Arkansas and Tennessee will face off in the super-regional round. And no, it's not just your imagination or Deja Vu. The Vols were in Fayetteville only 17 days ago at the time this article was published, but the road to Omaha leads Arkansas back to that bright orange 'T' and the fighting Vitellos yet again.
Tennessee returns to Fayetteville with a fresh fire
Before streaming was invented, Reruns played a useful role on cable television, filling up empty time slots to generate revenue. But now, in a time where people watch what they want, whenever they want, Reruns are insufferably boring. Replaying the Arkansas-Tennessee series is just as uninteresting on paper—we know the story, and we've seen the ending.
However, games aren't played on paper, and as annoying as it is to see the Hogs and Vols all over again, a Rerun wouldn't be so bad. After all, the Razorbacks did win the series. Arkansas lost its opening game but stormed back to win game two, the rubber match, and the final series of the regular season.
Unfortunately, it isn't that simple to project. In the short time since the two teams met on the diamond, both teams have changed. And trying to predict this weekend's outcome based on the previous matchup is a fool's errand.
Tennessee looks like a new team. It had a brief run in the SEC Tournament, where they beat Alabama and Texas before losing to the eventual SEC champions, Vanderbilt. It was enough to earn them a national seed after losing five of their last six SEC series. Following that, the Vols advanced through their regional with only a one-run loss to Wake Forest before running the Demon Deacons out of Knoxville on Monday, 11-5.
The Volunteers' production at the plate has changed significantly. In those seven games, Tennessee has averaged over eight runs a game, even after being blown out 10-0 versus the Commodores in the SEC Tournament. One the other hand, they're still giving up over six runs per games, too.
Arkansas' renewed fight
Both Arkansas and Tennessee were on a downward slide heading into their matchup in the regular season. But after the Hogs convincingly dominated the Fayetteville Regional, it's safe to say they're both on the rise.
Unlike the Vols, Arkansas has found a renewed fire at the plate AND on the mound. The Hogs have outscored their regional opponents 26-6. And on Sunday night, it the Razorbacks hit a season-high 20 strikeouts and extended their new single-season home run record by four to 120 this season.
So really, the Fayetteville Super Regional outcome depends on which version of each team shows up to Baum-Walker on Friday. If the Hogs are on their A-game, Arkansas could sweep the Fayetteville Super Regional. But if the pitching regresses and the bats cool off, it could be a nail-biting finish on Sunday or worse. One thing's for certain, though. This weekend's series is anything but a Rerun.