First off, I was way off in the respect I thought Tennessee would get for their season. That they are mostly outside of the top 8, whereas our team last year was #5 in a couple of the post-CWS polls underscores that our dominance and consistency last year was more respected that Tennessee’s “bling and tough guy” show this year. Glad to see that.
Also happy to see the Hogs garner their due respect at #3 or #4. Right where we deserve to be.
I will say I was a little surprised to see some rank A&M above us, given that they lost in 2 to Oklahoma, who Ole Miss beat in two. and that they lost to Ole Miss 2-1 in the regular season, while we won our series with Ole Miss during the season and finished up 3-3 against them. I guess the fact that the Ags held on for a 1 run win on Sunday at their place to win our heads-up series 2-1 trumped that for some, but I would say the preponderance of the results favor us. Still, 3 or 4 is a great result!
Based on the eye test, I thought Arkansas was the second-best team in Omaha. If you ask me, that pitchers’ duel on Thursday determined the national champion.
I agree. Also, our shutout was unlike any other shutout I can remember. It seemed like we hit 15 or 20 solid balls, but always right at defenders. If just half of those shots were a few feet left or right, we could have easily scored 3 or 4 runs.
OM also played great defense and their pitcher was fantastic. I have felt worse about our hitting in several games this season where we scored 3-5 runs.
According to Ricky Bobby, we finished tied for last. I don’t grade on quite as harsh a scale as Mr. Bobby. I tend to agree with Matt. We were the only team to defeat that rebelious juggernaut in the NCAA tournament. We went 3-3 against the NC’s this year. It was a fine season that ended as most of our recent seasons have. In bitter disappointment. Ole Miss winning the coveted It All trophy, just makes it an even more bitter pill to swallow.
The best news about all that is that we should still do well in recruiting. Our chances of winning it all next year are still as good as anyone’s and better than 95% of the field’s. I know that’s been the case for several years & we haven’t won it all, but in DVH’s first 2-3 trips to Omaha we weren’t what I’d call one of the best teams there. We were fortunate to be there. The last 4 times we were there we clearly belonged there. We belonged there last year & didn’t make it.
Wasn’t much doubt in my mind Ole Miss would beat the Sooners, especially when I looked up all the pre-season polls and saw how highly regarded Ole Miss was in every poll and how the Sooners were completely left out.
My exact same conclusion. I told my wife that OU’s roster was not in the same league with what Ola Ms put on the field. I hate it. I had a bad feeling based on what Matt alluded to earlier.
The SEC is a juggernaut in so many sports. It is as challenging as it gets below the pro teams.
I know Ole Miss beat them both times but OU had some very good pitchers that maybe McEntire might have matched up well with but I am not sure any ONE of our other pitchers would have. Maybe a combination if several were on that day. I was really impressed with OleMiss’s pitching staff, starters and relievers. They were excelling at a higher level than us at a critical point in their season, much better than they were during the season. I think our bats were a good match against OleMiss hitters but their bats were a better match against our pitching than our bats were against theirs. At the level they were playing at that point in the season, it gags me to admit they deserved to be the national champion. I think it is a toss up against the rested OU staff, so #3 sounds about right to me. JMVVVVHO.
We, as Razorback fans, are frustrated about not winning a College World Series. The Razorbacks have been to Omaha 11 times. Florida St has been there 23 times and have not won a College World Series. Unlike FL St, we will get one soon.
You could make an argument the 2012 team was squeezed out of a national championship by Perry Costello. That team finished one win short of playing Arizona for the title. I’m not sure it could have scored enough to win the title, but it could pitch with anyone.
Lots of close calls. With the resources it has, Arkansas’ baseball program should break through someday.
Yeah, that was another heartbreaker where we were 2-0 and S. Carolina had to beat us twice to advance to the Finals. So close.
Speaking of Costello, people always bring up the CWS in 2012, but most forget that the very next year, we were sent out to Arizona for a Regional (though we had a good argument to host ourselves), and - guess who was working it. Same thing happened…he squeezed the Hogs pitchers and cost us the Regional. Wasn’t as big a deal to most because it was a Regional that most did not even see on TV, so it wasn’t as high profile. But he did the “dirty” to us two years in a row.
no way in H*@@ that 2008 was not our best shot at winning, even moreso than the Carson Shaddy bermuda triangle. I almost call DHV a DVB because Norm made a decision to have a best pitcher available in case we lost rather try to win it all. A well known AR P was wanting the ball on short rest and got denied for Mauel Warrior to behave like a batting practice pitcher and change momentum to Fresno STate. I don’t think Dave Van Briyn will ever fill out a winning CWS final lineup, gotta have a change to make that leap. We will be close and near great until then and even have the talent to win it all, but something seems to stack the deck against us to never let it happen.
Great year and us last year compared to EOE-K has new and unsolicited evidence of our season of superiority. Congrats to Hogs.
