TAT: Bold Predictions for 6 Razorback Teams Still In Action

This article originally appeared in the May 2, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field

The No. 4 men’s track and field team won the Indoor National Championship in March and I expect the outdoor team to do the same.

With one week until the Southeastern Conference Championships, Arkansas owns 35 top 10 marks in 17 different events, including three No. 1 marks, amongst SEC schools

If they can out-perform No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Texas A&M, the Razorbacks will earn their seventh consecutive SEC Championship, including indoor track & field and cross country, May 12.

Whether they win the SEC or not, Arkansas will have a great chance to win the National Championship in Eugene, Ore., and as long as they perform like they did in the Indoor Championships, they’ll win their 42nd title in program history.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

Despite their No. 6 national ranking, I predict the women’s track and field team to finish second at the SEC Championships. With No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 LSU in the same conference, it would be very difficult to jump all three teams to finish first.

However, with four SEC-leading marks, it is very possible. In all, the Razorbacks have 28 to- 10 marks in 17 different events amongst SEC schools.

While they have talent, I don’t think Arkansas will have enough firepower to score enough points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to finish any higher than third.

Baseball

Arkansas’ final three series of the season are against opponents with a combined 22-41 SEC record, but they travel to No. 23 Kentucky this weekend.

If the Razorbacks can go 6-3 or better in the remaining games and win two or more games in the SEC tournament, they will have a good chance to host a Regional.

Once they win the Regional, I predict Arkansas will have to travel to Arizona State for their Super Regional. Riding their strong pitching staff, Arkansas will win a tight game three to advance to Omaha, Neb., where they’ll win the first College World Series in school history.

Razorback fans should be cautious though, as hitting and fielding have been weak points this season. If they can solidify their fielding and come through with a few timely hits, the College World Series is highly possible.

Softball

After earning their first national ranking in school history last week, the UA softball team moved up to No. 22 this week.

They are 9-10 in SEC play, which is third in the SEC West. Their last regular season games are this weekend against Auburn at Bogle Park. I think they will win two of three and finish the regular season with a .500 record in the SEC for the first time since 2000.

While the Razorbacks could host a Regional, I doubt they will. I do think they’ll go to another team’s home field and win their first Regional in school history.

Led by senior pitchers Hope McLemore and Chelsea Cohen, Arkansas has a chance to advance to the Women’s College World Series, but their season will most likely end in the Super Regionals.

Men’s Golf

Arkansas finished sixth in the SEC Men’s Golf Team Championship, but junior Sebastian Cappelen won the individual title by shooting 3-under-par. His 202 is a 54-hole record in the SEC.

The Razorbacks are No. 14 in the most recent poll, so I expect them to easily make the NCAA tournament with a three- or four-seed. The Razorbacks will host the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Blessings Golf Course.

As a team, I think their season will end in the Regionals, but Cappelen could easily finish in the top 10 in the individual championship. If the Razorbacks want to advance out of the Regionals, they’ll need a strong performance from freshman Taylor Moore.

Moore earned Freshman All-SEC and co-Freshman of the Year honors this season and will have to continue this play into the postseason. However, I think Arkansas’ best chance at a National Championship run is still a year away, when Cappelen is a senior and Moore is an experienced sophomore.

Women’s Golf

The women’s golf team enters the NCAA tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional. They are ranked No. 6 nationally.

Eight of the 24 teams in the East Regional will advance to the championship finals, so the Razorbacks should easily qualify, but I predict they’ll knock off No. 1 Alabama and win the Regional.

Like the men’s team, they will need a strong performance from their star junior and freshman. Junior Emily Tubert averages a 73.29 score per round, while freshman Gabriela Lopez averages a 73.64. They are also the only two Razorbacks to win a tournament this season.

If Tubert and Lopez have great scores and a few other Razorbacks chip in, I think Arkansas will finish in the top four in the National Championship.

TAT: Hog Opponents Find NFL Homes

This article originally appeared in the May 1, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

The Southeastern Conference had another strong draft class this year, with 63 players selected. This broke the record for most players from one conference taken in a single draft, surpassing the Pac-10’s 55 players in the 1983 draft, and made up nearly one-quarter of all players drafted.

