It’s all gravy from here
Van Horn enjoys pressure- free super regional
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas baseball Coach Dave Van Horn is feeling super relaxed going into the Razorbacks’ NCAA super regional against Missouri State that starts Friday at Baum Stadium.
Whichever team wins the best- of- 3 series will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., yet when Van Horn met with the media Tuesday he looked and sounded as if he might be talking about the start of fall practice.
“I don’t feel any pressure right now,” Van Horn said, smiling. “This is the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time, to be honest with you.”
Arkansas’ streak of NCAA Tournament appearances — which has reached an SEC- leading 14 this season — was in serious jeopardy when the Razorbacks started 11- 12.
Van Horn came into the season having led teams to 16 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including his final four seasons at Nebraska before the former Razorbacks second baseman and assistant coach returned to Arkansas for the 2003 season.
“The pressure for me and the pressure for this team was getting to a regional,” Van Horn said.
Not only did the Razorbacks ( 38- 22) make it to a regional, they won their regional in Stillwater, Okla., last weekend as a No. 2 seed, going 3- 0 against No. 3 seed Oral Roberts, No. 1 seed Oklahoma State and No. 4 seed St. John’s.
“I’m just real proud of the team for hanging in there, really throughout the season, but this past weekend was a very balanced regional,” Van Horn said. “One of the best I’ve seen as far as the quality of teams.
“I felt like there was probably a No. 1 and three No. 2s over there as far as talent level and the way they were playing.”
It was Arkansas’ first regional title since 2012, when the Razorbacks beat Sam Houston State, Rice and Sam Houston State again to win the Rice regional.
A series victory over Missouri State ( 48- 10), a national No. 8 overall seed that brings a 19- game winning streak into Baum Stadium, would be more gravy for the Razorbacks.
“It’s just like I told the team, it’s just one series,” said Van Horn, who has won 5 of 7 super regional series he has coached in. “If you play good, you’ve got a lot better chance of winning.
“It doesn’t matter what your record is now. It really doesn’t matter. It’s all about what you do this weekend.”
Van Horn sounded vexed rather than relaxed after Arkansas and Missouri State met in a regular- season game at Baum Stadium on March 31.
The Bears won 2- 0 to end a 10- game losing streak in the series and drop the Razorbacks to 14- 14 before Arkansas headed to Auburn for its fourth SEC series at 3- 6 in conference play. It was the first time Missouri State had shut out Arkansas since the Bears beat the Razorbacks 2- 0 on May 6, 1969, in the teams’ third of 41 meetings at Fayetteville.
Arkansas left nine runners on base and was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position as Missouri State pitchers Andy Cheray, Zach Merciez and Bryan Young held the Razorbacks to six hits.
“Time’s going to run out on us if we don’t start getting it together,” Van Horn said after the game while addressing the Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament situation. “We’ve got to win games, bottom line.
“We’ve got 26 games left on the schedule and some teams that are ranked high, but we’ve got to start winning some series and sweeping some people if we’re going to have a chance to play once the regular season is over.”
The Razorbacks are 24- 8 since losing to Missouri State, including 8- 4 against teams in the NCAA Tournament field and 5- 2 in the SEC Tournament and Stillwater Regional.
“It’s crazy,” said freshman pitcher Keaton McKinney, Arkansas’ No. 2 starter this weekend. “Lots of people didn’t think we could do it … with how it all started. We’re here now, and we’re playing our best baseball and trying to give people at Baum our best performance.”
Junior right fielder Tyler Spoon said Van Horn remained intense this season but never showed any signs of panic.
“Early on in the season when we were struggling, he may have been a little upset, but he kept telling us he believed in us,” Spoon said. “He said, ‘ Just play and it’ll happen.’
“He’s been real supportive. His leadership has carried over to us and it’s been a good year.”
Van Horn said he’d have a different feeling going into the super regional had the Razorbacks opened the season stronger.
“If we were 20- 3 early, I’m thinking we’re going to do this, we’re going to be in a regional,” he said. “Now let’s find a way to do well in league play.
“But when you’re 13- 13 in the last few days of March, you’re just hoping to survive and wondering how are we going to fix this, because we can’t dip down into the minor leagues and get guys.
“We’ve got what we’ve got, and if they get hurt we’ve got to go with somebody else. It’s worked out for us.”
Arkansas was the only No. 2 seed and one of five teams not seeded No. 1 to advance to a super regional last weekend. Oklahoma State, UCLA, UC- Santa Barbara, Houston and Dallas Baptist lost at home as No. 1 seeds. Three No. 3 seeds — Maryland, Virginia and Louisiana- Lafayette — advanced, along No. 4 seed Virginia Commonwealth.
“Sometimes you just let all of it add up,” Van Horn said. “Maybe the other team just plays good.
“The key is to just play the game and not worry about tomorrow. Think about today and live in the moment and enjoy it.”