Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rectifying a blip
Hogs return to form after 2016 misfire
FAYETTEVILLE — Things got back to normal for the Arkansas Razorbacks’ baseball team this season.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville again was one of the top teams in the SEC and played in the NCAA Tournament.
That’s the way it’s been for 14 of the 15 seasons under Coach Dave Van Horn.
Last season was the aberration, when the Razorbacks finished 26-29 — including 7-23 in the SEC — and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
The downturn didn’t last long as Arkansas responded to go 45-19 and host an NCAA regional at Baum Stadium, where Missouri State beat the Razorbacks 3-2 on Monday night to end their season and advance to a super regional.
It was a 19-victory increase for Arkansas over last season, when the team ended on an 0-13 skid.
“I’m just proud of the players,” Van Horn said after Monday night’s game. “That’s what I told them in the outfield.
“I told them, ‘Walk out of here with your head held high,’ because we weren’t projected to do a whole lot this year after having a bad year.
“We had guys that took it personal and went home last
summer and went out and played and got better.”
Van Horn said he could sense a turnaround was coming in fall practice.
“Fall ball was upbeat, and the guys worked extremely hard,” Van Horn said. “They went on a mission to make sure that didn’t happen again.”
The Razorbacks, who went 18-11 in SEC play, got breakout seasons from junior first baseman Chad Spanberger (.305, 20 home runs, 67 RBI), sophomore catcher Grant Koch (.264, 13 home runs, 42 RBI) and draft-eligible sophomore pitcher Blaine Knight (8-4, 3.28 ERA).
Sophomore shortstop Jax Biggers (.339, four home runs, 37 RBI), junior pitcher Trevor Stephan (6-3, 2.87 ERA), freshman center fielder Dominic Fletcher (.291, 12 home runs, 37 RBI) and sophomore third baseman Jared Gates (.246, six home runs, 14 RBI) were impact newcomers.
Other first-year players who contributed included freshman Evan Lee, who pitched, played the outfield and was a designated hitter; freshman pitchers Matt Cronin and Kevin Kopps; and freshmen infielders Jack Kenley and Jaxson Williams.
“I think we were picked last in the SEC West, so we had a lot to prove from Day One and we did a good job of proving people wrong,” Gates said. “Next year will be fun, too.”
Junior outfielder and designated hitter Luke Bonfield (.294, nine home runs, 49 RBI), junior second baseman Carson Shaddy (.278, eight home runs, 40 RBI), senior outfielder Jake Arledge (.300, three home runs, 30 RBI), sophomore outfielder Eric Cole (.282, five home runs, 26 RBI) and sophomore pitchers Jack Rendl (4-1, 2.31 ERA, three saves) and Kacey Murphy (5-1, 3.65 ERA) all showed improvement. Senior pitchers Dominic Taccolini and Josh Alberius made key contributions.
Pitchers Isaiah Campbell, Keaton McKinney and Cody Scroggins should be back after missing this season because of injuries.
Cole said the Razorbacks all arrived early for Monday night’s game at Baum Stadium ater their 11-10 victory over Missouri State didn’t end until after 3 a.m. Monday.
“It’s a great group of guys,” Cole said. “We were supposed to be at the field at 3 o’clock today, and everybody was in the locker room at 2:15. Everybody wants to be around each other.”
Arkansas beat Missouri State two of three games in a super regional at Baum Stadium in 2015 to earn a trip to the College World Series.
“I thought they had a better team this year than they did in ’15,” Bears Coach Keith Guttin said. “I really like their team.
Their power. They’ve got a lot of good arms. They play defense.”
Guttin, whose tean beat the Razorbacks twice last season, said he’s not surprised Van Horn turned Arkansas around this season.
“He’s one of the best coaches in the country,” Guttin said.
Along with the seniors, Arkansas players likely to leave through the draft include Knight, Stephan, Spanberger, Bonfield and Shaddy.
Arkansas signed a talented group of players in November to go along with its returnees, but Van Horn won’t know how many of the newcomers will play for the Razorbacks next season or sign professionally depending on where they’re selected in next week’s Major League amateur draft.
Four of Arkansas’ signees — infielder Bryce Bonnin, pitchers Daniel Tillo and Jackson Rutledge, and outfielder Cole Turney — are ranked among Baseball America’s top 200 draft prospects.
“Hopefully we’ll build off of this,” Van Horn said. “Hopefully we get a few guys to not sign and come in here and we’ll be back next year.”