FAYETTEVILLE -- Joe Serrano has been where all of his Arkansas teammates want to go.
The senior left fielder is the only Razorback who has played in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Today’s game
NORTH DAKOTA AT ARKANSAS
WHEN 3:05 p.m.
WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
2014 RECORDS Arkansas 40-25. North Dakota 10-29.
TICKETS Reserved seats are $10, bleacher general admission $8 with groups of 10 or more $6 per ticket for the bleachers.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
INTERNET arkansasrazorbacks.…
STARTERS North Dakota: RHP Andrew Thome. Arkansas: RHP James Teague.
SHORT HOPS Arkansas is playing North Dakota for the first time. … The Razorbacks are 44-11 in season openers since the 1960 season, including 20 consecutive victories. … Arkansas has outscored opponents 103-27 in Coach Dave Van Horn’s 12 openers. … North Dakota is playing its first 21 games away from home. … Arkansas is one of seven teams to make the NCAA Tournament the past 13 years.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY vs North Dakota 3:05 p.m.
SATURDAY vs North Dakota 1:05 p.m.
SUNDAY vs North Dakota 1:05 p.m.
MONDAY Off
TUESDAY Off
WEDNESDAY Off
THURSDAY Off
TODAY’S GAME
North Dakota at Arkansas
WHEN 3:05 p.m.
WHERE Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
2014 RECORDS Arkansas 40-25. North Dakota 10-29.
TICKETS Reserved seats are $10, bleacher general admission $8 with groups of 10 or more $6 per ticket for the bleachers.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network. Not all games will be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
INTERNET arkansasrazorbacks.…
Serrano was a freshman in 2012 when Arkansas most recently advanced to the College World Series, where he batted .385 (5 for 13) and started all four of the Razorbacks' games.
Arkansas' quest for its eighth College World Series appearance begins at 3:05 p.m. today when the Razorbacks open the season against North Dakota at Baum Stadium.
"I really hope we can get this team to Omaha again," Serrano said. "It's the greatest thing of all time for me, and I want the guys on this team to experience that, too."
Serrano has experienced a lot at Arkansas. Today will be his 147th game with the Razorbacks, including 128 starts. Last season Serrano batted .289 (66 for 228) with 29 walks and had 22 RBI and 35 runs.
"Seniors can really help your team if they're into it, and Joe is into it," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said. "He has been good with his leadership and calmness."
Serrano, from Tucson, Ariz., said he's glad to be back at Arkansas rather than being upset he wasn't picked in the Major League Baseball Draft last summer.
"There are thousands of other guys that wish they were in my position," Serrano said. "I'm blessed to be here, and if I'm not taking advantage of that every single day, I'm doing something wrong."
Van Horn didn't name team captains this season, but other Razorbacks said Serrano is an unquestioned leader.
"Joe's been here a long time and knows how things work," junior shortstop Brett McAfee said. "He's very encouraging with everybody.
"It's awesome to have him to be a voice for the younger guys, and the older guys as well. He gives us some extra drive."
Redshirt junior right fielder Tyler Spoon said the Razorbacks all respect what Serrano does and says.
"Joe's just so polished as a hitter and as a defender, and he has so much wisdom about the game," Spoon said. "That's the kind of guy you want on your team."
Serrano said his top priority is to be a positive influence on the freshmen, ease their transition to college baseball and help them relax.
In Serrano's first at-bat for the Razorbacks, he recalled striking out in the 2012 opener against Villanova at Baum Stadium. He entered in the late innings of the Razorbacks' 11-5 victory before an announced crowd of 6,317.
"I went down on three straight called strikes because I was just in utter awe of the amount of people at the game," Serrano said. "That's the one thing I can really help the freshmen get over, is you're going to be playing in front of a lot of people and they're going to be watching your every move.
"So my suggestion is to swing at the first pitch no matter where it's at so you'll have that out of the way. From then on, it's just playing ball and having fun."
After Serrano struck out looking in his first at-bat, he took some ribbing from volunteer assistant coach Brian Walker, now a full-time assistant at Wichita State.
"Walker was like, 'So tomorrow are you going to swing at any pitches?' " Serrano said. 'I said, 'I plan on it.' "
Serrano has taken a lot of good swings at Arkansas since that first at-bat. He has a career batting average of .298 (146 of 490) with 47 RBI and 82 runs.
"The experience Joe has with so many at-bats, you just can't put a value on that," Arkansas hitting coach Tony Vitello said. "You need to accumulate some at-bats to really be a mature hitter.
"He's got a lot of savvy and can do a lot of different things Coach Van Horn asks him to do, whether it's executing small ball to move a runner around or going up there swinging to knock a guy in."
Van Horn said Serrano has looked better than ever hitting and fielding in practice.
"He's not afraid of anything," Van Horn said. "I think he's going to have a really good year."
Serrano said he doesn't set personal goals.
"If I'm the best player in the country but the team doesn't make it to a regional and have a shot to go to Omaha, then what I did individually doesn't mean anything," he said. "I'm more focused on making the guys around me better and trying to settle into a veteran role.
"I want to build confidence in the guys and show them the correct way to do things. I think if we get that in order, we'll be a good team."
Sports on 02/13/2015