SEC Tourney Championship Not the Goal for Razorbacks

Arkansas needs to escape Hoover without injuries, not without losses

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
May 23, 2023 12:55 PM EDT

In this story:

HOOVER, Ala. – Welcome to a week of SEC practice games for those teams serious about winning the College World Series, or as it is commonly called, the SEC Tournament.

Much like in basketball, it is to a team's advantage to not go the distance in this tournament if it has already locked down a prime spot in the opening round of the real tournament. One need look no further than the last two SEC Tournaments. In 2021, Dave Van Horn led what may be his greatest team ever through the entire tournament, winning the championship, only to use up too much gas and get Arkansas bounced in the super regional. In 2022, same scenario. Tony Vitello led what might be Tennessee's best team ever to the SEC Tournament title, but didn't have the gas needed to get through the super regionals.

Back in 2021, Mississippi State got bounced as the No. 3 seed in its first game of the tournament. The Bulldogs were able to take advantage of Arkansas not making it to the College World Series and won the whole thing.

In 2022, it was Arkansas that got bounced as a No. 3 seed in its first game of the tournament. That gave Van Horn the time to rest his guys up and avoid any additional injuries. This was crucial because the Razorbacks needed every drop of juice they had left to hold off Oklahoma State in Stillwater twice in an emotional, grueling series. Arkansas went on to finish among the final three teams in the College World Series. For the record, Ole Miss got knocked out in Game 1 of the SEC Tournament, which nearly kept them from making the field, but gave the Rebels the rest and focus needed to win the whole thing, knocking off an Arkansas team it only beat once in the regular season two times in Omaha.

Even if the results of the past two years didn't clearly show how ill-advised it is for a legitimate contender to make a big run in Hoover, the Razorbacks are a badly beaten team. The injury list has been as long this year as a CVS receipt tape. Van Horn ran out of duct tape and glue a long time ago. All that's left is a bit of Scotch tape from the back of the junk drawer and it's not holding together all that well because it's covered in dust bunnies. The only priority for Arkansas is to get out of Hoover without more injuries.

Now, this doesn't mean Arkansas should intentionally throw the games. That's never OK and it's definitely not in Van Horn's DNA. However, it does mean approaching this tournament as if it's a mid-week game in February. The roster depth needs to get its work in and the coaches need a chance to evaluate where everyone is this late in the season in legitimate live action. As has been seen over and over again, Van Horn never knows when he's going to have to dig deep into his bullpen or reach far down the bench at a moment's notice because of an injury situation. Preparation for this could be the difference between going home in a regional and winning the entire thing.

There are a handful of Razorback fans who are so short-sighted that they can't see past the end of their noses and will lose their minds if Arkansas doesn't treat Wednesday's opener as if it's a Friday in late April with Tennessee coming into Baum-Walker, but not all games are weighted equally. It's fitting that the tournament starts on a Wednesday because a loss in Hoover holds as much weight as that Wednesday afternoon loss to UALR back in April.

It's simple. Get in, get a nice live practice or two in for the men who need a little extra work to make sure they're sharp, and get back to Fayetteville with as little damage to the roster as possible to prepare for what truly matters. Any fans predicating their idea of success on whether Arkansas wins the SEC Tournament is cheering for the wrong club. There's only one standard for success in this corner of the SEC and it's the College World Series. Trust the process.