2012 UA Baseball Year in Review, Van Horn Uncut
By:
Updated: July 2, 2012
Team Notes:
For
the
seventh time in program history, the Arkansas baseball team advanced to
the College World Series. The Razorbacks advanced to the semifinals of
the CWS, tying the second-best finish in program history. Arkansas won
its first two games of the College World
Series for the first time since 1979, defeating Kent State in the opener
and snapping South Carolina's 22-game postseason win streak with a 2-1
win in game two. The appearance in the CWS capped an impressive
postseason run for the Razorbacks, which included
wins at the Houston Regional, hosted by No. 8 Rice, and taking two of
three games from No. 4 national seed Baylor in the Waco Super Regional.
The
Razorbacks
finished the 2012 season with a 46-22 record. The 46 wins were the most
for Arkansas under head coach Dave Van Horn and the most in a season
since the 1990 team won 47 games. Overall, the 46 wins were the
sixth-highest single-season total in school
history.
On
the
strength of its semifinal appearance in the College World Series,
Arkansas finished the season ranked in the top six in all of the major
national college baseball polls. The Razorbacks were ranked third in the
USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, in the NCBWA poll
and in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Arkansas finished the season sixth
in the Baseball America top 25.
The
2012
Arkansas pitching staff will go down as one of the best in program
history. Razorback pitching combined for a 2.83 team ERA in 2012, the
second-lowest single-season ERA in program history. Arkansas pitching
had 10 shutouts, which also ranked as the second-highest
total in a season. As dominant as the Razorback pitching staff was
during the regular season, the staff was even better in the NCAA
Tournament. In 10 NCAA Tournament games, Arkansas' pitching staff had a
team ERA of 1.92. In the College World Series, the Razorbacks
compiled a team ERA of 1.80.
The
Arkansas
baseball team has grown accustomed to playing one- or two-run games in
the last two seasons. In 2012, the Razorbacks played 32 games decided by
one or two runs and went 19-13 in those 32 games. Arkansas was 14-9 in
one-run games during the 2012 season
and had a streak of seven straight one-run victories late in the season.
Six of the Razorbacks' seven wins in the NCAA Tournament were by one
run.
Winning
a
game 1-0 is rare in college baseball, but is even rarer in the NCAA
Tournament. Arkansas accomplished the feat twice during the 2012 NCAA
Tournament with both wins coming on the opponent's home field. The
Razorbacks defeated Rice, 1-0, in the Houston Regional
and downed Baylor, 1-0, in the decisive game three to advance to the
College World Series. How rare are 1-0 wins in the NCAA Tournament?
Before the 2012 season, there had only been nine 1-0 games since the
tournament expanded to its current format in 1999.
There were three 1-0 games in the 2012 NCAA Tournament with Arkansas
accounting for two of those. Austin Peay had the other 1-0 win,
defeating Indiana State.
Arkansas
head coach Dave Van Horn reached a milestone with Arkansas' victory over Rice on June 2. The victory was the 400th
for Coach Van Horn in his tenure as the Razorbacks' skipper. Following
the 2012 season, Coach Van Horn's record at Arkansas is 405-223, while
his career record is 990-463.
The
Razorbacks
were well represented in June's 2012 MLB Draft with eight players
selected. The eight selections were tied for the third-highest total in
school history, equaling the 2010 and 1987 teams. Matt Reynolds (71st
overall, New York Mets) and Nolan Sanburn (74th overall, Oakland Athletics) were each
drafted in the secon
