Van Horn Changing Things for Arkansas Scrimmages

New look to Razorback scrimmages to start the fall season

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn during a practice in January 2024 / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Blink and you'll miss it. The runs are way up through the early part of the scrimmage season. Part of that is because of the many home runs, as many as 10 in a single intrasquad game, but another part is taking a page out of other teams,

Coach Dave Van Horn is putting runners on base to start innings. Routinely, pitchers will start with multiple runners on base. After seeing Kentucky win the SEC regular season title and having his 2024 season partly ended by a Kansas State team that used small ball to beat them. Van Horn wants to make sure his own team is proficent on the bases.

"We have to run the bases," Van Horn said. "Like I tell them, Either a good baseline team or a bad [team]. There's not much in between."

It's a change of pace form years past which Van Horn is hoping can get pitchers up to speed faster and better at holding runners.

"It just gives us a chance to maybe play more real baseball and it makes the game more real," Van Horn said. "I think it's really challenging for pitchers to keep an eye on the runners and still deliver good pitches."

Arkansas fans have had the chance to see transfers at the plate and on the mound for the first time. Third baseman Brent Iredale hit his fourth homer in four scrimmages. Van Horn is also impressed by Iredale's other tools.

"He fields everything," Van Horn said. "He just kind of throws what he needs to throw. He kind of throws darts. You don't realize this, but he can really run. If he hits a ball in the gap, he can run. He's one of the faster guys on the team."

Holistically, Van Horn is pleased where his team is at after four practices and said that this year's team was "way ahead" of last year's team at this point. He's also excited for a 2025 schedule that features 11 different NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago.

"If we do what we think we're going to do," Van Horn said. "I don't think there's enough seats in this place [Baum-Walker]."

Arkansas will continue its fall scrimmage slate next week.

HOGS FEED:

• Green needs to trim mistakes, mental lapses going forward

• Hitting jackpot with Hogs' rushing keeping season afloat

• Hogs' defensive lineman knocking heads with UAB players

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