Arkansas baseball limps into NCAA Tournament with questions and optimism
Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn showed how much he cared about the 2024 SEC Tournament in how he used star pitcher Hagen Smith.
The Razorbacks' ace only logged two innings this weekend at the Hoover Met with Van Horn admitting after an 0-2 showing that Arkansas wanted to give Smith extra rest before next weekend's regional.
With the lessened stress, Arkansas fans are right not to panic about the conference tournament performance. The last four national champions have all hailed from the SEC, and only Vanderbilt in 2019 reached the semifinals of the league's showcase event. There's evidence that shows Van Horn made the right decision in his approach.
More: Two-and-done: Arkansas baseball eliminated by Kentucky in SEC Tournament
More: Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn wants Kendall Diggs to forget recent slump
However, it's hard to ignore the late-season struggles, and Hoover only amplified the concerns heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Hogs are 4-7 in their last 11 games and in the midst of a season-high three-game losing streak. The lineup has been consistently inconsistent all season, with players unable to get clutch hits and produce long-lasting hot streaks. Arkansas left 18 runners on base in its two Hoover losses.
"We got to get more production up and down the lineup. It's spotty right now," Van Horn said. "I think guys are trying too hard, trying to do too much instead of just take what they give you sometimes."
Additionally, the lights-out pitching staff is still trying to find its early-season form, and Van Horn has a few big decisions to make next weekend.
Gage Wood and Brady Tygart gave up seven runs as relievers in the loss to Kentucky. Can either of those two be trusted to start a regional game? Mason Molina has five scoreless innings on his ledger after moving to the bullpen last week. Should he stay there, or can he replicate the recent success in the rotation?
"I was overthinking things and I was trying to be too fine, and now I really don't have the luxury of thinking," Molina said of his move to the bullpen. "It's just kind of get hot, go in the game and let your stuff work."
And then there's the defense. Arkansas still ranks inside the top 10 nationally in fielding percentage, but the Hogs have been leaking behind their pitchers in recent weeks. They committed four errors in the SEC Tournament and they're having a hard time making the 50-50 plays any team needs to win a national title.
There's still plenty of room for optimism. Arkansas has been one of the best teams in the country all season despite the offense's lack of firepower. The Hogs will host a regional and are likely to be a top-eight national seed, meaning a potential super regional would also come through Fayetteville, where Arkansas is 33-3 on the year.
And finally, recent history can give the fans hope. In 2022, Arkansas entered the NCAA Tournament on a four-game losing streak and another 0-2 SEC Tournament.
The Razorbacks went on to reach the semifinals of the College World Series.
Judgment day for Arkansas has arrived in the form of the NCAA Tournament. The Hogs are limping into the competition. They hope to sprint through the finish line come late June.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas baseball limps into NCAA Tournament with questions, optimism
