Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks had a terrific 2023 campaign that was marred by a disappointing finish. But a failure? Not in this writer’s opinion.
Being outscored 50-15 in three games versus Texas Christian University this season certainly leaves a bad taste in the mouth regarding the Arkansas baseball team.
Dave Van Horn has created such a high standard for the program that anything short of a Omaha appearance is viewed as a failure by the majority of fans.
Six of the 16 teams left in the tournament are SEC teams. Arkansas shared the SEC title with Florida, who had to go to the distance to win the Gainesville regional.
That accomplishment cannot be derided. It is only the third time in Van Horn’s 21 seasons that he has won the conference overall.
Winning the Western Division is just as impressive. Seeing as the last two national champions are from it, and that Alabama is the only team from the division that hasn’t been in the College World Series in the last decade from it.
At the end of the day though, fans want to be hoisting the national championship trophy on the last week of June at Charles Schwab Field.
Until the Razorbacks finally break through and do that, the misplayed pop-up in 2018 will haunt Van Horn and his program.
People like to compare Van Horn to legendary Florida State skipper Mike Martin, as Martin has won more games than any other coach in NCAA baseball history and went to Omaha 17 times but never won the whole thing.
While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with that comparison, I’d argue that Van Horn is more like Dean Smith, despite it being a different sport.
Smith took over the North Carolina men’s basketball job in 1961 and was ultra successful after a rough first five seasons.
He went to the Final Four six times (1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977 and 1981) and was the national runner-up twice in ’68 and ’81.
Finally the Tar Heels broke through in 1982 with James Worthy and Sam Perkins and a guy named Michael Jordan and clipped Georgetown and Patrick Ewing in the closing seconds in the Superdome.
1981-82 was year 21 for Smith, which is what Van Horn just finished.
Van Horn has gone to Omaha 7 times as the Hog skipper, and has the 2018 runner-up finish while finishing third twice.
As well as he and his staff recruit, eventually they are going to secure that final out in the final game and bring a championship back to Fayetteville, surely.