Arkansas’ SEC opponents featured 35 of these players and, including nonconference games, the Razorbacks faced teams that featured 43 total draft picks. This is tied with Tennessee for sixth most in the SEC. Florida faced the most 2013 NFL Draft picks with 51 on their opponents’ rosters.

Only three of Arkansas’ opponents in 2012, ULM, Tulsa and Ole Miss, did not have a player selected in the NFL draft.

Here’s a look at the other nine teams they played and how their draft picks performed against the Razorbacks.

Jacksonville State – Sept. 1 – W, 49-24

Arkansas opened their season against Jacksonville State, a member of the Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA).

Although the Razorbacks won handily, the Gamecocks had a strong performance from wide receiver Alan Bonner. His eight catches for 107 yards and touchdown proved to be his second-best statistical game of the season.

The Houston Texans took Bonner in the sixth round as the 195th overall pick. 

Alabama – Sept. 15 – L, 52-0

The Crimson Tide squad that shutout the Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds, a first for Arkansas since 1966, featured nine players in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Cornerback Dee Milliner (New York Jets, first round, ninth overall) had two tackles and a pass breakup in the game and was a part of an Alabama secondary that held Razorback receivers to only 79 yards on 11 catches.

Inside linebacker Nico Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs, fourth round, 99th overall), defensive tackle Jesse Williams (Seattle Seahawks, fifth round, 137th overall) and defensive end Quinton Dial (San Francisco 49ers, fifth round, 157th overall) combined for nine tackles, including one tackle for loss, and held Arkansas running backs to 1.6 yards per carry.

Offensively, guard Chance Warmack (Tennessee Titans, first round, 10th overall), tackle D.J. Fluker (San Diego Chargers, first round, 11th overall) and center Barrett Jones (St. Louis Rams, fourth round, 113th overall) cleared the way for three running backs to rush over 50 yards.

One of these running backs was Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers, second round, 61st overall), who had 55 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Tight end Michael Williams (Detroit Lions, seventh round, 211th overall) added 20 yards on two receptions.

Rutgers – Sept. 22 – L, 35-26

Following their loss to Alabama, Arkansas played Rutgers, a team that had seven players taken in this year’s draft.

Cornerbacks Logan Ryan (New England Patriots, third round, 83rd overall) and Marcus Cooper (San Francisco 49ers, seventh round, 252nd overall), as well as safety Duron Harmon (New England Patriots, third round, 91st overall) broke up two passes and intercepted another two, but couldn’t stop Arkansas receiver Cobi Hamilton.

Despite facing a secondary with three future draft picks, Hamilton caught 10 passes for a UA and SEC single-game record 303 yards.

Linebackers Khaseem Greene (Chicago Bears, fourth round, 117th overall) and Steve Beauharnais (New England Patriots, seventh round, 235th overall) tallied 14 tackles, two pass breakups and half of a sack.

The Scarlet Knights were led by running back Jawan Jamison (Washington Redskins, seventh round, 228th overall) offensively.

Jamison had 141 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. Tight end D.C. Jefferson was drafted in the seventh round (219th overall) by the Arizona Cardinals, but didn’t accumulate any stats against Arkansas.

Texas A&M – Sept. 29 – L, 58-10

For the third straight week, Arkansas played a team with at least five players selected in this year’s draft. The Aggies had five players taken, including one in each of the first four rounds.

Texas A&M’s offensive line was anchored by tackle Luke Joeckel (Jacksonville Jaguars, first round, second overall), allowed no sacks and helped their offense gain 716 total yards.

Running back Christine Michael (Seattle Seahawks, second round, 62nd overall) and receiver Ryan Swope (Arizona Cardinals, sixth round, 174th overall) accounted for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacker Sean Porter (Cincinnati Bengals, fourth round, 118th overall) and defensive end Damontre Moore (New York Giants, third round, 81st overall) combined for 11 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and two quarterback hurries.

However, Arkansas was still able to gain 515 yards of offense.

Auburn – Oct. 6 – W, 24-7

The Tigers’ lone draft pick, defensive end Corey Lemonier (San Francisco 49ers, third round, 88th overall), had two tackles and two quarterback hurries against the Razorbacks.

Lemonier was not enough for Auburn, though, as Arkansas’ running backs were still productive, gaining 116 yards on 30 carries for an average of 3.9 yards per carry.

