Fayetteville (Super) Regional - 2025 Edition now CWS

[Feral]

Arkansas baseball has sort of reached the point where national commentators are noticing the that it is snake bit and prone to choking.

That's probably the thing that stings the most in the wake of the LSU loss. National media guys are like "damn Arkansas really does always choke on Omaha."

Little do they know, we do it in every sport. We just do it the loudest in baseball.

[The Whyte Boar]

I saw a Youtube video the other day, which I did not watch, calling it the worst choke of all time.  Debatable of course, but that is our reputation now.  If we thought the pressure on DVH was huge up to now, we haven't seen anything yet.

[Son of Spam]

EVERY TIME WE ARE RANKED HIGHLY...we shit the bed. The only exception is 1994. We seem to play better from behind. I hate being ranked high. I know some of you don't think that, but I do.

[Thin Red Swine]

Put me in the "take the championship" camp in exchange for sucking for a while. To Dirk's point, it's not an open-and-shut case. It's certainly easier to say it after an extended period of being good to excellent.

There are a few examples in football: Colorado, Georgia Tech, BYU, Washington, Auburn (to a lesser extent).

There aren't really good examples in basketball unless you go way back in time. I guess UNLV would qualify.

[jdcatty]

We got eliminated from the CWS by LSU, who won the whole thing. And remember, LSU beat us in the regular season series (we did win one game). LSU was better than us.  Period.

[HogOfWar]

We got eliminated from the CWS by LSU, who won the whole thing. And remember, LSU beat us in the regular season series (we did win one game). LSU was better than us.  Period.

We got beat by the better team. What's your point? Be happy we got beat by the champs?

It looks like Van Horn reached his ceiling back in 2018. I get that people don't trust Heresyourcheck to replace him, but like Georgia replacing Richt with Smart, the risk has to be taken.

[jdcatty]

I'm just saying everyone is bitching and moaning about choking.  We misplayed a couple of plays, but we got beat by a better team.

[DrMongoose]

It has to be the curse of no Nolan statue, how else do you explain it?

https://x.com/PEARatings/status/1935935772235870670

[HogOfWar]

I'm just saying everyone is bitching and moaning about choking.  We misplayed a couple of plays, but we got beat by a better team.

You're right. The better team one, because they didn't choke. We had a good team, but the Corndogs were better.

[BleedinRed]

We got beat by the better team. What's your point? Be happy we got beat by the champs?

It looks like Van Horn reached his ceiling back in 2018. I get that people don't trust Heresyourcheck to replace him, but like Georgia replacing Richt with Smart, the risk has to be taken.

We have a coach that takes the program to Omaha every three years and has coached in the national championship game and has put the program in position to play for another appearance.  He literally brings in talent that can't be realistically improved.  His coaching tree is legendary and his player development can't be beat. 

But you believe there is a coach out there that will not only continue to do all that but will also win the national championship. 

Which, by the way, is literally the only reason you are suggesting a coaching change.   Our coach does just about everything 100% perfect but hasn't won a National Championship. 

In your opinion, there is no risk in making that move?

That is what you believe?

Who is the "Smart" to the DVH in this dream scenario?

[HogOfWar]

We have a coach that takes the program to Omaha every three years and has coached in the national championship game and has put the program in position to play for another appearance.  He literally brings in talent that can't be realistically improved.  His coaching tree is legendary and his player development can't be beat. 

But you believe there is a coach out there that will not only continue to do all that but will also win the national championship. 

Which, by the way, is literally the only reason you are suggesting a coaching change. 

In your opinion, there is no risk in making that move?

That is what you believe?

Who is the "Smart" to the DVH in this dream scenario?

There is always a risk, never said there wasn't.

I don't know who can replace Horn. I am not that knowledgeable in baseball, but after 23 seasons, with no national title, something has to change. If not Horn, another batting coach change?

You have to do something, because if this keeps happening players will not want to come and fans will start to not care. Being content will lead to apathy to not having what other teams have accomplished.

[rzrbkfan69]

There is always a risk, never said there wasn't.

I don't know who can replace Horn. I am not that knowledgeable in baseball, but after 23 seasons, with no national title, something has to change. If not Horn, another batting coach change?

You have to do something, because if this keeps happening players will not want to come and fans will start to not care. Being content will lead to apathy to not having what other teams have accomplished.

Players will want to play in Omaha. That's why they keep coming to Arkansas.

In your scenario, Richt does not compare to DVH. Richt never got close to having a chance for a title. DVH provides that.

[HogOfWar]

Players will want to play in Omaha. That's why they keep coming to Arkansas.

In your scenario, Richt does not compare to DVH. Richt never got close to having a chance for a title. DVH provides that.

Comparing a football coach to a baseball coach is apples to oranges. The fact that both have reached their ceiling is what I am claiming. You disagree that Horn has a championship in him, fine. Horn needs to prove it.

[Usafhawg]

Comparing a football coach to a baseball coach is apples to oranges. The fact that both have reached their ceiling is what I am claiming. You disagree that Horn has a championship in him, fine. Horn needs to prove it.

Calling him "Horn" makes anybody reading this disregard anything you say.

[buff2.0]

We have a coach that takes the program to Omaha every three years and has coached in the national championship game and has put the program in position to play for another appearance.  He literally brings in talent that can't be realistically improved.  His coaching tree is legendary and his player development can't be beat. 

