Do “Shenanigans” Belong in Baseball?

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn sounds off on opposing teams and the “shenanigans” that happen in their dugouts.

Arkansas Baseball fans woke up Friday with Christmas-like joy, as the 2022 Razorback Baseball season is set to begin with the Illinois State Redbirds.

The temperature in Fayetteville is supposed to just graze 50 degrees, but there is no need to worry. Head Coach Dave Van Horn has brought the heat.

Earlier this week, Illinois State head coach Steve Holm said that he and his squad respects Arkansas baseball and how they respect the game of baseball. Van Horn said that he appreciated the comment from Holm, saying that “we need more of that in baseball.”

“When we play other teams, there’s a lot of shenanigans going on in the dugouts and a lot of stuff that I don’t think really has a place in baseball,” said Van Horn during his press conference Thursday. “It’s one thing to get excited and cheer for your own team, that’s part of it. But, as far as “rah rah” and getting on the other team and acting the way that some teams do. If that’s what they do, they run their own program.”

To elaborate further, Van Horn gave two examples of how teams in the SEC conduct themselves. On the positive side, he says that his team respects Florida and head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

“An example, in our league, Florida’s good. They are like us, we respect each other,” says Van Horn. “(Kevin) O’Sullivan and I, our comments are “just play each other, we just play baseball.” There’s some teams that.. It’s a little different.”

While Van Horn is not shy about admitting his “old school” approach about respecting the game, he says he does have his limit of what he will tolerate opposing team’s antics. Once he gets to that point, he tells his team that he will turn his head and let them go at it if they want. One example was during the 2021 SEC opener against Alabama.

“That happened in conference (play) last year after the first game of the year. (Alabama was) chirpy and mouthy about how good they were.. We won the next two games.”

When it comes to setting the tone for the season, there’s no one better than Dave Van Horn.