NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Arkansas Baseball is headed to the College World Series for the 12th time in program history. This is Dave Van Horn’s eighth trip to Omaha with the Arkansas Razorbacks, yet to raise the championship trophy. There have been some wild pushes to sneak into the College World Series, and there have been some major heartbreaks with eyes on the trophy for some years. Sometimes, Arkansas has a knack for being one piece away from winning a championship. Whether it be Arkansas Basketball, which is well-rounded but lacks three-point shooting. Arkansas will go and get its three-point shooters, but may then lack the big center to make it past the Final Four the following year. Arkansas Baseball has had glimpses of that issue, with years having 1st-round draft picks on the team, but one aspect of the game may be lacking year over year. There have been times when their pitching was not deep enough, or they only had home-run hitters, rather than the ability to string together hits to accumulate runs. This year, Arkansas Baseball has a well-rounded team, where its one flaw has shined in the postseason. Pitching was up and down all year, but it has been a rocket since the Regionals began. Our defense shone as usual, and Arkansas scored 41 runs in five games. As I have always said, we need to keep the immediate task at hand, and the College World Series can be a tournament filled with turmoil.
The College World Series is all set to begin Friday with eight teams remaining. There were some incredible teams to make it to Omaha, including the improbable Murray State. I have mentioned that college baseball may have the most parity among any collegiate or professional sport. When Murray State is one of the final teams remaining, it is firm evidence of the truth of that statement. The coach mows their own field for maintenance! You genuinely love to see it. The final eight teams are divided into two brackets, just like the first round of the regionals. It is a double-elimination bracket, and the winners of each bracket will face each other in the College World Series finals. Arkansas’ bracket consists of LSU, Murray State, and UCLA. Arkansas had the toughest matchup in their Supers when it came to our bracket.
LSU’s opponent was West Virginia, Murray State was Duke, and UCLA was UTSA. Arkansas had to face the number 14-ranked SEC Tennessee. Arkansas got it done in two games, hitting against two of the most powerful pitchers in the league this year. Murray State pulled off the improbable by getting out of the regional tournament with Ole Miss and Georgia Tech in their bracket. UCLA had a tough bracket as the 15 seed in the regionals but managed to advance quickly and take out UTSA in the super regionals. LSU had a slight hiccup in the Regionals against Little Rock (shout-out) in the regional tournament and almost did not advance, but managed to take the lead in the final game. LSU did not look back and won the first two games in the super regionals, and now Arkansas faces LSU in the first game of the College World Series.
Arkansas and LSU met once during the regular season in Louisiana. LSU took the series, winning the first two games, and Arkansas took the last game. Arkansas and LSU will put all their focus and firepower into this first game, as it is a considerable climb to win your bracket if you lose the first game. LSU will send out Kade Anderson, and Arkansas will send out Zach Root to pitch. This will be a repeat of Game 1 from the regular season. Both pitchers had good games, where Root only accounted for two earned runs while Anderson only accounted for three earned runs.
The final score was 5-4 LSU, and the game was as close as you would expect. In game one, Kade Anderson had his pitching under control and never wavered when runners were in scoring position. Arkansas was scoreless in the first three innings, and LSU only scored one run. During those three innings, Kade Anderson allowed only one hit per inning, and Kade controlled the other batters. Whether Kade was up in the count or placing his pitches in the soft spots to force pop flies or ground balls, he was able to get it done.
Now, Arkansas was coming off a dominant sweep of number one-ranked Texas in the series before, and Arkansas was flying high at that point. Our hitting all weekend against LSU was below average compared to our usual performance, and it seemed like there was maybe a slight hangover from the Texas series. Arkansas was very up and down during that stretch of the season.
Arkansas Baseball took the number one spot in the country after dominant wins against Vanderbilt and Missouri. After receiving that number one spot, Arkansas went on to lose a series to Georgia, Texas A&M, and Florida. After that downhill slope, Arkansas took out Texas and followed with the loss to LSU. Arkansas’ pitching and hitting were average at best during that streak of games, but they turned it around at the perfect time. Wehiwa Aloy won SEC Player of the Year, but during the postseason, Kozeal, Helfrick, and others have been putting up consistent hits and RBIs. This is not to diminish Wehiwa by any means. Wehiwa won SEC Player of the Year not just because of his hitting, but also because his defense is impeccable. Arkansas Baseball is certainly not what it was against LSU back in May.
Since the postseason, it seems like every Arkansas player is playing their best baseball not for themselves, but for their teammates. Their passion is genuine, and camaraderie is one of the most significant intangibles a sports team can possess. The team is fishing together and willing to do anything for each other. The Aloy Brothers brought a new piece of togetherness with the fans, as well. This year was the first time I can remember when a dog pile did not ensue upon advancing to the College World Series. Instead, they celebrated hard on the field and took the trophy to the fans and the hog pen to celebrate with them.
On the Chuck & Bo Show, Jamie Aloy, father of Wehiwa and Kuhio, stated that he was not surprised the Aloy brothers brought the trophy to the fans. Jamie said, “Our culture, we grew up always giving back to the people who give to us”. That is truly something beautiful that every single person in that park appreciates. Dave Van Horn was emotional during the post-game conference, showing his pride in the team’s ability to finish their season in Omaha. This is not to say that it might just be in the air for Arkansas Baseball, because they have also played the best baseball in the entire postseason. It takes so many elements to win the College World Series, and you want all the intangibles on your side. Vegas does favor Arkansas to win the College World Series and the matchup versus LSU on Saturday. As I always say, the team must focus on the task at hand and play their best ball on Saturday to make it easier on themselves for the rest of the tournament. As always, Go ‘Backs!
What are your thoughts on the upcoming College World Series, and who do you believe will raise the trophy in Omaha? Let me know your thoughts here or reach out to me on Twitter/Bluesky @RandallSlifer!
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