But you believe there is a coach out there that will not only continue to do all that but will also win the national championship. 

Other coaches not named DVH: <Win National Championship>

Are you telling me that there's someone besides DVH who could win a championship?  REALLY!?  That's preposterous.

 

Give Nate Thompson a plastic hog hat and send him to Iran on a diplomatic errand.

[BleedinRed]

Calling him "Horn" makes anybody reading this disregard anything you say.

lol.  Thought the same thing.

[Thin Red Swine]

There is always a risk, never said there wasn't.

I don't know who can replace Horn. I am not that knowledgeable in baseball, but after 23 seasons, with no national title, something has to change. If not Horn, another batting coach change?

You have to do something, because if this keeps happening players will not want to come and fans will start to not care. Being content will lead to apathy to not having what other teams have accomplished.

Players absolutely will keep coming because VAN Horn has developed a MLB pipeline.

[BleedinRed]

Other coaches not named DVH: <Win National Championship>
Are you telling me that there's someone besides DVH who could win a championship?  REALLY!?  That's preposterous.
 

Usually when someone wants to replace the coach and someone else says "Who could we hire that is better!" that someone else is a fucking retard.  Under the circumstances that have necessitated that saying, there are truly better coaches.  There was someone better than Houston Nutt.  There was someone better than John Pelphrey.  There was someone better than Danny Ford, Chad Morris, Brett Bielema, etc., etc., etc.

Conversely, when a coach is doing everything at maximum efficiency and is knocking it out of the park in all phases of the game, if the only reason a "fan" utters that phrase is because the coach has not won a national championship; well, that person is fucking retarded.

Here is my point...

A new coach could do everything "Horn" is doing and coach the team to a National Championship.  Obviously, that is possible.  However, the Risk/Reward of making that change is so badly one sided that no one in his or her right might would think of doing it.  First, DVH is going to win a championship at some point.  The odds are too great based on his recruiting, coaching staff, etc.  Second, odds are a new coach comes in and we see a step back in all phases of the game. 

Look at Florida State as exhibit A.  The great Mike Martin retires.  Three years later Martin Jr. was fired because he could not get out of the regionals.  Link Jarrett is hired and Florida State sees their first losing season in program history; missing the tournament for the first time in 45ish years.  This year they bounced back and made the Supers, which may mean they are "back". 

Setting all that aside, If DVH is to be replaced, who are the candidates that will continue what he has done and continues to do but also win that one annoying thing not on DVH's resume, the national championship?

[BleedinRed]

Players absolutely will keep coming because VAN Horn has developed a MLB pipeline.

I think that depends 100% on who the coach is.  I do believe the pipeline is 100% DVH.  It certainly isn't the name "Arkansas" and to a certain extent it isn't the facilities.  Any coach that replaces DVH needs name recognition if that pipeline is going to keep flowing.  I'm open to being wrong on this issue though.

[DirkPiggler]

Usually when someone wants to replace the coach and someone else says "Who could we hire that is better!" that someone else is a fucking retard.  Under the circumstances that have necessitated that saying, there are truly better coaches.  There was someone better than Houston Nutt.  There was someone better than John Pelphrey.  There was someone better than Danny Ford, Chad Morris, Brett Bielema, etc., etc., etc.

Conversely, when a coach is doing everything at maximum efficiency and is knocking it out of the park in all phases of the game, if the only reason a "fan" utters that phrase is because the coach has not won a national championship; well, that person is fucking retarded.

Here is my point...

A new coach could do everything "Horn" is doing and coach the team to a National Championship.  Obviously, that is possible.  However, the Risk/Reward of making that change is so badly one sided that no one in his or her right might would think of doing it.  First, DVH is going to win a championship at some point.  The odds are too great based on his recruiting, coaching staff, etc.  Second, odds are a new coach comes in and we see a step back in all phases of the game. 

Look at Florida State as exhibit A.  The great Mike Martin retires.  Three years later Martin Jr. was fired because he could not get out of the regionals.  Link Jarrett is hired and Florida State sees their first losing season in program history; missing the tournament for the first time in 45ish years.  This year they bounced back and made the Supers, which may mean they are "back". 

Setting all that aside, If DVH is to be replaced, who are the candidates that will continue what he has done and continues to do but also win that one annoying thing not on DVH's resume, the national championship?

Well said.  My question to anyone who is ready to move on from Van Horn due to the lack of a national title is this.  Would you rather have Mike Bianco as our head coach?  Chris Lemonis? Kevin O'Sullivan? Obviously those aren't our only three choices, but they are examples of guys who won championships at peer programs recently.  All are younger than Van Horn by a pretty good bit. 

Bianco and Lemonis each fell ass backwards into a title.  Ole Miss was the last team into the field that year, and underachieved mightily up until going on the heater of all heaters once they got in.  Lemonis took advantage of the fact that we spit the bit in our Super, and that the NCAA and Covid took out the team playing the best in Omaha (NC State).  O'Sullivan won one in 2017, and since then has done less with more talent than anyone in the sport. 

TL/DR:  There is a shit ton of luck involved in sealing the deal in Omaha.  Unlike most programs Arkansas has to work against the fact that luck ALWAYS works against us, regardless of coach and sport.