Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Spanberger rewards Van Horn’s patience
FAYETTEVILLE — Blunt. Demanding. No-nonsense.
All accurate descriptions of Dave Van Horn.
But not totally. Include patient. Though belying the above adjectives, patient describes the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville’s baseball coach.
Especially last year when his Razorbacks veered off course on their first losing season in Van Horn’s 15 years as head coach of his alma mater.
Patience paid off. For even as that 26-29 overall and 7-23 record in the SEC team lost its confidence while losing its last 13 games, its players didn’t lose respect for each other.
“They didn’t point fingers,” Van Horn said.
That generally starts with the head coach. It reaps rewards with these 42-17 SEC Tournament runner-ups Razorbacks hosting a fourteam double-elimination NCAA regional. They face Oral Roberts on Friday night at Baum Stadium after the opener between Missouri State and Oklahoma State.
Even with some spectacular additions such as Friday night starting pitcher Trevor Stephan from junior college, transfer shortstop Jax Biggers and freshman center fielder Dominic Fletcher, last year’s “they” comprise the gist of this turnaround team.
They bonded in mutual embarrassment without mutual blame. Their coach took solace in knowing in 2015 some had helped the Hogs reach the College World Series.
“The guys that have been in the program,” Van Horn said. “It’s what we had and what we trusted. They had to keep working and they did. We felt these guys were close. Guys last year didn’t have the season they wanted and took it to heart this year and they just kept working.”
At various times during this turnaround season, some still slumped.
One early-season slumper, junior first baseman Chad Spanberger, became ESPN’s talk of college baseball by blasting five home runs and three doubles, including a three-home run/ seven-RBI night, at the SEC Tournament.
When Spanberger was having a hard time cracking .200 during an early season slump, Van Horn was the only one talking him up.
Why stick with a slumping bat hitting only .252 with zero home runs and .225 with six home runs the previous two seasons but now hitting .305 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI?
“Well, I’ve seen this before from guys who are his style of player,” Van Horn said. “Power hitters that struggle a couple of years out of high school on the college level and then come on. I guess what kept us sticking with him is we saw what he did in practice. We just felt that just around the corner it was going to be OK. We always knew he was going to be a good hitter and a really good player but wondered if might not be until pro ball. So I’m just glad we’re getting the opportunity to see it.”
So is Spanberger, grateful that his coach extended the opportunity for him to do it.
“It’s huge when you struggle and he’s got the confidence to put you back out there,” Spanberger said. “And that he has trust in everybody he puts out there.”