Arkansas Baseball: The All-90s Team
Arkansas Razorbacks baseball had a successful decade in the 1990s under Norm DeBriyn.
DeBriyn, who had been at the helm since 1970, led the Diamond Hogs to three straight trips to College World Series to end the 1980s. In the 1990s the success wasn’t quite the same, but the team did make five NCAA tournaments and won the SEC for the first time in 1999.
Despite some ups and downs, including a few seasons with losing records, the Razorbacks remained a competitive and respected program throughout the 1990s.
Their success laid the foundation for future achievements, including a national runner-up in 2018 under coach Dave Van Horn.
Catcher: Kirk Piskor
Former @timberrattlers Kirk Piskor has passed at 46. He played for the Foxes in 1991 in 30 games #Royals
— MWL Archives (@mwlarchives) September 14, 2016
Kirk Piskor slashed .345/.394/.569 in 1990 and 1991 for the Diamond Hogs. He played in the pros in the Kansas City, Cincinatti and Cleveland organizations, though he never quite cracked the majors. Piskor graduated from U of A in 1993 and died in 2016.
1B: Doyle Preston
Wishing a Happy 48th Birthday today (Feb9) to former Princeton Reds 3B Doyle Preston, who played at Princeton, WV during 1994 @AppyLeague season when team won league title. He also punted 56 times for '93 Arkansas Razorbacks w/37.7 avg per punt. @BLoweShow @BaseballWV @weekley
— Jim Holland (@JimHollandWV) February 9, 2021
Preston was primarily a third baseman but had experience at 1st base as well. Preston’s senior season, he batted .307 at the plate in 55 game appearences. He was taken by the Reds in the 35th round of the 1994 MLB Draft.
2B: Kendrick Moore
First place team in today's Arkansas Baseball golf tournament! http://t.co/bry3Y8CmRE
— Razorback Foundation 🐗 (@RazorFoundation) November 10, 2013
Moore has the third most hits in Razorback history and 95 unmatched stolen bases. For his career with Arkansas, Moore slashed .318/.373/.452 with 16 home runs. He earned an All-American honor in 1996.
SS: Jeff Parsons
Parsons played 162 games as a shortstop for the Razorbacks during the mid-90s. His best season was in 1995 when he batted .310 and was drafted in the 5th round by the New York Mets.
3B: Matt Erickson
Erickson spent three seasons in Fayetteville from 1995-97 and in his first season, he was a Freshman All-American. In his next two seasons, he batted over .390 twice and earned All-SEC honors. Erickson earned a cup of coffee with the Brewers in 2004, playing in four games. He now serves as Milwaukee’s roving infield instructor.
OF: Ryan Lundquist
In 1997, Arkansas opened the South Carolina series by dropping 30 runs on the Gamecocks. The Hogs won by 23 runs by hitting 6 homers (2 grand slams).
It was Arkansas’ first ever win in Columbia. pic.twitter.com/SKOu02RRGi
— Hog Flashbacks (@HogFlashbacks) May 12, 2023
Lundquist earned All-American and All-SEC honors during his time in Fayetteville. He holds several school records, including season records for home runs, total bases, and slugging percentage. Lundquist played a key role in helping Arkansas achieve an SEC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999.
OF: Jeremy Jackson
Jackson only played one season with the Razorbacks but it was a great one. He batted .425 and only struck out 35 times in 221 at-bats. He stellar junior season earned him first-team All-SEC honors and he was taken in the eighth round by Colorado.
OF: Ty Bilderback
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Bilderback was a three-year starter in the outfield and earned Freshman All-American honors. His sophomore and junior seasons were just as consistent with .316 and .371 batting average. Bilderback reached the Double-A level before retiring to focus on a career in finance.
RHP: Charlie Issacson
2003 BC Yankees pitcher Charlie Isaacson was born on this date in 1980 in Des Moines. #ItIsAlwaysAboutBattleCreek pic.twitter.com/xAy4Tq3Ert
— sailor (@sailor643) May 5, 2016
Isaacson was the third All-American pitcher in Arkansas baseball history. In 1999, he went 9-0 in 14 starts with two complete games as a freshman and he still ranks sixth in school history in innings pitched.
RHP: David Walling
Before being drafted by the Yankees in the first round, Walling was a two-time All-American for the Razorbacks. In his two seasons at Fayetteville, the 6-foot-6 pitcher threw 283 strikeouts in 31 starts. The strikeout total ranks him third in school history.
RHP: Matt Carnes
Carnes was named a Freshman All-American in 1995 with a 2.91 ERA and 111 strikeouts. His 301 career strikeouts are second in school history and his 26 wins tie him for sixth.
Closer: Phil Stidham
Nov. 18, 1968: Phil Stidham born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. #Tigers pitcher in 1994 pic.twitter.com/uJOBMSSd2p
— This Day in Tigers History (@OnThisDayTigers) November 18, 2020
Stidham was a two-time All-American as a closer for the Razorbacks. In 1990 he finished with 11 saves and an 0.97 ERA. He followed it up with ten saves and a 1.20 ERA before heading for the big leagues.
Pitcher: Dan Wright
Wright had the stuff at Arkansas, even if his numbers while with the Razorbacks didn’t prove it. The White Sox made him a second-round pick in 1999 and he pitched four seasons in the Majors, including going 14-12 with the Sox in 2002.
Reserve: Allen Williams
Williams was a third baseman for the Diamond Hogs and received All-SEC honors twice in 1992 and 1994.
Reserve: Kit Pellow
Pellow received All-SEC honors as a designated hitter in 1995 and he turned into a part-timer with the Colorado Rockies later in his career.
Reserve: Rodney Nye
Nye received All-SEC honors in 1999 as a third baseman, but he was a utility player with appearances in the infield and outfield.
