NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional report

Van Horn faces a protege

Arkansas fans celebrate on Saturday following the Razorbacks’ 20-12 victory over Oklahoma State in the NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional. Arkansas advanced to today’s regional championship game, where they will face either Missouri State or Oklahoma State for a chance to advance to the super regionals.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Arkansas fans celebrate on Saturday following the Razorbacks’ 20-12 victory over Oklahoma State in the NCAA Stillwater (Okla.) Regional. Arkansas advanced to today’s regional championship game, where they will face either Missouri State or Oklahoma State for a chance to advance to the super regionals. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)


STILLWATER, Okla. -- For the second consecutive season, University of Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn saw one of his former players in the opposing dugout during an NCAA regional.

Last year, Van Horn's Razorbacks defeated Nebraska in a tightly-contested regional at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. The Cornhuskers were coached by Will Bolt, who played for Van Horn at Nebraska from 1999-2002.

On Saturday night in the NCAA Stillwater Regional, Van Horn faced Oklahoma State hitting coach Justin Seely, who also played for him at Nebraska in 2001-2002.

Seely transferred to Nebraska from Northeast Texas Community College before his junior season and started at various positions on two College World Series teams at Nebraska.

Seely was hired at Oklahoma State last year after working 13 seasons at Texas A&M.

"He's done an outstanding job," Van Horn said. "He's a worker, tireless recruiter and loves to work with hitters, so I'm happy for him and his family."

Bolt and Seely coached several times against Van Horn teams while they were assistants at Texas A&M, but Seely said Thursday that potentially seeing his old coach in a regional setting has a different feel.

"This one, we may play once, we may play twice, but regardless, it's probably going to end someone's season at some point," Seely said. "From a competitive standpoint, it's going to be different."

Seely, who is also Oklahoma State's recruiting coordinator, said he sees Van Horn and Arkansas' coaches frequently on the recruiting trail. Because of the close proximity between their campuses, the Razorbacks and Cowboys tend to recruit many of the same players.

"We overlap quite a bit, and that's a good thing for us and that's a good thing for them because we're both good teams," Seely said. "It means we're recruiting the right guys.

"I think we probably look at players similarly ... and we're going to recruit a lot of the same type players. I think we probably see baseball very similarly."

After conducting a practice inside Oklahoma State's O'Brate Stadium on Thursday, Van Horn said recruiting against the Cowboys "just got harder."

Told of that statement later in the day, Seely quipped: "I hope I make his job a lot tougher, too. ... I want him to cuss me under his breath a little bit at times."

Short start

Arkansas freshman left-hander Hagen Smith had his shortest start of the season on Saturday night when he went 11/3 innings against Oklahoma State.

In Smith's previous 13 starts, the shortest outing had been 21/3 innings during Stanford's 5-0 victory over the Razorbacks on Feb. 27 at Round Rock, Texas.

Prior to Saturday night's game, Smith's pitched in relief in his two most recent games, going 11/3 innings at Alabama and 1 inning against Florida at the SEC Tournament.

Among friends

Oklahoma State shortstop Marcus Brown, a sophomore from Springdale who played at Shiloh Christian High School, came up Saturday in the first inning with the bases loaded and two outs.

Hagen Smith got Brown on a groundout to third baseman Cayden Wallace, who Smith said is his best friend.

After Wallace fielded Brown's grounder, he touched third base to end the inning.

Wallace, a sophomore from Greenbrier, and Brown played summer ball together for several years.

Brown also grounded out to Wallace in the second inning.

Reversed

Arkansas right fielder Chris Lanzilli initially was ruled safe at first base when he led off the second inning with a ground ball that Oklahoma State third baseman Nolan McLean field and made a high throw to first baseman David Mendham.

Medham made a leaping catch and tagged Lanzilli, but umpire Travis Reininger called him safe.

After a video review, Lanzilli was ruled to be out with Mendham tagging him on the back before he touched the first base bag.

The reversed call might became especially significant when the next batter, Robert Moore, hit a home run.

1st-inning homer

The Razorbacks jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a home run in the first inning for the second consecutive game.

Brady Slavens hit a home run Saturday night after Cayden Wallace hit a home run in the first inning of the Razorbacks' 7-1 victory over Grand Canyon on Friday.

Slavens hit his 14th home run to tie Braydon Webb for the team lead.

Wallace, who hit two home runs against Grand Canyon, homered again on Saturday night, to also tie for the team lead with 14.

No pullover

Arkansas Coach Dave Horn wore a jersey for the first two games of the Stillwater Regional rather than his usual pullover.

"What do you think?" Van Horn said when asked about the wardrobe change. "Yeah, I decided to wear it."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's last photo of Van Horn in a jersey top was from the 2017 NCAA Fayetteville Regional finale against Missouri State.

Van Horn now wears No. 21 after wearing No. 2 for his previous 12 seasons as the Razorbacks' coach.

Shortstop Jalen Battles now wears No. 2 for Arkansas after Van Horn promised it to him if he came back this season rather than turn pro.

Looking ahead

Arkansas is scheduled to play games next season against two of the teams at the NCAA Stillwater Regional.

The Razorbacks will play Oklahoma State once at the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas, on the first weekend of the 2023 season. Arkansas is also scheduled to play TCU and Texas as part of the event.

It is the first of two consecutive years Arkansas and Oklahoma State are scheduled to play against each other in Arlington. In addition to the game against the Cowboys, the Razorbacks are scheduled to play Michigan and Oregon State in Arlington in 2024.

Arkansas plays annually against Missouri State and is scheduled to play the Bears in Springfield, Mo., next season at a date to be announced.

Nice place

Oklahoma State's O'Brate Stadium, which opened last year and cost $60 million, is hosting a regional for the first time.

"What a beautiful facility," Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said after the Razorbacks' practice Thursday. "We've seen it on TV a little bit. Obviously it's my first time to see it in person, and walking through the door, it's something special. Oklahoma State is extremely proud of it."

O'Brate Stadium replaced Reynolds Stadium, which was the Cowboys' home field for 40 seasons from 1981-2020. The difference in the ballparks is striking. O'Brate Stadium can accommodate about twice as many spectators (capacity can increase to 8,000) and includes 11 suites and a spacious press box on the second level.

On the lower level are 3,500 chair-back seats and a row of table-top seats that stretch around much of the concourse. In the outfield are "corrals" that include a private grilling and seating area.

"We have a great staff here at Oklahoma State that wants to put on a first-class tournament," Cowboys Coach Josh Holliday said. "When you think about the process of building this stadium, it was a multiple-year deal with many, many people and multiple companies worked together to make this happen.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of people watching this very closely, very proud of their contribution to it."

Areas utilized on game days are part of a larger baseball complex that was built as part of the O'Brate Stadium construction project. It gives the Cowboys an overall facility that is on par with the best programs in the country.


  photo  Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn is shown in this photo. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
 
 


  photo  Justin Seely
 
 


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