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Hogs’ baseball was highlight for UA in athletics in 2018

Nate Olson
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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.

???? Wednesday Halftime Pod — featuring Andrew Hutchinson

Tye Richardson
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Phil & Tye mention what they got for Christmas, interview Andrew Hutchinson, Change My Mind and more!

‘Ruscin is Ranting’ podcast coming to website in January

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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ESPN Arkansas and HitThatLine.com will have a new digital venture featuring former Morning Rush host Derek Ruscin starting in January.

“Ruscin is Ranting” is a new digital podcast set to launch in January of 2019.

Each episode will highlight longtime radio and television host Derek Ruscin’s unique take on the Razorback news of the day mixed in with interesting conversations with newsmakers from the present and the past.

Ruscin, the host and creator of the podcast, will also become a periodic contributor on other ESPN Arkansas radio programs.

“This is where everything is heading, so to get to start something totally new from scratch is very exciting to me,” Ruscin said. “We will get to try lots of different things on this show because we do not have the constraints of time. Some things will work while others will not.

“It is going to be like nothing Razorback and sports fans around here have heard before and I am looking forward to the opportunity to speak directly to the fans again.”

“We are very excited to have Derek back as part of our lineup,” Tommy Craft, the general manager of ESPN Arkansas and HitThatLine.com said. “We are excited to offer content that will be fresh, different and directly tied to our digital brand HitThatLine.com and I could not think of a better host and talent to help us create this new podcast than Derek Ruscin.

“He understands Arkansas’ sports and will offer opinions and thought-provoking commentary that listeners will enjoy.”

Ruscin served as host of The Morning Rush on ESPN Arkansas from 2008 until March of 2018, stepping away after nearly 10 years and almost 10,000 hours of sports talk radio between the daily show and special pre and post game shows surrounding Arkansas Razorback football broadcasts.

During that time, Ruscin was also integral in launching ESPN Radio stations in Harrison and Fort Smith, The Morning Rush podcast, plus the popular website HitThatLine.com

The podcast will be available starting on Jan. 8, 2019, at HitThatLine.com and be published two-three times per week, according to Ruscin.

Nobody knows who’s going to emerge at quarterback for Hogs

Andy Hodges
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Competition is what Chad Morris is looking for and if you’ve been paying attention he’s not making any secret about it.

That includes every position, but especially at quarterback.

Some have appeared dismayed that Morris is recruiting so many quarterbacks. He has said repeatedly the new standard at Arkansas is being the best and you don’t do that with just one starter in college football these days.

The Razorbacks have scholarship quarterbacks Ty Storey, Daulton Hyatt, Connor Noland John Stephen Jones on campus right now. KJ Jefferson will be arriving this summer.

And they are trying to get a graduate transfer quarterback.

None of them are ahead of the others at this point. Some may think they know who’s better — or going to be — but the fact is nobody knows. That includes the coaches, by the way.

It’s all about the competition. Morris keeps saying, but nobody really wants to pay attention to it.

“We need competition at every position … we didn’t have enough of that this year,” he said at the signing day press conference last week.

The way things work in college football these days, every drill of every practice in the spring and fall camp will be scrutinized by the coaches. The thing Morris kept harping on last year was consistency at the position and he never really got it.

Now, to be fair, how much of that was on the quarterbacks, wide receivers or offensive line isn’t really known. Considering how poorly the latter two played at times, the quarterback really didn’t have much chance to be consistent.

What Morris will never do is publicly throw a player under the bus. Goodness knows, he had several opportunities over the past year to do just that (and with some, nobody would have criticized him). He doesn’t do that.

A national championship coach told me once, a couple of decades ago, a head coach is only as good as his assistants and a quarterback is only as good as the other 10 guys on the field allow him to be.

In the history of college football, no quarterback has done well throwing from a horizontal position, running like an inmate that just cleared the barbed wire or catching his own passes.

But in Morris’ system (and don’t talk about his offense because that can change with the skillset of the quarterback), the guy pulling the trigger has to make the correct decision consistently.

That puts a lot of pressure on the one player who’s going to get most of the credit or most of the blame … right or wrong.

And Morris wants that pressure to come in practice.

That’s why the competition at quarterback is going to be so critical. If any of these guys can’t handle the scrutiny and pressure in practice, how are they going to react when they have to go to Tuscaloosa in October?

