The University of Arkansas baseball team will attempt to reach the College World Series for the third consecutive season in 2020.
Coach Dave Van Horn's team is No. 5 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll and is one of nine SEC teams ranked going into the season.
However, for Van Horn, this season's Razorbacks will have to prove themselves as the previous two CWS teams have.
"I love the polls. It's fun for the fans," Van Horn said Monday at a sold-out Downtown Tip-Off Club luncheon at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. "But you have to go out and take care of business."
Arkansas opens the season Friday against Eastern Illinois. Thanks to Arkansas' success, Van Horn said nonconference teams that come to Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville are excited to face not only one of the best teams in the SEC, but one of the best in the country.
"When they play us and they beat us, they celebrate," Van Horn said. "It's their regional. They get excited. We have to keep them [the Razorbacks] steady Eddie. We have to win these nonconference games midweek against good competition."
Van Horn recalled when Gonzaga, which will visit Baum-Walker Stadium on Feb. 21-23, defeated Arkansas in 2015. It's a memory Van Horn hasn't forgotten.
"They celebrated in right field," Van Horn said. "I'm going to make sure to remind our players what happened."
One year after falling short by one win in the 2018 College World Series, Arkansas shared the SEC West title with Mississippi State and returned to Omaha for the second consecutive season.
"What a fun team it was," Van Horn said. "They were the team after the team. They weren't expected to do much.
"They won 46 games. The year before, the team won 48. Last year's schedule was a lot harder. It's a credit to our kids and our program. They wanted to be as good as the team before them.
"Yeah, we tied with Mississippi State. But we also beat them three times out of three."
Entering his 18th season at Arkansas, Van Horn has led the Razorbacks to six College World Series appearances, 16 NCAA Tournaments, one SEC overall championship and 5 SEC West division titles. He's won 689 games at Arkansas, second to Norm DeBriyn.
As one of the longest-tenured coaches on the UA campus, Van Horn still enjoys coaching baseball at his alma mater.
"I just really like what's going on with our program," Van Horn said. "Our athletic director, Hunter Yurachek, has been great for me and our program. I told him, whatever I say to you, my cup is half-full. I'm good. I'm positive."
Van Horn is a big fan of Arkansas men's basketball Coach Eric Musselman.
Musselman is in his first year at Arkansas and has led the Razorbacks to a 16-7 record.
"I love him," Van Horn said. "I love his energy. I like what he does."
Also on Monday, Van Horn told the Tip-Off Club crowd that the Razorbacks will play Texas, Texas Tech and TCU in a 2021 tournament at Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
Arkansas also is scheduled to play Stanford in a tournament in 2022 in Round Rock, Texas, Van Horn said.
Sports on 02/11/2020