Baseball Hogs Ranked 4 in Pre-season Poll

This year the Diamond Hawgs are ranked #4 in the Baseball News' Preseason Poll.

The Hogs finished the 2006 season with a record of 39-22. The Razorbacks have 6 starters returning for the 2007 season including the SEC Pitcher of the year Nick Schmidt (9-3), infielder Danny Hamblin who hit 17 Home Runs and pitcher Shaun Seibert who went 4-0 with a 2.79 era.

This should be a really successful season for the Hogs.

The University has made some renovations to Baum stadium over the off-season. If you get a chance to get to the ballpark this season you've got to do it!

More on baseball to follow in the coming weeks as opening day is right around the corner (Feb.02 vs. LA Tech in Rustin). The Hogs open up play in Fayetteville on Feb 16th against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

D-Mac wins the Doak

Darren McFadden wins the 2006 Doak Walker Award!

"The award was created in 1989 to recognize the nation's premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community. It is the only major collegiate football award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification."

He joins an elite group of who's who among college running backs.

Darren has had a record-breaking year as a Sophomore. He has rushed for a school record 1,558 yards and 14 touchdowns, has thrown 3 touchdowns and returned a kick off 92 yards for an additional TD! He lead the SEC and is ranked 10th in the nation in rushing with 265 attempts, 1,558 yards, and 119.8 yards per game. His total is the ninth best rushing campaign in SEC history.

D-Mac has collected nearly every award imaginable so. He was voted as top player in then SEC by ALL of the coaches in the conference. He has been named to several All-America teams including being named a Walter Camp All-American on Thursday night on ESPN at the 2006 Home Depot College Football Awards show.

...BUT THERE IS ONE MORE TO GO...

D-MAC FOR HEI5MAN!!
The next member of this elite fraternity will be announced at the Downtown Athletic Club in NYC on Saturday afternoon. Darren is the first player in Razorback history to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. This year three players have been invited to New York for the trophy presentation. Darren McFadden, QB Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and the crowd favorite QB Troy Smith of Ohio State.

Don't get your heads down too far if D-Mac doesn't win it THIS YEAR!! Remember, he is only a sophomore! If he has this kind of year next season there is no doubt in my mind he will win it.

Congratulations to Darren McFadden for his accomplishments this year.

Go Hogs, Beat Badgers!!

D-Mac one of Three Finalists for Doak Walker Award

Way to go D-Mac! Good luck Dec 07, 2007

Full Story

This IS.........Baseball!

Those who have had the privilege of attending a baseball game at "Beautiful Baum Stadium" will recognize that phrase. For those not fortunate enough to take in a game at "The Baum" the phrase "This IS..........Baseball" is uttered by none other than Larry Shank, long time public address announcer for the baseball Hogs, during the famed 7th inning stretch. You owe it to yourself to make every attempt to attend a game in what is, at least in my humble opinion, the best college baseball facility in America.

Baum Stadium @ George Cole Field presents a wonderful family atmosphere to see some of the best college baseball in America. The SEC is a very strong conference. You will see some of the most competitive teams each weekend no matter who the Hogs are playing.

Not only does Baum Stadium offer some of the best match-ups on the field, but you will also be amazed at the other amenities it has to offer. Some of which include a nice selection of concessions, specialty foods, and the entertainment is the best in the biz. For instance, between innings you can sit back and watch "Ribby the Razorback and the RBI Girls" as they dance on top of the dug-outs. There are also interactive games on the big screen in right center field. Every inning there are give aways, Razorback trivia questions, Fan of the Game drawings and many other chances for you to win making a trip to Baum Stadium a fan oriented, interactive experience. Baum Stadium has something to offer everyone.

So whether you plan on coming a few hours early and getting a spot in the Hog Pen where you can bring your own food and drink into the park for a pre-game BBC or you can reserve the Razor Spa, a large area down the left field line complete with food and drink and an 8 person hot tub, or if you just want to come for the game, you are sure to have a wonderful time at the ballpark.

This summer, get off the couch and come and enjoy a pleasurable experience at Baum Stadium. You won't regret it.

Go Hogs Go!

