Arkansas’ 12th attempt to ascend Mount Omaha begins confronting familiar foes

You don’t have to be a Razorback fan or playwright to recognize Dave Van Horn’s tenth ascent to the Citadel in Omaha  — also known as the College World Series — is the stuff of a hero’s journey. The legendary captain — universally recognized as perhaps the greatest of his era — and his talented crew fit the billing. 

As outlined in Aristotle’s classic treatise on drama: The Poetics, Van Horn is a protagonist we all can identify with. We root for him because he’s proven to be virtuous. He embodies classical ideals like stoicism, loyalty and consistency going back to his days as a player and graduate assistant for the Razorbacks in the 1980’s. 

Yet after once again scaling baseball’s Mount Olympus to confront the whimsical baseball gods and attempt to slay an eight-headed hydra, Van Horn’s mission to complete his Herculean labors (12 if you count his contributions as a player and assistant) remain undone. 

For those with short attention spans, here’s a spoiler alert. Merely winning a coveted national championship and reversing the curse that’s haunted Razorback athletics in the three major sports isn’t what’s holding DVH back. It’s self doubt that plagues Razorback Nation. 

Witness the incessant calls from some quarters to reseed the NCAA Tournament so the Razorbacks wouldn’t have to kickoff the College World Series at 6 p.m. Saturday against college baseball’s most feared dynasty: The purple and gold people-eating, jello-shot-taking Bayou Bengals of LSU. Those are the cries of fans who expect to lose but want to say, “At least we made it further than so-in-so.”

Never mind that we heard the same calls before vanquishing the defending national champion Tennessee Volunteers in the Super Regionals to return to Omaha. And never mind, LSU head Tiger Jay Johnson declaring “Only a few teams come to Omaha to win it, and some play only to make it here.”

As a great teacher once said, “(The good old college try) is why you fail.” 

But, fear not Razorbackers. The old adage still holds: Faith and fear cannot occupy the same space. Prepare to cast out your collective doubts once and for all because the classical elements are present for some poetic justice. 

The Story Arc

We’ve simply reached the climax of a three-act play. The first act started 22 years ago when Van Horn replaced his legendary mentor Norm DeBryin with the promise to finish the work they began in 1982. 

An inciting incident — in the form of an undeserved curse suffered somewhere along the line — precipitated an elongated second act where our hero and his companions go through a series of ever-increasing heartbreaks. Those obstacles forge a new mettle in our heroes leading up to the climatic third act — making the epic journey we’ve been treated to all the more satisfying in the end.

There have been plenty of minions dispatched along the way by our shadowy adversary. No doubt there are more to come. After all, what would any transcendent adventure worth making be without the pleasure of whupping the likes of the nouveau riche Volunteers along the way?

We won’t see any garish antics from LSU however. They won’t beat themselves with fielding errors, walks or mental lapses. LSU’s hubris is their presumptiveness. You’ll have to beat them with superior intelligence and Van Horn might gather some intel just down the road from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans.

The Trojans gave the Tigers more than they bargained for last week at Alex Box Stadium. After LSU shutout the Trojans 7-0 to kickoff the Baton Rouge regional, UALR won the rubber match 10-4. The Tigers ultimately eliminated the Trojans in the final 10-6, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if DVH gleans something from his former pupil, Chris Curry, that will give the Razorbacks an edge come Saturday. 

LSU will be counting on "Arkansas to Arkansas," but just like Tennessee and the other teams the Razorbacks have defeated on this run, LSU is about to find out this Razorback team is built different.

The Tigers comes into the contest well-decorated with multiple national championships to Arkansas’ none. They have their titles but don’t get it twisted. These Razorbacks are not just happy to be here. They are hungry. Winning this one will come down to which team is more hungry — not more decorated.

The Dark Night of the Soul

LSU provides a true test to exorcise the demons which have haunted many drunken nights for Razorback fans — in every sport. LSU has also been sent home with their tails tucked between their legs a time or two as well — whether it was at Little Rock, Fayetteville or Baton Rouge. So as the fates would have it, bring on the Tigers!

Van Horn has won 70 percent of his games overall with a national junior college championship and 10 trips to Omaha notched on his belt. However, he is 29-38 (43%) against the winningest program in college baseball over the course of his storied career. The Tigers boast seven national titles since 1991. That includes a sweep by LSU of Arkansas in the 2009 CWS. 

The silver lining is versus Johnson, Van Horn holds an 8-4 edge head-to-head. Half of those losses came on May 9th and 10th in a rain-soaked, late-night, 5-4, extra-inning, pier-six brawl in The Box which lasted into the wee hours of the Louisiana night. 

Starting All-SEC pitchers Zach Root and Kade Anderson went toe-to-toe for the first six innings before LSU managed to push the decisive series opener into an extra session —  thanks to some uncharacteristic inaccuracies from Arkansas closer Aiden Jimenez. Hopefully, the opening rematch with Root on Saturday on the hallowed grounds of Omaha plays out differently. 

