Dave Van Horn is approaching legendary status. In his two decades at Arkansas, only once have the Razorbacks not been absolutely dynamite.
That status will remain through 2023, too. Though that doesn’t mean a College World Series berth for a second straight year is a given.
Arkansas came one game shy of making the best-of-three title series last year, falling to Ole Miss. The Rebels went on to win. But Ole Miss is also projected to finish below the Razorbacks this season.
So are many teams. Arkansas was ranked inside the Top 10 in all but one of the six major preseason polls. They also play in the SEC, where the going is ridiculous. Even inside the Top 10, six teams from the conference are slotted ahead.
That means a rough road. A .500 season in SEC play could be more than enough to be a precursor to a deep an NCAA Tournament run.
The question is: will they get it?