To the diehard baseball fans:

[Dr. Starcs]

I'm sick of football, on my way to being sick in basketball.

I want to know everyone's expert opinions: will the Hogs win a national title in baseball?  If so, when? I'm sick of this mediocrity.

Thank you Dave Van Horn for having us in the postseason year after year and bringing in great talent. The most underrated coach on the Hill.

[Knot2brite]

Honestly it will take all the stars aligned absolutely right for it to happen. I think it was aligned the right way a few years ago but a ump who shall not be named stepped in the way. I am just afraid that we don't get that equal balance in recruiting where we have enough pitching, hitting and bench to take us all the way. But I keep hope that one day it will all come together

[A_R_K_A_N_S_A_S]

If we keep getting to Omaha as often as we have been in DVH's era, it will happen eventually.

[SPAL]

I don't measure baseball success by winning it all. Only one team will win it all. But II consider Arkansas baseball to be the most successful program over the past 10 year. If you bring an attitude of "champions or bust", you may never be happy here.

That said, we will win a baseball title before we do football or basketball.

[ucahogfan]

Like others have said, it is just a matter of the stars aligning.  Who would have thought that UVA would have won the title as a 3 seed in their own regional?  Or Fresno State back in 2008 as a 4 seed?  The great thing about baseball is that just about any of the 64 teams in the field can win it all.

We have one of the top 5 coaches in college baseball in DVH and we know that he will retire as the head Diamond Hog.  I have always thought that he will bring a national title to Arkansas.

[hoghappy]

I like the baseball program because of the consistency. They will likely win a NC before the others. Only track and field is better at winning at this point. Go Hogs.

[Maddhog]

The program is stable, the coach isn't leaving and/or entertaining bids for his services in the offseason, we habitually reach postseason play and we enjoy national respect.   Coach Vitello has been a recruiting asset and seems to be happy here for the time being.  I also believe that DVH will have a hand in choosing and possibly grooming his successor.   

Yes, I believe we can and will eventually win a national title. 

[Razorbacks#1]

Like others have said, it is just a matter of the stars aligning.  Who would have thought that UVA would have won the title as a 3 seed in their own regional?  Or Fresno State back in 2008 as a 4 seed?  The great thing about baseball is that just about any of the 64 teams in the field can win it all.

We have one of the top 5 coaches in college baseball in DVH and we know that he will retire as the head Diamond Hog.  I have always thought that he will bring a national title to Arkansas.

I think so too.

[Razorbacks#1]

If we keep getting to Omaha as often as we have been in DVH's era, it will happen eventually.

Yes sir, I believe

[Kevin]

it is the one program that keeps putting itself in position to win it all.

[dotnet]

If I had to guess, I'd say 2017 will be as good of a team Arkansas has had in a while...

[billmontgomery10]

It's going to be extremely difficult. If you can't win with Drew Smyly and Dallas Keuchel on the mound, chances are that the Hogs can have a very good team but not go all the way. That said, DVH did a great job this past year with a team with so many holes you could drive a truck through it. Benny was superb but the rest of the position players were mediocre. 

[flippinhogmana]

It's going to be extremely difficult. If you can't win with Drew Smyly and Dallas Keuchel on the mound, chances are that the Hogs can have a very good team but not go all the way. That said, DVH did a great job this past year with a team with so many holes you could drive a truck through it. Benny was superb but the rest of the position players were mediocre.

So many holes?  The way I heard it we had a marvelous team going into the season.  Me and a couple others were shouted down because we said we had holes to fill, but that we thought we could and would be okay as soon as some pitchers emerged at the end. 

This year, I have somewhat the same evaluation-just flipped- and with some qualifications like I had last year.  One, if McKinney, Tacco and Lowery come back early and strong, if Cannon Chadwick or Teague can take the closer's role (or Jackson, which ever is decided upon there, then we could have one of the best pitching staffs in the conference and country--But

We lost our entire outfield and a decent hitter and the best defensive third baseman in the conference, maybe the nation.  We lost the player of the year in the conference and nation (along with one of our better pitchers by years end in Lowery, and we lost Killian although he just wasnt himself last year).  Now we do have some good hitters back, but none who contributed like Beni and Spoon (third and fourth in the lineup and two best hitters for average, rbis and homers).  What we have back is Eagan, (288, 31 rbis, 4 hrs); Nomura (298, 20rbis, 4hrs); Bernal (269, 30rbis, 4hrs).  Those are the only ones that had over 100 at bats. 

Next in line in terms of at bats: shaddy, 89 at bats (337, 19rbs, 3hrs); Gassaway, 53 at bats (283, 10 rbis, 3 hrs); Spanberger, 107 at bats (252, 21 rbis, 0 hrs); after that you have Gosser, Pennell (who made some progress at the end of the year offensively and brought his average up to 200), and Bonfield (who hit .177 and zero home runs).  Bernal has some pop, unless he is displaced I think back about six or seven where he more or less wound up last year works again this year. 

So heres for starters until it shakes out better with their play on the field:  (its just a start, relax)

1.  Eagan
2.  Nomura
3.  Shaddy (or Bonfield if he can live up to it
4.  Gassaway (or shaddy, bump the two of them to 4,5 if Bonfield gets it going)
5.  Spanberger (unless displaced) (maybe Beninghoff if he proves to be a hitter, maybe even three if hot)
6.  Bernal
7.  Third Base(or Beninghoff)
8.   DH

Last year we had the hitting up and down the lineup for a change.  We have holes in the batting order to fill this year. 

I think our number four hitter has to be shaddy or gassaway unless someone else emerges, the other one at five if we can find a three hitter.  we could have Eagan at three but for the most of the year Eagan was one and sometimes Wernes two.  Nomura worked out well at two for the most part, as well.  Other than that I think its fluid.  I do think we will have eight to ten solid hitters by tournament time.  I saw last year as being as good a chance of going to the CWS starting out as we had in a while.  Actually, if our hitting comes around, we could be in better shape this year.  I dont however, necessarily disagree with dotnet that next year might also be good.

[pigture perfect]

I'm not worried about us having a good product on the field. That's the confidence I have in DVH's leadership.

[flippinhogmana]

I'm not worried about us having a good product on the field. That's the confidence I have in DVH's leadership.

I refer you to your number one quote (original)

[ErieHog]

If anything short of winning a title is 'mediocrity', most teams and most fan bases are doomed to life-long medicority.

That said, they have as reasonable a shot as anyone.    Last year should have been a pretty 'down' year for Hog baseball, but they still played credibly at a high level.

[Ray Piggers]

Call me optimistic, but I think we'll get one in the next five years

[ucahogfan]

If I had to guess, I'd say 2017 will be as good of a team Arkansas has had in a while...

Well, it all depends on how the draft shakes out for us.  If we lose 4-5 guys to the draft, the class is still excellent, but not top of the line like it could be.  And it also depends on who sticks around for a year after being draft eligible.  The 2017 roster is shaping up to be excellent if everyone who is committed makes it to campus and some people come back, but you just never know how it is going to shake out.

Now if we get everyone we currently have committed, our 2018-2019 lineup is going to be sick.

[Knot2brite]

I think the impact of the new baseball will change the way that teams recruit and could be to our advantage. Looking for pitchers that can pitch to the inside and hit their spots and getting guys that can swing for power as well as average will be important. We can do it