Eventually

Time to call the Hogs—again

NOTHING is as dangerous as a sure thing, Stanley Kubrick once quipped. And certainly, sure things have sent countless dreams cascading over the proverbial cliff. Consider last year’s Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. Even the 2018 version. This year’s Tennessee squad.

Death and taxes are purported to be the only sure things residing on this Earth. Every once in a while, though, “sure things” do come through. And Arkansas baseball, from its on-field success and fan support to the glittering facilities and unwavering commitment from the AD’s office, not to mention Dave Van Horn, remains a sure thing waiting to happen. On paper, all those built-in advantages add up to a national title, right?

But as any sports fan will attest, titles aren’t sure things.

The Razorbacks are headed back to Omaha and the College World Series this weekend, exorcising, perhaps in part, the demon of last season’s devastating finish, when a sure thing evaporated into the Fayetteville night.

This year, the Hogs spent virtually the entire season ranked in the top five before stumbling down the stretch of the regular season. In doing so, they lost out on an SEC West title and the chance to play post-season ball at home.

But it seems glaringly obvious, looking back on the grueling trips to Stillwater and Chapel Hill, that this team got just the post-season draw it needed. Away from home—but not away from its rabid fans who followed and made their presence felt—and perhaps removed from the lingering weight of preseason expectations.

Coach Van Horn has guided the Hogs to four straight Super Regionals (the college baseball equivalent of the Elite Eight), three of which were followed by trips to Omaha. It now feels like an annual tradition for the Razorbacks to be playing baseball as the calendar turns to June. Even Tony Vitello, love him or hate him, referenced Arkansas—its fans and facilities—as the Taj Mahal of college baseball, when discussing his plans for the Tennessee program.

That this season’s ticket to Omaha was punched in the state of North Carolina surely added a small measure of extra satisfaction for Coach Van Horn and his staff, but there remains that one elusive prize . . .

We wouldn’t want to forecast a favorite for Omaha this year, not for all the “sure thing” tips in the world. But if there’s anything as inevitable as sure things going south, it’s that the good guys will get their due, eventually. And Dave Van Horn’s Hogs are due.