D1 Baseball Top 100 Programs - Arkansas Lands at #12

[ucahogfan]

Rankings were based off recent history, coaching staff, facilities, conference, financial aid situation, recruiting, and player development.  You can see the full 100 at the link below:

http://www.d1baseball.com/analysis/top-100-programs-by-the-numbers/

Based on their criteria, I'm shocked that Arkansas isn't in their top 5-10, but I can agree with being the 5th ranked SEC program behind LSU (who should be #1 IMO and not Vandy), Vandy, Florida, and South Carolina.  Every SEC program has spent an offseason at home in the DVH era except Arkansas.  That should have been a huge factor.  We have one of the top stadiums in the country, the best fan base, and the best indoor facility.  We typically bring in elite recruiting classes and the success DVH has had speaks for his player development.

There are three teams above us that I strongly disagree with and those are teams #6-8 (TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State).  All three have been very successful recently, but I think impartial outside observers would rank Arkansas above all of them as a program right now.  I was shocked to see Miami and Fullerton left outside the top 10.  I know they are traditional powers, but they also haven't spent June at home in a long time.  I would put a big mark on consistency of the program and they are two of the most consistently excellent program just like Arkansas.  Heck, TCU went one game over .500 just two years ago and their current success is with players that our current recruiting coordinator signed.  And don't forget that our current recruiting coordinator left TCU to come to Arkansas because he thought it was the better program.

[Vandyhog4]

Rankings were based off recent history, coaching staff, facilities, conference, financial aid situation, recruiting, and player development.  You can see the full 100 at the link below:

http://www.d1baseball.com/analysis/top-100-programs-by-the-numbers/

Based on their criteria, I'm shocked that Arkansas isn't in their top 5-10, but I can agree with being the 5th ranked SEC program behind LSU (who should be #1 IMO and not Vandy), Vandy, Florida, and South Carolina.  Every SEC program has spent an offseason at home in the DVH era except Arkansas.  That should have been a huge factor.  We have one of the top stadiums in the country, the best fan base, and the best indoor facility.  We typically bring in elite recruiting classes and the success DVH has had speaks for his player development.

There are three teams above us that I strongly disagree with and those are teams #6-8 (TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State).  All three have been very successful recently, but I think impartial outside observers would rank Arkansas above all of them as a program right now.  I was shocked to see Miami and Fullerton left outside the top 10.  I know they are traditional powers, but they also haven't spent June at home in a long time.  I would put a big mark on consistency of the program and they are two of the most consistently excellent program just like Arkansas.  Heck, TCU went one game over .500 just two years ago and their current success is with players that our current recruiting coordinator signed.  And don't forget that our current recruiting coordinator left TCU to come to Arkansas because he thought it was the better program.

I think it all depends on what they consider to be the "current era" of college baseball.  If the criteria is the BBCOR/TD Ameritrade Park era (i.e. since 2011), then the rankings are pretty spot on.  As you mentioned, Arkansas stacks up against anyone in the country with respect to facilities, coaching staff, recruiting, and player development.  I could see ranking Arkansas a little lower on recruiting and scholarship/financial aid when compared to programs located in more talent-rich areas and private institutions.  That being said, Arkansas has recruited very well over the last 5 years, signing multiple top 10 classes.   

While Arkansas has made 2 CWS appearances in the last 5 years (same as TCU and Louisville and 1 more than Oregon State), the Hogs don't have the other resume builders such as conference regular season or tournament championships, national seeds, and regional hosts.  Arkansas hasn't hosted a regional since 2010, and the Hogs hosted the super regional this year due to a scheduling conflict.  Meanwhile, TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State have all hosted regionals in 3 of the last 5 years.  Also, Arkansas is the only team in the top 13 of this ranking that has not been a national seed at least once in the last 5 years. TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State have been national seeds within the last 3 years, with TCU and Oregon State being national seeds 2 of the last 3 years.  I think these metrics are where TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State may separate slightly from Arkansas in recent history and overall national perception.       

Of course, I think conference dynamics are in play as well.  Since 2009, the four SEC teams ranked above Arkansas  have a combined 4 national championships and 3 runners up.  They have also won the vast majority of SEC regular season and SEC tournament titles over the last 10 years.  Amazingly, LSU and Florida have been national seeds 4 out of the last 5 years, and Vandy and South Carolina have been national seeds twice as well.  In total, the SEC has had 12 national seeds in the last 5 years.  In the last 5 years, Arkansas just hasn't put together the kind of dominant season it takes to win the conference and get a national seed.  2013 was probably the closest they have been.  That year the Hogs won 18 conference games, but Vandy and LSU won 26 and 23, respectively.  I think by any objective measure it has been harder, over the last 5 years, to win the SEC than the Big XII and Pac 12. 

[dotnet]

Meanwhile, TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State have all hosted regionals in 3 of the last 5 years.  Also, Arkansas is the only team in the top 13 of this ranking that has not been a national seed at least once in the last 5 years. TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State have been national seeds within the last 3 years, with TCU and Oregon State being national seeds 2 of the last 3 years.  I think these metrics are where TCU, Louisville, and Oregon State may separate slightly from Arkansas in recent history and overall national perception.       

Of course, I think conference dynamics are in play as well. 

The problem I have with this, is its not apples to apples at all - because as you say conference dynamics are in play.  Arkansas hasn't won the conference over the last five years, but the teams that have are usually the best team in the country.  No one looks at a team winning the big 10 five years in a row and saying they are clearly better than TCU for only winning the big 12 however many times.  That is stupid. 

I don't mean to belittle TCU, they have been great.  But to give them any benefit of the doubt because they could beat Iowa State and Colorado in baseball and Arkansas won 17 games in the SEC is kind of dumb.

And the problem is they will only give hosts to so many teams.  It makes sense.  For better or worse, TCU is sweeping Kansas while Arkansas is winning 2 of 3 vs A&M.  So TCU gets the nod.  But that doesn't make TCU better.  Just beause they are going to have at least 4 hosts on the west coast, and Oregon state is one of the four best programs out there right now - even if they aren't one of the four best in the SEC - doesn't mean they are actually better (or worse) than Arkansas.  It just means they have advantages by playing in a lesser part of the country. 

[dotnet]

Really though, I think the TCU and Louisville picks are stupid and reactionary.  But I get Oregon State.  They two CWS.  Arkansas hasn't.  Seems like a valid tie breaker. 

Though, and I think this is true of all sports, I really think programs = coach.  When a&m has franchione... they're laughable.  When they have sumlin.. they're the cool kids.  When Arkansas had Nutt, they were mediocre.  When they had petrino... they were playing in one of the top five bowls two years in a row. 

Oregon State is really good with Casey at the helm.  Virginia is much better with O'Connor, etc.