Kentucky – Oct. 13 – W, 49-7

Despite having guard Larry Warford (Detroit Lions, third round, 65th overall) on their offensive line, the Wildcats could not slow down Arkansas’ defense.

In a rain-shortened game, the Razorbacks totaled two sacks, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries, while Kentucky could manage only 170 total yards and six first downs.

South Carolina – Nov. 10 – L, 38-20

The Gamecocks were the fourth team Arkansas played that had at least five draft picks on their roster.

Center T.J. Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals, seventh round, 251st overall) led a South Carolina offensive line that gave up three sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and allowed their running backs to gain only 2.5 yards per carry.

However, they were without star running back Marcus Lattimore (San Francisco 49ers, fourth round, 131st overall), who missed the previous two games against the Razorbacks. In 2010, his only game against Arkansas, Lattimore had 30 yards on 11 rushes.

Receiver Ace Sanders (Jacksonville Jaguars, fourth round, 101st overall) and tight end Justice Cunningham (Indianapolis Colts, seventh round, 254th overall) combined for three catches and 48 yards.

Defensive end Devin Taylor (Detroit Lions, fourth round, 132nd overall) and linebacker DeVonte Holloman (Dallas Cowboys, sixth round, 185th overall) picked up six tackles and helped hold the Razorbacks to 83 rushing yards, while safety D.J. Swearinger (Houston Texans, second round, 57th overall) had 13 tackles and returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown.

Mississippi State – Nov. 17 – L, 45-14

Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson had only 225 passing yards against Mississippi State, his lowest total in the 10 complete games he played this season.

Cornerbacks Darius Slay (Detroit Lions, second round, 36th overall) and Johnthan Banks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, second round, 43rd overall) played a large role in shutting down Wilson. Banks had five tackles, while Slay had one tackle and one interception.

Defensive end Josh Boyd (Green Bay Packers, fifth round, 167th overall) also had five tackles and one quarterback hurry.

LSU – Nov. 23 – L, 20-13

The Tigers tied Alabama for the SEC team with the most players taken in the NFL Draft with nine. Eight of the nine players selected were defensive players.

Defensive ends Barkevious Mingo (Cleveland Browns, first round, sixth overall), Sam Montgomery (Houston Texans, third round, 95th overall) and Lavar Edwards (Tennessee Titans, fifth round, 142nd overall) combined for three tackles and two quarterback hurries.

LSU also had a combined 13 tackles from linebacker Kevin Minter (Arizona Cardinals, second round, 45th overall) and defensive tackle Bennie Logan (Philadelphia Eagles, third round, 67th overall).

Safety Eric Reid (San Francisco 49ers, first round, 18th overall) and cornerback Tharoid Simon (Seattle Seahawks, fifth round, 138th overall) had four pass breakups and one interception in the secondary.

Before the season, cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona Cardinals, third round, 69th overall) was dismissed from the team, but he had 115 punt return yards, one touchdown, eight tackles and two forced fumbles against the Razorbacks in 2011.

The Tigers’ only offensive player taken was running back Spencer Ware (Seattle Seahawks, sixth round, 194th overall). Ware had 22 yards on nine carries against Arkansas last season.

TAT: Hogs Sweep Rain-Shortened Series

This article originally appeared in the April 29, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

The Arkansas baseball team won a pair of low-scoring games in Athens, Ga., before the final game of the series was cancelled because of rain.

Arkansas won Friday’s game with a 2-0 pitcher’s duel between junior Barrett Astin and Georgia junior Patrick Boling.

Astin won the duel, lasting eight innings, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters on 100 pitches. Boling only threw six innings and gave up one earned run on three hits and a walk. He also collected four strikeouts.

After giving up a pair of hits and a walk in the first inning, Astin settled in and got out of the bases loaded jam on a fly out. From the second inning on, Georgia did not advance a runner past first base until junior Colby Suggs came in to close out the game in the ninth.

“I thought Barrett was outstanding,” head coach Dave Van Horn said. “Once he got through the (first) inning, he kind of came in and regrouped. We were worried that we’d have to take him out in the second inning, but we never had to talk to him again.”

Suggs picked up the save by getting Georgia freshman Jess Posey to strike out with runners on second and third.

The Razorbacks picked up their runs in the third and eighth innings.