Root — along with fellow haymaker, Gage Wood — reached new levels in last weekend’s disarming of the Volunteers. Meanwhile, Anderson — like Tennessee’s Liam Doyle — is expected to go near the top of the upcoming Major League Baseball draft. But Root and Wood have been making their bids to go to the next level as well. 

Most observers give LSU’s arms the advantage, but it will be interesting to see how Root, Wood, Jimenez, Gabe Gaecle  and company knuckle up this time. Arkansas vs. LSU is being billed as this CWS’ marquee matchup between the two favorites left in the field. A win will go a long way to determining who ultimately gets a leg up and climbs to the top in 2025, but regardless of who wins Saturday, there is sure to be plenty of more drama before all is said and done.

The Catharsis

The rare glimpse of the emotion that escaped Van Horn after beating the defending national champion Volunteers was because he can sense what’s coming. He senses the destiny he faces and he knows he has assembled the crew that can collectively help him carry the hopes of Razorback Nation to the promised land.

It’s worth pointing out that — according to Aristotle’s formula — the emergence from a “dark night of the soul” moment precipitates a catharsis. The dictionary defines it as: “The process of releasing and thereby providing release from strong repressed emotions.”

The philosophical term used by Aristotle is denouement. It means in simple terms: “untying knots.” No SEC rival has tied as many knots in the Natural State than Louisiana State and nobody knows better than Van Horn what awaits him and his crew in Omaha. At the same time, nobody knows better than Van Horn the character of the team he put together for this run at redemption.

 Yes. It’s been an epic journey full of tragedy and hope to get back to the pinnacle, but that rare glimpse of emotion from DVH may have been a sign that he knows the release is coming. He knows this team hits different. 

The players themselves are probably too young to know it, but many Razorback aficionados can see it. Even many national observers all the way to Las Vegas see it. For once, Good Fortune may be smiling on Razorback Nation. 

The Tigers may provide the ultimate test of this team’s focus, their determination, their skill and most importantly their will. It may even take Lady Luck gracing Razorback Nation with her blessings for a change. Nobody said it would be easy, but many are now coming to believe what Van Horn said at the time. “This team is special.”

All Hands on Deck

So, let’s remember the annual spring spectacles in the friendly confines of Baum Walker Stadium atop The Hill in Fayetteville where fans from every shire, village and city have rooted on our Razorbacks. Let’s show up Saturday and show out in Omaha. 

Van Horn isn’t the type of lead character to exhibit hubris. Everyone has a fatal flaw of course, and in today’s inverted reality it may be tempting to think Van Horn’s character flaw is his goodness. For those inside Arkansas however, we know it’s not hubris at all. He’s simply THE BEST baseball coach in America.

DVH has gotten the team this far — again, but it is up to each player to step up to the plate and do their part — starting with the chosen ones. Wehiwa Aloy was chosen SEC Player of the Year and is a Finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. 

He set the tone for the team all season with a golden glove as well. At the impromptu post-series Super Regional celebration, he led teammates through the Baum Walker Stadium concourse in honor of the Razorback faithful on hand. What would be even more inspiring is leading the Razorbacks on a hit parade through opposing pitchers at the College World Series. 

Likewise, younger brother, Kuhio, was an All-SEC selection but has been in somewhat of a slump going into the postseason. Word is his golf swing is even more impressive than his brother’s. Now would be a good time to showcase their skills for the baseball world to witness.

If stalwarts like Ryder Helfrick, Charles Davalan, Logan Maxwell, and Omaha hometown hero, Cam Kozeal, can continue their clutch ways; and if Justin Thomas Jr. and Reece Robinett can shore up the rear guard of the lineup, LSU's nor any other pitching staff will not withstand what’s coming. 

Finishing the Story

In all the epic tales of the hero's journey, you often find the monster that ultimately has to be overcome is not villains from Tennessee, a three-headed Bulldog from Georgia, Gators from the swamps of Florida, Elephants in the Room from Alabama, War Eagles from Auburn, eager Beavers of Oregon State, upstarts from Cal State Fullerton or any imaginary monkeys on our back.

The ultimate adversary all along has been self doubt — the disbelief that Arkansas can win it all. All you have to do is get on Razorback Twitter or any call in show and you’ll hear echoes of Jay Johnson.  So, let’s not leave this in the hands of fate. Let’s appeal to a higher power. 

Welp. Your friendly neighborhood sportsguy is here to tell true believers across Razorback Nation the good news. Root, Jimenz, Wood, Gaeckle, the Chosen ones, Helfrick, Kozeal, Davalan, Maxwell, JTJ,  the Man from Down Under, the rest of the dugout crew — all the way down to the batboy himself, Gage Goodwin are heroes worthy of having their names etched in the annals of Razorback lore. 

Whether they emerge from Omaha with a national championship may be a different story, but do not doubt. Like their skipper, this team is championship material, and it will be our privilege to see how they complete their story. Whether it's this year or in the future, there will always be more mountains to climb and more heroes to cheer for. 

It just would be epic poetic justice if this team can be the first to complete the story. WPS!