love to have him back," Van Horn said. "He’s got to make that final decision."

And he know there's a chance.

"It’s gonna have to be a situation where he feels really good about it, the organization is serious and if not you could see him back," he said. "We’ll see how it goes."

Which is about the way Dave looks at everything this time of the year.