Sophomore Brian Anderson had two of Arkansas’ three hits of the game, including an RBI-single in the third inning. Junior Jake Wise had their other hit, as well as an RBI in the eighth, when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Game two of the series was another pitcher’s duel, featuring junior Ryne Stanek and Georgia freshman Sean McLaughlin. Arkansas won 2-1.

It was scoreless through six innings before the Bulldogs got on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly by senior Kyle Farmer in the seventh.

The Razorbacks responded with a pair of runs in the eighth.

Senior Jacob Mahan led off the inning with a double and Wise followed him with an RBI-single. After a sacrifice bunt advanced Wise to second, sophomore Joe Serrano knocked him in with a single to center.

Stanek tossed 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits, followed by 2.1 one-hit innings by three Razorback relievers. Suggs earned his seventh save of the season, while sophomore Jalen Beeks picked up his fifth win. Stanek received a no-decision.

“I can’t remember the last time we’ve come back and won a game after being behind in the sixth inning,” Van Horn said. “The pitching staff got us home from there.”

Georgia got their first complete game of the season, as McLaughlin went the distance, allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out five.

These were the first Southeastern Conference games of the season in which Arkansas has not committed an error, as well.

“The defense was great,” Van Horn said. “The defense has really stepped it up. We made a lot of nice plays in the outfield.”

Sunday’s game was cancelled because of inclement weather.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get to play, but the positive from the weekend is that we won two games and helped ourselves in the standings,” Van Horn said.

The Razorbacks improved their record to 29-15 overall and 13-7 in the SEC, which is second in the SEC West, behind LSU.

The Hogs will return to action Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. against Missouri State.

TAT: Passion is the Standard for Many True Sports Fans

This article originally appeared in the April 25, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

My girlfriend was mortified when the umpire ejected me from her high school softball game Friday.

While I had not intended to get kicked out (all I yelled was, “Go check the rule when you get home tonight!”), I was not at all ashamed. After the game, the other parents and players respected me and greeted me like a hero, but my girlfriend wouldn’t even look at me.

Naturally, this upset me, so I apologized and asked for forgiveness, but it was useless. She wouldn’t listen to me. While consoling me, one of the parents told me not to worry and that I couldn’t help it because I was “passionate.”

That’s how my grandfather and father are; it runs in the family.

When she said this, it made total sense. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that this type of fan is a true fan. A fan fueled by “passion.”

What is passion?

Well, first of all, let’s establish what passion is NOT.

Passion is not rooting for the Yankees because they have 27 World Series titles. Passion is not rooting Alabama because they have won three national titles in four years. Passion is not rooting for the Miami Heat because they bought the best players and put them on one team.

A passionate fan is not a bandwagon fan. A passionate fan is one that sticks by their teams no matter their record, their coach or any other factor.

If you are a passionate fan, a win by your team makes a bad day good and a loss makes a good day bad.

Being a passionate fan means yelling at umpires, officials or referees, whether you are at the game in person, watching it on TV or listening to it on the radio. It means referring to your team as “we” and “us,” even though you aren’t a player or coach.

Of course, being a passionate fan isn’t easy, not at all. It is an emotional investment that many people sell out on after a few years of disappointment or don’t buy into in the first place.

I am only 19 years old and a freshman in college, but I have found several gray hairs on my head.

My only explanation for this is that being a passionate fan of Springdale High, my alma mater, the Arkansas Razorbacks, my current school, and the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Cardinals, my favorite professional teams, has finally caught up to me.

The amount of emotion a true fan puts into their teams should make them physically tired after watching them play. Heart problems possibly developing down the road should be a real concern.

Is this emotional investment really worth it, especially with the amount of disappointment that comes along with those teams?

Absolutely.

No loss will ever trump the euphoria I felt standing in War Memorial Stadium with “Pour Some Sugar on Me” blaring over the PA and sugar cubes flying everywhere after Arkansas beat No. 6 LSU to clinch a spot in the Sugar Bowl in 2010.

No loss will ever trump the pride I felt standing in Bud Walton Arena after Arkansas beat No. 2 Florida this year or No. 4 Oklahoma in 2008 or No. 7 Texas in 2009.

No loss will ever trump the exhilaration I felt standing in Baum Stadium after Arkansas beat Kentucky on a walk-off grand slam by James McCann on Easter Sunday in 2010.

True fans should be too passionate to lose their love for their teams.