First Round......Bye-Bye

WHAT HAPPENED?
I'll admit, it was nice to have a reason to buy into the hype that is the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Ever since the team started their winning streak mid-season I would catch myself checking out where the 'experts' would predict the Razorbacks to be seeded in the upcoming tourney. I had Bracketology fever. Then to see their name pop up as a number 8 seed in the Oakland bracket was special. It had been so long since we had a reason to watch the tournament. I waited to see who was going to get the pleasure of becoming victim number 1 for the Hogs. They called out a name I had barely heard of. BUCKNELL. That's right 'The Mighty Buffalo Bison' of Bucknell. WHO???? Other than surprisingly knocking off Kansas in the first round of the tournament last year, I had never heard of them!

When I studied the Oakland bracket, I thought Arkansas had a legitimate shot to come away with wins against Memphis and even Kansas! Maybe I was picking with my heart instead of my head on the Kansas game but I believed we would at least get past the Bison. Well, by now you know, WE DIDN'T! Thanks in part to a horrible day behind the arc hitting only 2 of 12 and missing 9 of our last 20 free throws. Bucknell held us to a season low 55 points. After allowing the opponent to hit 11 of 21 (52%) from behind the 3-point line we still had a chance to win late in the game and we just didn't get it done.

I didn't have a good feeling on Friday morning as I waited for the game to begin. The story was just too good not to be told. Arkansas had not lost in Dallas in 19 games and Bucknell had never won in Dallas. Us, coming from a power conference, playing a "home" game in "Barnhill South", playing a team nobody you asked could tell you anything about. The table was set for the upset story.

It was fun to at least have a reason to fill out a bracket even though by now mine are in the tank.

For the second straight time the Hogs were 1-and-done in the Big Dance.

Give it up for BUCKNELL. They proved to be a legitimate contender. They went 14-0 on their way to a Patriot League Championship. Any team that can run through the regular conference season undefeated deserves some respect no matter how "mid-major" their conference is.

NEXT SEASON:
What does next season hold for the Hogs?

SENIORS:
We know for a fact 3 seniors will be gone.
To Jonathon Modica, Eric Ferguson, and Dontell Jefferson, good luck fellas in whatever you pursue. It has been a fun ride. Thanks for helping the Hogs get this thing turned around and headed in the right direction again.

RETURNING PLAYERS:

THE GUARDS:
Ronnie Brewer:
With this season behind us the main question everyone is asking: "Is Ronnie Brewer coming back or jumping to the NBA"
I shutter the thought of not having him back next season. This team would take a major hit not having him in the line-up. Ronnie has a lot to gain by staying at Arkansas one more season. Getting his college degree, gaining one more year of experience on the court, and helping the Hogs get back to the Big Dance to name a few. I don't believe he is ready for the NBA. He definitely has the talent, but he could use one more year to polish up his game. On the flip side, you never know when a career ending injury could happen resulting in him never getting the chance to fulfill his dream of playing at the highest level. It is a risk he will have to assess. He has the support of his coach and his family in whatever he chooses to do.

Sean McCurdy:
Sean came in off the bench and gave the Hogs 7.7 minutes a game. He appears to be a natural leader on the court. He is a true point guard and if Ronnie leaves he will be the most experienced guard on the court. I look for Sean to accept the challenge and, coming from the Northeast, I don't think he will be intimidated by anyone!

Preston Cranford:
This kid has a great attitude and is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team better. Only averaging 3.6 minutes a game, Preston rolls up his sleeves and comes to work hard every day.

Sammy Munsey:
Sammy is another one of those guys you don't see on the court a lot but he works hard in practice to make the other guys better.

Luke Allen:
Luke transferred from NAIA Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. As a walk-on He had to sit out this season and has 2 years of eligibility remaining as of the 06-07 season. At Westmont, Luke averaged 6.5 points per game and shot 43.8 percent from the floor as a sophomore on a team going 20-7. We look forward to seeing him on the floor next season.

Gary Ervin:
Gary transferred from SEC West rival Mississippi State. Like Allen, Gary will have two years to play for the Razorbacks beginning with the 2006-07 season. As a Sophomore at Mississippi State, Gary averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He was third in the Southeastern Conference in assists and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58:1). He, along with McCurdy will run the point at Arkansas.

