OMAHA, Neb. — Dave Van Horn is part weather man, part head coach. That's the life of a Division I college baseball skipper.
So he was following along with the NCAA's on-site meteorologist Monday afternoon at the College World Series.
“The on-site meteorologist said it was going to start raining around 7 o'clock and he nailed it,” Van Horn said after the opening game of the Razorbacks' national championship series against Oregon State was postponed. The teams will try again Tuesday at 6:05 p.m., when the forecast is mostly clear.
The skies were sunny – after six hours of rain earlier in the day – when the 6:05 p.m. game time hit Monday, but the radar showed heavy storms with lightning approaching. The field was covered in advance of the storm and the game was postponed around 7:30 p.m.
“They told us we might get another window about 10 o'clock or maybe not until midnight,” Van Horn said. “So we did the right thing.”
The Hogs probably lost a bit of advantage over the Beavers. The Hogs made it to the finals while playing just three games, while the Beavers played five times. Each of the OSU starters now gets another day of rest.
Van Horn said “it probably is” an advantage for OSU, but he said it might be right to play the national title series in a more favorable setting for both teams, a perfect field and clear skies. The weather should be good the rest of the week in Omaha.
“It's all squared up now,” Van Horn said.
Most will forget all of the bad weather somewhere down the road.
“When you get 20 years from now, no one will remember the weather,” Van Horn said.
The Hogs do now know the opposition's pitching plans. OSU coach Pat Casey had dodged the question on the weekend, but had penciled in top arm Luke Heimlich (16-2, 2.80), a senior left-hander, on the late Monday lineup card.
“We've gone over Heimlich,” Van Horn said. “He's (got a) fastball at 92, 93 (mph) and kind of tunnels that slider. It looks like the fast ball and then it goes out of the strike zone. You've got to lay off the slider and hunt the fast ball.”
There was a thought that the strike zone would have to be a game time adjustment. Travis Katzenmeier has the home plate assignment.
“You have to see what the umpire gives,” Van Horn said. “If he's giving that pitch one or two balls off the plate, you adjust.”
The stadium was opened to fans before the postponement was announced. It was filling up with mostly red shirts.
“We noticed and we talked about that,” Van Horn said, noting another day might give more Arkansas fans time to flood into Omaha.
Some old-time players made it. Kevin McReynolds and Bill Bakewell, part of the 1979 team that finished runner-up, were in the stadium.
“I'm excited,” said McReynolds, generally low key.
“What do I remember about '79? Not much. That was nearly 40 years ago. I just know we have a good team and we have a good chance. Now we need some luck. You have to be lucky in these games.”
Maybe the Hogs had a little bad luck Monday night with the postponement.
“I just know it was the right call,” Van Horn said. “We have been through every situation this year. There have been doubleheaders, rainouts, delays. We have a resilient bunch. We'll be ready.”