Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Arkansas is off to its best start in baseball since 2006. The Razorbacks swept Utah over the weekend to improve to 6-0 for the season.

It’s not likely this series sweep of a winless team is a season-defining moment, but there were some real positives to come out of the weekend. Arkansas seemed to give a glimpse of its makeup, especially in the first two games.

Coach Dave Van Horn talked several times in the preseason about the youth of this team. Much of the leadership from last year’s Razorback squad is now in pro baseball.

A young team falling behind in two games it seemingly should be winning easy could have been trouble. Instead, Arkansas responded well, battling back from deficits in Friday’s 3-2 victory and Saturday’s 5-4 victory.

Arkansas trailed 3-1 through six innings of the opener. Utah led 2-1 through six innings of game two.

Rather than relax on Sunday with the series already won, the Razorbacks responded with their best offensive performance of the season. Dave Van Horn was pleased with the 10-1 victory, which included a six-run sixth inning.

“We’ve scored two or three a couple of times, but six in one inning with wind blowing in, the bats, it’s tough to do that. I think we got five base hits in a row and two of those were with two strikes. That finished it off pretty good. The momentum was in our dugout.”

Certainly, there is room for the team to grow. Utah, like Delaware State the week before, isn’t going to be confused for LSU, Florida or any of the top-tier SEC teams the Razorbacks will face.

But what the Razorbacks have done so far is impressive.

Arkansas looks to improve on its undefeated start with five games over the next six days. There’s a two-game, mid-week series with McNeese State and a weekend series against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.