Or, maybe more importantly, how are they going to handle things in Oxford the second week of the season?

All of that is why this is going to be an interesting spring practice at the quarterback position.

And an even more interesting fall camp.

Highlights of Arkansas’ 73-70 win over Texas State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas grinds out a 73-70 win over a tough Bobcats squad in their first meeting since 2005. The Hogs now lead the series 4-0.

Jones, Gafford pace Razorbacks to 73-70 win over Texas State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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PHOTOS BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

FAYETTEVILLE — Mason Jones tied his career-high with 21 points while Daniel Gafford recorded his fifth double-double, getting 19 points and 10 rebounds, to lead Arkansas(8-3) to a 73-70 victory over Texas State (10-2) Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

It marked the second straight game Jones has led the team in both scoring and assists, finishing with four helpers. Jones additionally had a career-high three steals and scored 10 of his 21 points at the free throw line.

Gabe Osabuohien also had four assists, which is a career high. Isaiah Joe, who was 7-of-8 at the free throw line, and Jalen Harris each scored 10 points.

The Bobcats opened the game by taking a 19-3 lead. The Razorbacks held Texas State scoreless for the next 5:20 during on a 17-0 run.

Gafford had a dunk and free throw to tie the game, 19-19, and Osabuohien gave Arkansas its first lead, 20-19, with a free throw at the 7:13 mark. Arkansas did not trail the remainder of the game, including a 34-27 lead at halftime.

Texas State would tie the game, 38-38, on a Nijal Pearson 3-pointer with 14:0 left in the game. However, Gafford answered with a dunk to regain the lead and hold on the rest of the way.

The Bobcats got to within two, 53-51, before Jones converted an old-fashion 3-point play to go up five with 5:13 left in the game. Including that free throw, Arkansas made 15-of-19 at the free throw line.

Arkansas will close the 2018 calendar year by hosting Austin Peay on Dec. 28 (Fri.) in Bud Walton Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 34 – Texas State 27

• Texas State got off to a quick start, but the Razorbacks held the Bobcats scoreless for 4:49. However, Arkansas had its troubles on the offensive end as well and the score stayed at 8-6 for over two minutes. The Bobcats drought ended with two free throws by Alonzo Sule with 13:05 left, which sparked an 11-0 run and 19-6 Texas State lead.

• The Razorback defense stepped up again, holding the Bobcats scoreless for 5:20 while Arkansas went on a 17-0 run. Gabe Osabuohien played a key role on both ends, including his second career 3-pointer. Arkansas tied the game, 19-19 on a Daniel Gafford dunk and free throw with 7:43 left. Osabuohien gave Arkansas its first lead, 20-19, on a free throw. Mason Jones capped the run with a 3-pointer.

• Overall, Arkansas went on a 21-2 run while holding the Bobcats scoreless for a combined 10:09 over two spans.

• Mason Jones and Daniel Gafford led the Razorbacks with 11 points each. Jones made 4-of-5 from the field. Gafford added six rebounds.

• Gabe Osabuohien finished the half with four points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a charge taken.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas was 20-of-26 at the free throw line in the second half to secure the win.

• Texas State tied the game, 38-38, on a 3-pointer. Daniel Gafford answered with a dunk and the Razorbacks never relinquished the lead.

• Up two, 53-51, Arkansas’ Mason Jones converted an old-fashion 3-point play to go up five with 5:13 left in the game. Including that free throw, Arkansas made 15-of-19 at the free throw line.

 GAME NOTES:

• Arkansas’ starters were Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Reggie Chaney (F) – Daniel Gafford (F). Chaney earned his first career start and this was the first time Arkansas used a different starting lineup this season.

• Arkansas controlled the tip, but Texas State’s Jaylen Harris scored the first points at 19:33. Jalen Harris scored the points for the Razorbacks, a floater on the right side at the 18:56 mark.

• This was the fourth meeting between Arkansas and Texas State. The Razorbacks won the previous three meetings.

• Arkansas snapped a two-game home losing streak with the win Saturday. Arkansas has not lost three straight at home since dropping the final three home games of the 2011-12 season versus Florida (Feb. 18), Alabama (Feb. 23) and Ole Miss (Feb. 28).

