Hogs Need to Get Tough

                If you are reading this post looking for a statistical breakdown of the Arkansas Razorbacks performance from last weekend’s Cal Baseball Classic you have come to the wrong place. This is going to be written as more of a call to arms.  We’re calling all Razorbacks hitters and position players!  It is time to start supporting your pitchers and putting more runs on the board.  It is time to start playing the way you are capable of playing. 

                Coach Dave Van Horn did not hold back his frustration during a post-tournament interview on Sunday evening after his Hogs squad went 1-3, losing 3 one-run games while in California.  He spoke about how his hitters need to have a better approach at the plate.  How his guys “should want to be at the plate with runners in scoring position.”  Too many times over the weekend Arkansas hitters came up empty when a hit was desperately needed to drive a run across the plate.  Never was that more evident than in the first game of a double-header Sunday against Cal when the Hogs loaded the bases with no outs and still failed to score.

                So, where has it all gone wrong over these last six games?  What could the Hogs be doing differently in order to win some of these close games?  Usually when teams are losing close games, as the Razorbacks have been doing, it comes down to one simple thing, mental toughness.  Which team is going to make the first mistake? 

During the second game Sunday night against Cal the Hogs ran into a situation where they were the team to blink first in a closely contested game.  With runners on first and third the Arkansas coaching staff called for a pitch-out, expecting Cal to try and sneak a run across by confusing the Hogs defense.  The pitch-out worked perfectly and Arkansas had the runner at third base hung out to dry.  However, the Razorback catcher got in a hurry, getting rid of the ball a little too early and putting his third baseman in a tough position.  The ball ended up being thrown off the runner’s back allowing him to score what turned out to be the game-winning run.

The Hogs must start performing better in situations like the one described above if they expect to have a successful season.  No team can afford to play as if they are scared to make a mistake.  As a position player you should want the next ball to be hit to you.  Hitters should always want to come to the plate with runners in scoring position.  This team had better get mentally tough quickly.  Otherwise Razorback fans could be in for a long, difficult season.