THE FORWARDS:
Charles "Manimal" Thomas:
Charles has become a force to be reckoned with in the paint. He averaged 10 pts, 5 boards a game and his .723 Free Throw percentage was 3rd on the team.

Darian Townes:
Darian has given us another option down low. He was 2nd on the team in blocked shots with 52. He also averaged 5.1 boards and 9.5 ppg.

Vincent Hunter:
Vincent finally had an relatively injury free season and showed he could come in off the bench and make an immediate impact on the game.

Cyrus McGowan:
This young freshman has a huge upside. While he only averaged 5 minutes a game, he was definitely not a liability on the floor. He was able to come in hold his own allowing the other big men to get a breather. I look for Cyrus to really mature this off-season and make an impact on the floor next year.

CENTER OF ATTENTION:
Steven Hill
Steven has definitely improved his game in the paint and has gotten much more aggressive. He could play a huge roll on the team next season. Oh ya, Can you say "91 Blocked Shots?!?!"

INCOMING PLAYERS:
With three 4-Star recruits on the way, next season is looking pretty promising!
The following 3 incoming players signed a letter of intent in the early signing period. More info on them will be coming in the next couple posts.

Sonny Weems:
Sonny, a 6'6" 200lbs guard from West Memphis by way of UAFS averaged 17 points per game.
Stefan Welsh:
6'3" 172lbs 20ppg from Hargrave Military Academy
Michael Washington:
6'9" 210lbs 21.7ppg from Heritage Christian Academy Cleveland,TX (pending academic qualification)

Stan Heath and his staff are out on the road evaluating other prospects and could pick up another 1 or 2 players.

ALL IN ALL:
We have to give the coaches of Bucknell credit. They did and excellent job of scouting Arkansas. They knew they could not hang with the Hogs in an up-tempo, transition type game so they forced us to play their style match-up. A slow, half-court, more methodical game and they turned what many considered was going to be a first round bye into a 59-55 'upset'! Props to the Buffalo Bison of Bucknell.

Many will let the results of March Madness dictate their lives and that is just plain crazy. Aren't you glad we don't have to depend on a group of 18-22 year old young men for our salvation.

Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am THE way, THE truth, and THE light; no man comes to the Father but by me."

There are far more important things in life than the outcome of a game.

Go Hogs Go!

Hawg Hoops

Well the weather is beginning to warm up here in Northwest Arkansas and so are the Hogs! What a pleasant surprise. The Hogs have just complete an impressive 80-70 win against Mississippi State in the final game of the season at home in beautiful Bud Walton Arena. What is impressive to me is the way they continued to 'play to win' instead of 'playing not to lose'. They remained aggressive going for loose balls and taking shots instead of just dribbling the ball and milking the clock.

Here are a few reasons I believe the team has turned it around:

STAN HEATH:
Stan has not let his team buy into the hype that they are no good or that they cannot win games on the road. He has found a way to get these kids to believe they can win the close ones. He continues to have confidence in his players and has not let them get down on themselves or on each other. Many so-called fans have been on a rampage to put this guy on the next bus out of Fayetteville but you aren't hearing many of them commenting now. Way to go Stan!

RONNIE BREWER:
Ronnie Brewer. Wow what can you say? Ronnie has really stepped up his game on and off the court. He has really matured into the leader this team has been missing since Stan got here. He has taken this team and put them on his shoulders and carried them to many of the victories of late. All I can say about Brewer is ....... Please come back for one more year!

JONATHON "POOKIE" MODICA:
Pookie has really picked up his game this season and has also become a leader on both ends of the floor. He is hitting the boards and hitting the deck chasing down loose balls. He has had a career high 39 points and several games in double figures.

STEVEN HILL:
Steven has matured in this, just his second season. He has become much more aggressive on the boards and is not afraid to throw the ball down the hole when he gets it in the paint. Last year he was a little more timid around the hoop but this year he has really risen his game to the level we all expected. His defense has really improved as well. Coming into the Miss. State game tonight he has 78 blocked shots! Way to go Steven. We can really expect huge numbers next season from the big man in the middle.