• Arkansas has won 11 straight in its final game before Christmas and is 15-4 in such games since 2000.

• Daniel Gafford recorded his fifth double-double of the season and eighth of his career.

• Isaiah Joe only made one field goal – a key 3-pointer late – but was 7-of-8 at the free throw line down the stretch to score 10 points.

• Isaiah Joe (10 points) and Daniel Gafford (19 points) are the only Razorbacks to score in double figures in all 11 games this season.

Anderson on team shooting better in win over Texas State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Mike Anderson talked after the 73-70 win over the Bobcats about improving on free throws and the team’s break over the Christmas holiday.

Jones, Gafford on hanging on for win against tough Bobcats

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorback players Mason Jones (21 points) and Daniel Gafford (19 points, 10 rebounds) talked about battling for the win over Texas State and getting home for Christmas.

Texas State’s Kaspar on surprising FT shooting

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bobcats coach Danny Kaspar talked after the game about his team’s 8-of-21 from the free-throw line (38.1 percent), which is below their average for the season.

???? Friday Halftime Pod — featuring Nate Olson

Tye Richardson
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Phil Elson & Tye Richardson discuss the doubt creeping into Razorback fans’ minds, FOMO Friday, plus Nate Olson joins the pod!

Hogs have learned how to win close games in busy 3-0 run

Andy Hodges
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Mike Neighbors knew when he made up the schedule it was going to be difficult in December.

Coaches don’t look forward to playing three games in five days, regardless of what they’ll say on the record.

“I probably would have called you a liar if you’d told me we’d go 3-0 in those games,” Neighbors said Friday morning.

And, of course, the Hogs just went 3-0.

Arkansas beat Prairie View on Sunday to start the week, then banged out an 84-80 win over a larger, more physical Nebraska team Tuesday night, then capped it off with a 61-59 win over Tulsa on Thursday afternoon.

Last year’s team wouldn’t have beaten the Huskers and probably turned around and lost on the road, too, two days later. Close wins over Texas-Arlington and Wisconsin fall into that category, too.

“No way,” Neighbors said. “We didn’t have the depth to overcome some of the things that happened to us. We may have gotten beat by 30.”

The Razorbacks got down 15-2 in the first quarter and it looked like things might get out of hand, but they finished on an 8-0 run to make it 15-10 at the end of the period. They made the plays in the fourth quarter to win it.

Less than 48 hours later was a road 115-mile road trip to face the Golden Hurricane.

“In a two-point game, we found a way to win,” Neighbors said. “We came out lethargic.”

It took a layup from senior Malica Monk after one of her drives down the lane to lock down the 61-59 win.

“The compounding effect of us starting slow, then playing fast probably worked to our advantage in the fourth quarter,” Neighbors said.

Like we said, nobody particularly tries to play three games in five days just before the holidays, but that’s how it played out.

“When we looked at putting the schedule together we knew it was going to be tough to get all the non-conference games in with everything going on,” Neighbors said. “We knew we’d have to play a condensed number of games. It was a real challenge.”

He got an idea this team was making strides in a closed game against the men’s practice team where the girls won, 109-108.

“You can’t reward a kid or the team if you don’t get what a win gives you,” Neighbors said. “Now they know what it feels like, looks like.”

That practice, plus winning three in a row, has allowed the Hogs to take a big step in learning how to win close games in the fourth quarter while building a 10-3 record and getting to No. 45 in the RPI as of Friday morning.

“That’s as high as anybody on this team has been,” Neighbors said. “We’ve played a lot of teams in the Top 100.”

It lets the team head into the Christmas break with what he called “a quiet confidence.”

“That’s a huge thing,” he said.

And it also led to the team heading in multiple directions from the Tulsa game … by car and airplane. They don’t have to return for a week.

“They’ve earned it,” Neighbors said. “This is the longest break I’ve ever given a team, even when I was coaching high school.”

Arkansas will play next Dec. 30 at home against Jackson State, then it gets serious.

The SEC schedule starts … with two-time defending national runner-up Mississippi State at Bud Walton on Jan. 3.

“They aren’t bad, are they?” Neighbors said.

As he pointed out, whoever came up with the SEC slogan “It just means more” was talking about all sports.

“They were dead-on for this league,” he said.

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