Arkansas Lands NCAA Berth; 3rd Seed at Stanford

FAYETTEVILLE - It didn't matter who he called, Dave Van Horn couldn't get a definitive answer. Arkansas' postseason baseball hopes just weren't clear-cut enough for anybody to know if an NCAA Tournament berth was coming, even in the hours leading up to Monday's announcement of the field.

For every factor working in favor of the Razorbacks - like them closing the regular season out with 8 victories in 10 games - there was a negative. Arkansas wasn't one of the eight teams to make the Southeastern Conference Tournament in what was supposed to be a down year for the league and that wasn't going to help.

So leading into Monday's NCAA Regional Selection, uncertainty was about the only sure thing Arkansas had. Players and coaches gathered inside the clubhouse at Baum Stadium to watch the selection show broadcast on ESPN, knowing bad news was a very real possibility.

"We didn't know what we were going to get. Were we coming to a party or a funeral?" Van Horn said. "We just didn't have a good feeling."

Monday afternoon brought a sense of relief for the Razorbacks (34-22), who learned they would advance to a regional for the seventh consecutive year. It's the longest stretch of postseason appearances for Arkansas, which enjoyed a six-year run from 1985-90.

Arkansas opens the tournament Friday in Palo Alto, Calif., against second-seeded Pepperdine (36-19). No. 16 Stanford (33-21-2) will host UC-Davis (34-22) in the one-four seed matchup.

While most of the country's NCAA hopefuls were playing last week in their respective conference tournaments, Arkansas waited. Players spent time practicing, but with no guarantee the season would continue, those workouts weren't enjoyable.

There were factors working in favor of the Razorbacks, but nothing was guaranteed.

"I was trying to keep an even keel," senior catcher Jeff Nutt said. "I know most of us in here did. We didn't want to get high and come crashing down."

Arkansas ended the season by winning 8 of its final 10 games. Both losses during that stretch came at Mississippi State by single runs in both games. According to Boydsworld.com, the Razorbacks carried a RPI of 34 into the week, meaning their strength of schedule and record against that schedule was favorable.

"We were hoping somebody saw the brighter side of our season," junior outfielder Casey Coon said. "... We were half a game short of making the tournament. The NCAA felt like we needed a berth and the regional and we felt the same way."

Now the Razorbacks face an 1,825-mile filght - one way - to Palo Alto. It's a long trip, but one Arkansas players are looking forward to, especially considering how close they came to not making the postseason.

One team will emerge from Stanford to play in a super-regional against another regional winner in a best two-of-three, and eight Super Regional winners then advance to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series.

Arkansas hosted a regional in 2006 and 2007, but was eliminated both times. Traveling as the No. 3 seed could help eliminate pressure the Razorbacks have felt in previous seasons, Coon said.

"This year we're just thankful to be in the tournament. We want to do some damage," Coon said. "Personally, I think we play better on the road. It gets us away from the pressure and distractions of being at home."

The eight national seeds in the tournament are: No. 1 Miami (47-8); No. 2 North Carolina (46-12); No. 3 Arizona St. (45-11); No. 4 Florida St. (48-10); No. 5 Cal St. Fullerton (37-19); No. 6 Rice (42-13); No. 7 LSU (43-16-1) and No. 8 Georgia (35-21-1).