I could go on and list things about the entire team... but for the sake of time I will conclude by saying:
...the one thing you can credit yourself for is how you showed up at "The Bud" and continued to support this team.

Never underestimate the power of the Fans

Post Season:
First things first, let's go to Athens and beat them dawgs too!
I believe we are will make the NCAA's this year with 20 wins, but it would definitely be to our advantage to finish the season with another road victory at Georgia on Saturday to give us 21 wins.

Let's continue to support these Piggies as well as the coaching staff all the way to Nashville and bring the SEC Tournament Title back to Fayetteville. Then let's put on our dancin' shoes and Waltz our way as far as we can go in the Big Dance.

Currently we are listed as a #8 seed in the mock brackets on ESPN's Bracketology playing #9 seed Michigan in Dallas in the Oakland portion of the brackets.

We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and for the first time in a long time it is not a train!!

Go Hogs Go

Signing Day 2006!

Now that National Signing Day has come and gone, check out the Current Razorback Football Signees. Join me in congratulating Houston Nutt and the rest
of the Razorback Coaching Staff on another "Job well done!"

When you look at the last few recruiting classes that Coach Nutt has put together for the Hogs, it appears that the program has made the turn and is heading back up the hill on our way to national prominence where we belong!

TO KEEP IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE:

How excited should we be?
With 26 new faces on the team next year, how much pressure should we put on the Razorbacks to be successful next season? And how would you define 'Success'?
Remember these are young men who have not proven their ability at this level where everyone is as big, or bigger, as fast, or faster, as strong, or stronger, and as talented, or more talented than they are. Many of these guys were among the elite of their division in High School and for that I commend them, but lets get them on the field in the SEC and let them prove themselves before we go ordering their championship rings.

Please don't misunderstand me, Nobody wants them to be successful more than I do. I bleed Razorback Red. I would love nothing more than for them to give USC the woopin' they deserve right here in our own back yard, but I must remain realistic. It is game #1 of the 2006 season. We are implementing a brand new system under a brand new Offensive Coordinator who was a high school head coach just one short year ago. I am a huge Gus Malzahn fan and there is not doubt in my mind we will have a much improved team this season under his system, but we must take baby steps. Just because we got 4 of the 'Springdale 5' doesn't mean we can line up against the likes of anyone in the SEC and run or pass it all over the yard. We must remain grounded. I wish this team nothing but the best and I believe within 2 years we will be competing for the SEC Crown, but we will have to see how this team gels and what they can do on the field first.

SOMETHING TO PONDER: ARE YOU A TRUE FAN?

If USC comes in here and hands it to us like they did last year (70-17), not that I think they will, I don't want to hear all the so-called "fans" calling in to the post game shows and demanding Coach Nutt's head on a platter like they always do after a loss.
We need to get behind this young team who is chock full of talented athletes and give them all the support they will need to get us back to the promised land!

If you are a true "FAN" you must stick by your team through the tough times before you earn the right to ride the coat-tails of their success.

"The 'Gus Bus' is about to pull out of the station and there is plenty of room for you go hop aboard, but remember we ain't stoppin' in the middle of the season to let you jump on or off.

Make no mistake about it, I've got my seat on this bus and no matter how many bumps we may hit along the way I ain't gonna get off. And I have a seat reserved just for you! You must decide, are you in or out!?"

Lets give these kids and coaches the respect and support they deserve.

GO HOGS GO!

Happy New Year

Can you believe it is already 2006? The time sure seems to fly by doesn't it?
As I reflect on the past year and look forward to 2006, I have to take time to thank God for all the blessings he has bestowed on my life. I have a wonderful wife, and a loving family. He has given me a wonderful church family and an awesome job. My family has faced some hard times with the passing of my grandmother in June. It sure is comforting to know that the last time she fell here on earth, she landed in the sweet and loving arms of her Heavenly Father. Do you know Him? Praise God in the good times and the bad. He is so wonderful. Every time we face trials and when times seem almost unbearable, just look to him and he will give you the strength you need to persevere. As you begin another year, remember to keep your eyes looking toward Heaven and thank God for every day he gives you. Every day is truly a gift from God. Take time this year to really get to know him. You will never regret it.

Happy 2006!