A long wait ends
Hogs, Red Wolves set for first meeting in baseball.
FAYETTEVILLE — As a Mississippi State assistant baseball coach from 19942008, Tommy Raffo faced the University of Arkansas 45 times.
The Bulldogs held a 2322 advantage in those SEC West matchups.
“Extremely competitive between Arkansas and Mississippi State,” Raffo said. “Great ballgames and a lot of fans at both sites.”
Raffo’s games against the Razorbacks stopped when he was hired as Arkansas State University’s coach on July 1, 2008.
Arkansas’ administration had a long-standing policy of not scheduling in-state colleges in any sports.
But Raffo had hope that would change eventually after he got a phone call from Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn.
“Dave called within a couple of days of me being hired and said, ‘Congratulations, and I absolutely want to schedule you, but my hands are tied right now,’ ” Raffo said. “Having competed against him in the SEC, I knew he was being honest and wanted to play. He could have cared less about the political part of it.
“He said, ‘Listen, I’m going to call you if this thing ever opens up.’ I said, ‘Great, we’d love to do it.’ So lo and behold it opens up, and he calls first thing and says, ‘Hey, let’s play.’ I said, ‘Great, let’s do it.’
“I never had a doubt in my mind Dave would call and schedule us when he could. I knew he’d be true to his word.”
The No. 1-ranked Razorbacks (36-9) and Red Wolves (16-24) finally will play in baseball for the first time at 6:30 tonight in Baum-Walker Stadium.
Each team will start a freshman right-hander with Jaxon Wiggins (3-0, 5.11 ERA) throwing for Arkansas against ASU’s Tyler Jeans (12, 6.41 ERA).
“It’ll be kind of an interesting event,” Van Horn said.
Van Horn, in his 19th season at Arkansas, long pushed for the Razorbacks to play in-state opponents.
It finally happened in 2019 when Van Horn was allowed to schedule other schools in the UA system — the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff — and the Razorbacks faced those teams in other sports with the permission of new Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek and the administration.
In June 2020, Yurachek announced Arkansas coaches could schedule ASU and UCA as well as UALR and UAPB in all sports.
The Razorbacks already have played the Trojans, Bears and Golden Lions five times this season and are 5-0. ASU will be the last NCAA Division I team in Arkansas the Razorbacks have played.
“This is a big deal for the state of Arkansas in regard to baseball and the way kids view baseball in the state, that all the schools are playing each other now,” Raffo said. in of getting want play here.” 14, and then a came teams, to day the our “Players ASU The ASU open at winning losing lost for “It’s them and Oklahoma later. to state programs. losing next split is better, the Baum-Walker the to beat good to 0-3 the in the and the season day at college a stay Arkansas Arkansas nightcap against doubleheader Ole Sooners opener for will and Oklahoma on home Miss baseball on help March we teams keep 15-14 SEC Feb. Stadium 12-6 and 12-1 8-5. 9-1, all all 23, on Miss Van Wolves. eight against “They’re April 18-10 and I Horn last saw runs Ole four at “I 13, Tuesday them Mississippi said saw and Miss in scoring homers one them hit of 15-12 last night. the six inning against runs,” at Tuesday. score State doubles Red Ole Ole especially year games.”
“It’ll ASU Miss. in be between junior a this battle. time first conference It’s of tough, baseman the 6 week, and against two Liam including doubles. Hicks the Rebels a went He home scored 4 last run for four share Hicks runs the and is Sun batting drove Belt in Conference .398 three. to runs “Liam’s and lead, 24 and a RBI. professional has 5 home type reminds in the hitter,” SEC me — of Raffo top-end a lot said. of hitters. hitters “He all, He so doesn’t that tells run you very a little well bit at more not beating about out his average. infield hits. He’s
“He puts in the time and work has plan plate. go playing road Razorbacks When Raffo’s about a when was at in He’s great Mississippi the George his Arkansas in been first he batting swept mindset business.” 1995 comes fun experience Cole State when the cage. to on to watch and Field. Bulldogs next the the the He a played and three were at Baum what the in games, Stadium. at Bulldogs their was Arkansas the then second Razorbacks took known in season two 1997 as of their “Going new at what place, their from they old it playing was had place unbelievable done Arkansas to with they had Baum Raffo invested and said. how in “And the much program,” of course, onto it over they’ve the kept years.” adding result Baum of Stadium the program was and the built relationships in his 33 Norm seasons DeBriyn as the Arkansas coach from 19702002, includng four College World Series appearances. Raffo, a two-time All-American first baseman at Mississippi State in 198990, was heading into his junior year at Jacksonville (Fla.) Bishop Kenny High School in the summer of 1985 when he met DeBriyn in Baton Rouge at the National Sports Festival. Only Raffo didn’t know who DeBriyn — who had just led Arkansas to its second College World Series appearance — was at the time. “There was a really kind gentleman handing out cleats to the players,” Raffo said. “I was just excited to be playing on the Sports Festival
team, and I didn’t know who he was.
“I came to find out later it was Norm DeBriyn and he was the Arkansas coach. What a small world.”