NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Arkansas ready to face tough challenge at Fayetteville Regional

Coaches: Regional wide open

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches Thursday, June 1, 2023, during practice at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Arkansas, Texas Christian, Arizona and Santa Clara practiced at the stadium ahead of today’s opening-round games in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. .(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn watches Thursday, June 1, 2023, during practice at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Arkansas, Texas Christian, Arizona and Santa Clara practiced at the stadium ahead of today’s opening-round games in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. .(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Successfully navigating out of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional looks to be a difficult chore for the host and national No. 3 seed Arkansas Razorbacks as well as TCU, Arizona and Santa Clara, the other three teams set to tangle at Baum-Walker Stadium all weekend.

University of Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn, who said he doesn't look up things to read this time of year, said his take on the strength of the regional is by feel.

"I think we have an incredible field," Van Horn said. "We have teams coming in here in baseball terms that are really hot. They're on fire, winning however many games in a row, blowing through tournaments.

Van Horn referred to Arizona, Santa Clara and TCU as "well put-together" teams.

"You've got to have everything," he said. "It looks like to me, looking at the numbers, that all three of the teams have everything and they can all beat you. I think this regional is wide open."


The Razorbacks (41-16) will start their NCAA postseason journey at 2 p.m. today against Santa Clara (35-18), which has won eight games in a row and 17 of its last 20.

Left-hander Hunter Hollan (8-2, 4.06 ERA) will start for the Razorbacks, while senior Cole Kitchen (3-2, 4.25), the regular Friday starter, will throw for the Broncos.


TCU (37-22) and Arizona (33-24), who face each other at 8 p.m. today, have big offensive numbers and both finished the season strong in the Big 12 and Pac-12, respectively.

The Horned Frogs, 14-2 in May, blew through the Big 12 Tournament with two wins over Kansas State and one win each over Kansas and Oklahoma State by a combined 48-15.

Arizona is 9-4 in its last 13 games with double-figure scoring in seven of those games, including a 21-20 win at Stanford, the national No. 8 seed, on May 14. The Wildcats outscored Arizona State, Oregon State and Stanford by a combined 39-19 in their first three games of the Pac-12 Tournament before falling 5-4 to Oregon in the championship game.

All the coaches in news conferences at Baum-Walker Stadium on Thursday testified to the high-end potential at the regional.

"There's no doubt," Arizona Coach Chip Hale said. "I've watched a ton of video on the other three teams.

"I'm very familiar with Santa Clara. I grew up 20 minutes from the campus there, so I've always followed them. They have some tremendous players and some tremendous pitching, and they're a 4 seed. It's definitely wide open for sure."

Eric Olson of the Associated Press ranked the Fayetteville regional the toughest of the 16, just ahead of the NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional.


Parker Fleming, an economist and data scientist who works in sports analytics, rated the regional the toughest as well. He cited Arizona and TCU as both being in the top 30 of his power ratings and Santa Clara being "the best 4 seed by a long shot."

TCU Coach Kirk Saaloos recognized the heaters that most of the teams in Fayetteville are on.

"Any team that's in a regional is really good or they're hot or both," Saarloos said. "And usually the team that's both is the one that's going to win the regional."

Santa Clara Coach Rusty Filter noted the field, team by team.

"You've got a No. 3 seed in the country that's had a really good season in the SEC," Filter said. "You've got another team in TCU that last year we went and played three games at their place. Really strong history.

"Arizona out West has also had a really strong history. They're playing really well, getting to their conference tournament final. So yeah, I think the field is very strong.


"When you look at the offensive numbers from all four teams that's really going to jump out at you. I haven't been on this field but I heard it's very offensive. We'll see how that plays out."

Filter was hoping his team would be sent somewhere out West, but recognized there weren't many opportunities. Outside of playing in his own region, Filter had a wish for where the Broncos were placed.

"I told my team, 'I hope we get the most amazing experience available in college baseball,' and I believe this is that place," he said. "So we're excited to be here. We're looking forward to competing and showing the rest of the country what Bronco baseball is all about."


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