Expectations are everything and we see the latest examples of it in the baseball programs at Arkansas and Arkansas State, the two largest universities in our state.
The ending for the Razorbacks was bitter, but the season as a whole was not bitter. Far from it.
I wrote in this space weeks ago I’ve never agreed with the “Omaha or Bust” crowd of Razorback fans. The realistic goal each year for the Razorbacks should be to win the SEC and host an NCAA regional. Arkansas did that by hosting the Fayetteville Regional and by tying Florida for the overall SEC championship.
If you’re disappointed by that then you’re the type of guy who’d complain about a pimple on the face of a Miss America contestant.
I was covering the Razorbacks for this newspaper in 2004 when they beat Florida State to qualify for the College World Series for the first time since 1989. It’s not easy getting to Omaha, folks, especially with nearly 300 schools that field Division I teams.
Coaches spin all the time, especially football coaches who brag about winning six games to become bowl eligible. But I’m buying what Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn was selling last week after the Razorbacks (43-18) were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament following two bad losses to TCU.
“Winning the Western Division, beating out LSU and Texas A&M and some of these guys that have all these players, I’m just proud of our players,” Van Horn said. “Tying Florida for the SEC championship. We’ve only got three of those in my 21 years (at Arkansas). Those trophies are hard to get, so I’m super proud of the guys.”
So, now let’s check out the baseball situation at Arkansas State where there was much speculation ASU would make a coaching change after the Red Wolves finished 20-31 overall and 9-19 in the Sun Belt Conference this season. Yet, the brass at Arkansas State decided to bring back coach Tommy Raffo for a 16th season despite a career coaching record of 361-425-1.
The press release from Arkansas State emphasized Raffo’s standing as the second-winningest coach in school history and cited an improvement of four wins in conference play from the previous season.
That’s something, I guess, especially for a program in serious need of an upgrade to its facilities to help in recruiting.
I don’t know coach Raffo. I’m sure he’s a fine fellow. He had plenty of success as an assistant at Mississippi State. But keeping a head coach who’s had five straight losing seasons is an indication the expectations for baseball at Arkansas State are not very high.
Fortunately, Arkansas State expects more from its men’s basketball program, which led to the firing of Mike Balado after six seasons and an overall record of 82-100. The Red Wolves hired former Alabama assistant Bryan Hodgson, who has already added seven new players, including former Arkansas guard Derrian Ford and Freddy Hicks, who averaged 16.2 points per game last season at Tarleton State. Hicks is a Searcy native whose father played at ASU in the 1990s.
While Arkansas State tries to put together a winning season in baseball, the “Omaha or Bust” crowd at Arkansas will eventually get over their disappointment at being denied a few days at the College World Series cheering for the Hogs. TCU was better than Arkansas. That’s undeniable after the Horned Frogs outscored the Porkers 32-9 in two meetings at Baum-Walker Stadium and 50-15 in three games this season.
Disappointing end, but not a disappointing season for the Hogs, especially with injuries to key players.
Arkansas baseball has asserted itself as a national power and Van Horn will be busy searching for new recruits after the Hogs likely get hit hard again by the Major League draft.
“We’re going to get smoked in the draft and we know that,” Van Horn said.
Expectations are always high at Arkansas but not so much that the Porkers should be expected to qualify every other year for the College World Series. That’s just unrealistic, even for the most optimistic fans.