Hopefully, six months later you can look at the 2018 Arkansas baseball season in proper perspective.
Was it heart-breaking to lose to Oregon State, after it appeared the Hogs had swept the Beavers? You wouldn’t be a fan, if you weren’t disappointed when former second baseman Carson Shaddy was unable to secure that foul ball that would have iced the game and the series.
And you know the rest.
But, taking to Twitter and bashing Shaddy and other Hogs, that’s another story and probably uncharacteristic of the fan base as a whole, but it did happen.
Anyway, even the most irrational critics should be settled down by now, especially after a historically bad 2-10 football season. That should make Hog fans appreciate how special the baseball season was.
The Hogs’ College World Series run was definitely the highlight of the UA athletics program in 2018 — by a long shot.
We saw just how far Chad Morris has to build the football program and the Hogs hoops program turned in another ho-hum, one-and-done, NCAA Tournament performance that is becoming so common that many fans have lost interest.
So, it’s easy to see why Arkansas fans flood Baum Stadium. Dave Van Horn is the school’s best coach, regardless of sport; the teams win at a high level, and attract some of the nation’s best players.
It is an elite program, and those fans that don’t like baseball are now finally hopping on because who doesn’t like a winner? Especially, when your school’s other programs aren’t especially good.
We knew Arkansas would be a contender last spring with Blaine Knight, one of the nation’s top hurlers, returning along with a solid nucleus of other pitchers and position players. But it was a pair of freshmen, Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad that propelled Arkansas to the CWS Final. The pair both played beyond their years, and are two reasons why the Hogs should be back in Omaha again this summer.
As painful as the ending was for fans, the run also had to be enjoyable. Baum Stadium is one of the better game experiences in college baseball.
It was in its prime last year. I had my two boys in attendance on the front row down the first base line during the final Friday night game of the year to see Knight pitch against Texas A&M. The atmosphere was electric and almost reminded me of a football game.
If there is a better crowd in college baseball, I’d like to see it.
The athletic department does an outstanding job making the game-day environment top-notch. Now, if only they could do that for football and basketball, but that’s fodder for another column.
By the time Arkansas reached the postseason, the mania was at a fever pitch (pun intended). The regionals and Super Regionals at Baum Stadium were sold out quickly, and a large contingent of Hogs fans invaded Omaha.
A lot of fans made great memories attending those big games at Baum Stadium or in Omaha. There were unforgettable moments that fans couldn’t find elsewhere on campus.
With the Hogs tanking in football and lightyears away from the basketball dominance of the early 1990s, baseball has been the beacon in the night. There is still hope for football and basketball, but if you are waiting to go all-in on the baseball team, you shouldn’t.
If you can buy season tickets and travel to road games and the CWS, you ought to.
As I mentioned, there were plenty of pessimists who lamented the heartbreaking way Arkansas lost to Oregon State. But, all that run did was signal that Arkansas is a national player.
They will reload in 2019 and will be highly ranked in the various preseason polls.
Even though the football Hogs should be improved, it is most likely that Van Horn’s club will continue to be the biggest source of pride for Razorbacks fans in the new year.
It could be that way for a while.
