Arkansas Baseball: The All-80s Team

The rich history of Arkansas baseball really didn’t start until the 1980s. Legendary Razorback head coach Norm DeBriyn put the program on the map during this decade.

The program’s first trip to the College World Series happened in 1979, where they finished runner-up to Cal State Fullerton. That success carried over into the 1980 and ushered in a new era of Razorback baseball under DeBriyn.

During this decade, Arkansas would have seven NCAA Tournament appearances – 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. They would advance to the College World Series in 1985, 1987 and 1989.

Arkansas was still in the Southwest Conference (SWC) back in those days and, ironically, have as many conference tournament championships from the SWC as they do since joining the SEC – one. The Razorbacks won the 1985 SWC Tournament championship and it was the program’s only conference tournament title until 2021.

The 1980s laid the foundation for what Arkansas baseball is today, and there were a lot of talented players that Norm DeBriyn counted on to accomplish that feat.

We took the best players from that decade and put together to form one fictional super-team. Here’s a look at Arkansas baseball’s All-80s team.

Catcher - Andy Skeels

Andy Skeels is an obvious choice as one of the best baseball players the program has ever produced. After being named an All-American during his time at Arkansas, he went on to have a lengthy pro career and eventually became a rather successful coach in the majors.

Skeels spent 34 years in professional baseball as a player, coach, manager and scout. In 14 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, he compiled a minor league managerial record of 497-342 (.592), which was the best in professional baseball over that period. In July of 2022, Skeels was one of seven former athletes named to the University of Arkansas’ Hall of Honor.

1B - Billy Dees

Billy Dees had the option to forego college and go straight to the pros, but chose to go to Arkansas and made an immediate impact. He emerged as the Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year in 1981, leading the Razorbacks with a .378 average and posting a league-leading .407 average in Southwest Conference games.

Dees led Arkansas with 74 hits and 18 doubles that year, earning All-Southwest Conference and All-Time letterman honors. However, he would shortly quit the game of baseball altogether. Despite his short career, Dees is more than deserving of being named to the All-80s team.

2B - Dave Van Horn

What some Razorback fans might not know about Arkansas’ current head baseball coach, is that he was a very solid college baseball player for the Hogs in the 80s.

Van Horn was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1982 after a successful junior college career but chose to forego the pros to play for Norm DeBriyn at Arkansas. As a Razorback, he earned All-Southwest Conference and SWC Newcomer of the Year honors. He was also voted as the team’s MVP for that season. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 10th round but never made it to the majors as a player. Pretty safe to say that things worked out for Van Horn, though.

SS - Ellis Roby

Ellis Roby was a major part of Arkansas baseball’s 1985 College World Series team. He played both second base and shortstop during the season and is credited with four homeruns, 42 RBIs and 49 hits while posting a .280 batting average.

Roby also posted .370 on-base percentage and .429 slugging percentage over the course of the 1985 season. His season led him to being selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves.

3B - Jeff King

Jeff King is the only Arkansas baseball player to ever be selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft, and he was more than deserving. In 1985, he set a school record for single-season RBIs with 82 and ranks third in school history with a career batting average of .372. He was named to multiple All-America and All-Conference teams during his Razorback career before being selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986.

OF - Mike Loggins

Mike Loggins was an All-American outfielder for the Razorbacks from 1983-1985. In 2985, he was named an All-American and earned All-Southwest Conference honors in both 1984 and 1985. He finished his career with a .335 batting average, 159 hits, 261 total bases, 132 runs, 108 RBIs and 19 home runs.

The Crossett (Ark.) native was a valuable offensive threat for the Razorbacks while locking down the outfield for three seasons. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 1985 draft and played seven seasons in professional baseball.

OF - Kevin McReynolds

Kevin McReynolds was a member of the Razorback baseball team that made the program’s first College World Series appearance in 1979 and played two more seasons in Fayetteville before heading to the majors.

A two-time All-American, McReynolds finished his career with 33 home runs, tied for the eighth most in program history, and 14 triples, tied for the seventh most by any Razorback. He became the first Razorback to be drafted in the first round when the San Diego Padres selected him with the sixth overall pick in 1981.

