Van Horn Wanted Early Season Challenges to Be Ready for SEC

Razorbacks will face more good teams heading to Round Rock Classic this week

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There was some low-level grumbling from some fans after Arkansas' opening series with Illinois State.

Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn really doesn't care.

He's got a bigger objective.

"You challenge yourself," he said Tuesday. "If you go out in the preseason and you play four weekends of just okay teams, and you’re 20-2, you don’t really know how good you are.

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Arkansas freshman pitcher Jaxon Wiggins will be looking to get back to his solid start to the SEC season Sunday when he will start on the mound to close out the series with Auburn. (Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images)

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

Michael Morrison / allHOGS Images

"Then you get smacked in the face the first weekend of conference play, and then your players and coaches are all wondering, ‘Are we as good as our record?’"

Some Hog fans think they should win every non-conference game by at least 15 runs. Those will come later.

Wins and losses in February mean nothing in May.

Van Horn got what he expected by opening against an Illinois State team that has experience and pulled a win in the opener Friday. The Hogs had to scramble to win the series.

"They really didn’t give us a whole lot," he said Tuesday about the Redmen.

Now they head to the Round Rock Classic in central Texas where some cooler temperatures have moved all the games up in the daytime schedule.

The Hogs will play at 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Indiana, No. 6 Stanford and Louisiana-Lafayette. Each game will be broadcast on FloBaseball.

It will be another chance for Van Horn to get his team's attention, especially going on the road and one of the three opponents is ranked.

"You never know what you’re going to run into your first time on the road," he said. "It’s so important to get on the road before conference play starts."

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