For a few years in the middle of the 2010s, Arkansas and Missouri State had one of the best nontraditional rivalries in college baseball.
Alas, the Diamond Hogs have remained near the top of the sport’s landscape, competing for College World Series berths seemingly every season. The Bears, went through a struggle in latter part of the decade.
Now, though, in 2023, with Arkansas again in the nation’s Top 10 and Missouri State second in the Missouri Valley Conference, the teams’ one-off meeting Tuesday night should have some fire behind it.
Arkansas is heading up the road about two hours to Springfield for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, assuming the weather cooperates. Fresh off a sweep at the hands of Georgia on the weekend, the Razorbacks could use a bout of good fortune.
Missouri State isn’t exactly going to just hand it over. The Bears are 11-4 in MVC play and are a borderline NCAA Tournament caliber club. Besides, Keith Guttin has been coaching at Missouri State since 1983. He’s seen Arkansas and Dave Van Horn a time or two.