OF - Troy Eklund

Troy Eklund was an All-American outfielder for the Razorbacks from 1986-1989. As a junior in 1988, he tallied 11 home runs, 60 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. In 1989, his final season for the Hogs, Eklund recorded a .323 batting average with nine home runs, 62 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.

He helped the Razorbacks to a 39-23 record in 1988 where they would reach the NCAA Regionals. In 1989, they would go 51-16 with a trip to the College World Series. Eklund was drafted in the 25th round of the 1989 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers and played two years of professional baseball. He currently serves as the color analyst for ESPN and SEC Network college baseball broadcasts.

SP - Scott Tabor

Scott Tabor owns the title of winningest pitcher in Arkansas baseball history. He was a freshman during the Razorbacks’ 1979 run to the College World Series championship game, but went on to carve out a solid collegiate career for the next three years.

His best season at Arkansas he posted a 2.55 ERA with a 6-2 record as starter during the 1982 season. He was selected in the 11th round of the 1982 draft by the Detroit Tigers.

SP - Ray Harris

Ray Harris helped lead Arkansas baseball to two College World Series appearances during his four seasons with the Razorbacks. He pitched in 261.2 total innings over his career, which is good for ninth all-time at Arkansas. He was selected in the 22nd round of the 1988 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics.

SP - Kevin Campbell

Kevin Campbell played for the Razorbacks from 1984-1986 and was part of a successful pitching staff that led Arkansas to the 1985 College World Series. In 1986, Campbell was selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

P - Phil Stidham

Phillip Stidham was known for his unique delivery and his dominance out of the bullpen and still ranks as the top relief pitcher in Arkansas baseball history. Stidham employed a submarine pitching motion that baffled even the best collegiate hitters.

He earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1989, 1990 and 1991, and led the Hogs to back-to-back SWC Championships in 1989 and 1990. Stidham also helped Arkansas to a fifth-place finish at the 1989 College World Series. He sported a career record of 13-3 on the mound, including a school-record 33 saves. His UA record for saves outdistances the next closest UA pitcher by 18 in that category. Stidham’s 1.62 career ERA still stands as a school record.

He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 15th round of the 1991 MLB Draft.

P - Dennis Fletcher

Dennis Fletcher posted a 26-5 record as a three-year starter for the Razorback and led the Hogs to fifth place finishes in the College World Series in 1987 and 1989. His 10-win senior season at Fayetteville led to him getting selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 29th round of the 1989 MLB Draft.

P - Mike Oquist

Mike Oquist career at Arkansas began in 1988 where he became a reliable reliever for the Razorbacks. Oquist helped lead Arkansas to the 1989 College World Series. In their first two games of the 1989 College World Series, it was Oquist who picked up the win in the first and got credit for the save in the second. He was drafted in the 13th round by the Baltimore Orioles in 1989.

C (Back-up) - Jim Kremers

Jimmy Kremers didn’t play catcher until he arrived in Fayetteville and started his career at Arkansas. However, the late switch to catcher was a perfect fit for Kremers as he was able to have a successful four years. He led the Razorbacks to the 1987 College World Series and the following year went .303 and hit eight homeruns. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 1988 draft.

C (Back-up) - Tom Pagnozzi

Tom Pagnozzi only spent one season as an Arkansas Razorback, but made quite the impact during his time. Before arriving at Arkansas, Pagnozzi had never played catcher, but Norm DeBriyn took a chance on him and it paid off. Pagnozzi would go on to catch for 12 years in the MLB with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning three Gold Glove Awards.

INF (Back-up) - Dave Patterson

Dave Patterson spent two seasons as a reliable hitter for Norm Debriyn’s Razorbacks in 1985 and 1986. In back-to-back games during the 1986 season, Patterson hit a grand slam to give Arkansas a win and then recorded five singles in a row – showing his versatility as a hitter. Patterson was selected in the 14th round of the 1986 draft by the San Francisco Giants.

OF (Back-up) - Scott Loseke

Scott Loseke’s 1983 season at Arkansas was pretty special. He was able to set multiple school records and one is still standing to this day. Loseke set the school record in runs scored (71), walks (67) and stolen bases (42). His 42 stolen bases is still the Arkansas record for most in a season. Following his 1983 season, Loseke was selected in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire