University of Arkansas

Welcome to the board Willie. Top shelf SEC program in Fayetteville. Rosters are large. Big time programs are very competitive for and among players. The best players play and rest watch or leave. That is basicly how it works among the top half of any league. Players want to play, with and against, the best possible. More players grab for the brass ring, than rings available.

KCBaseballs son is a freshman there. He is an excellent LHP. Perhaps she can provide additional specific advice.

KCbaseballs are you from Kansas City?

Willie, I agree with Dad04. I have been to Fayetteville for a few SEC weekend series and I was quite impressed with their facilities. Dave Van Horn’s resume and reputation says much about his ability to bring a winning team to the hills of Arkansas. In my opinion he has shown he can get the most out of his players. While my son was playing SEC baseball the Hogs had some internal issues during the 05 season with player suspensions but still managed to make it to the super regionals. As Dad04 said, roster sizes and transfers can be a problem with any big time baseball program but only for those player and parent that fail to do their homework and fully understand the goals of big time college baseball.

Van Horn does have a great reputation and his peers seem to think highly of him.

If you were strictly to do the math, odds would be that your son won't make the team. Big time programs accept literally dozens of letters of intent each year for only a handful of roster spots.

I'm not quite sure what Fungo meant by, "roster sizes and transfers can be a problem with any big time baseball program but only for those player and parent that fail to do their homework and fully understand the goals of big time college baseball."

What kind of scholarship offer was on the table would be quite telling of the sincerity of any interest in your son.

CPLZ,
I think we're on the same page. Being recruited by a big time college program and being a satisfied player (or parent) can be miles apart. Rosters can be too large and players can get lost in the shuffle. These players didn't do their homework prior to signing the NLI. They find themselves forced to transfer to another college in order to find a better fit. I would venture to say this happens at most big time programs with a strong reputation where players will gamble with their baseball future just so they can say they play for a big team in a big conference. It all goes back to that little fish that gets lost in the big pond. This is not the fault of the programs --- it's the fault of the players and parents failing to see the writing on the wall.

PS: Of course we also know there are many, many players in the big programs and big conferences that are very good, very happy, and very successful.

willie...Your son is looking to play for a school in the top baseball conference in the country.

My son played at Mississippi State from 1990-1992.

Fully half of SEC rosters are filled with kids that were stars at these "smallish" county or "Christian" high school and were never really competitive with the seriously recruited athlete for that particular school. Oh, there is a couple or three out of the 30 marginal players that are likely to contribute. They are the exception rather than the norm. Most of those kids don't get cut. Those that do get cut are cut by the coach with the hope of freeing up some scholarship money if the kid transfers at mid semester after they've seen him in fall ball.

What lots of kids don't realize, in many schools in the SEC, a high school kid at 18-19 is competing for a position with a "mature" young man of 22-23.

Horn has built up his reputation at Arkansas, following up on his successes at Nebraska.

If your son is being recruited by an SEC team, he is a player. Congrats.

p.s. When he's playing for the 'Backs, be sure you go to Starkville, MS., when they play Mississippi State. Finest fans and college baseball park in the nation. Be sure you visit the Left Field Lounge, too.

I don't consider myself an expert on Arkansas, but am learning day by day! Yes, my oldest son is a FR there and LOVES it. The coaching and facilities are what drew him to the program. He loves his teammates. The university is large enough, but still has a small town feel. He loves supporting the other sports... something that's really strong in a college town. The people are exceptionally friendly and BOY, DO THEY LOVE THEIR BASEBALL!

The issues regarding roster size could instead be labeled as competition within the team. Everyone that made it on the spring roster was probably the best player from their HS. Some really great FR players aren't traveling and I can imagine their disappointment. We're not naive...it could have easily been any of the FR on such a strong team. So many things go into who actually ends up playing, including talent, maturity, work ethic, composure on the field, attention to rules, grades, team dynamics (do the players gel), positional issues (how deep are they at your position) and coachability, to name a few.

Its easy to look at the large roster and worry about playing time. But my son didn't pick Ark to jump right on the field and impress people. Honestly, he wasn't as ready as he had hoped he was to compete at the top. And the SEC is right up there at the top. Not many HS players are ready! He chose a program where he would have the opportunity to develop into the best pitcher he could be, all the while enjoying the best facilities we saw during recruiting. His pitching coach, Dave Jorn, is a former pro pitching coach (14 years with the Yankees, Mets and Diamondbacks at the A and AA levels) who really knows his stuff. My son has never worked so hard in his life! And he's still not guaranteed anything. He has a great opportunity and, so far, he's going in the right direction. We hope and pray that he'll achieve his goals.

Williekc...yes, we're from the KC area. The dreaded Johnson County! Where are you from? What position does your son play? I know several KC players that are looking at Ark. Coach Van Horn is doing a good job of scouting this area. He grew up around here. He also really recruits up in Wisconsin. He's an easy coach to talk to and seems honest. You can't dispute his reputation with what he built at Nebraska and what he's doing at Ark. Just don't enter this program planning to knock off older, more established players. Everyone has to earn their spot.

This team doesn't enjoy the success they do by re-inventing the wheel every year. I don't think the best teams rely on FR to step in and carry the team. That would be the exception, not the rule. This year, only 3 FR pitchers made the 29 man travel squad and 2 field players. That could change as the season progresses. If you choose Ark, be ready to bust your tail and work your way into being part of a really great program. But I don't think you'll regret it. My son is very happy with his choice.

You're right Fungo, we were on the same page, thanks for helping me understand...

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
This is not the fault of the programs --- it's the fault of the players and parents failing to see the writing on the wall.

Well, there is the occasional instance of the program going to great lengths trying to convince the player and parent that the player truly is considered a big fish by the program, even though due to only 11.7 there can't be a 'ship for him this year...

Not all parents have the benefit of the wisdom available on this board, and thus are convinced.

Kcbaseball, and everyone else for that matter thanks for your input.
Where did Scott play his summer ball? Of the five Fr that made the traveling squad how many where redshirts last year? I see there are 11 total FR. on the roster. What other schools showed interest in your son. When did he get an his offer from Arkansas? Thanks in advance for all your help.

KcBaseballs,
We live up North. My son is an outfielder and RHP.
What other area players are looking at Arkansas? Would love to talk with them and compare notes.

I guess its time for me to pay it forward since I picked Dad04's brain about the Ragin Cajuns about a year and a half ago!

Williekc...
My son was lucky enough to play summer ball in the Ban Johnson Collegiate League. Not many HS players do this, but it really helped prepare him for the next step to college baseball.

He received his Ark offer in the fall of his SR year. They were the last school he heard from, and he was actually out of town on another official visit when they called. Once you generate some interest, it seems to snowball.

As far as the other players in the KC area, I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing their names. They might be keeping things close to their chests and it would need to be their decision to talk about personal situations. If you want to talk to the Ark coaches about who they're recruiting, they'd probably be able to give you a better idea. We knew every single player that was signing in the class with my son. The Ark coaches are straight shooters and didn't mislead us in any way.

As far as this year's roster, the FR I'm referring to are true FR. I tend to think of redshirt FR as SO's since they've already been there for a year. I also tend to focus on pitchers since my son pitches.

Hope this info helps!

KC we are rooting for Scott's Hogs! That doesn't sound nice, but I guess it is.

"Rootin' for the Hogs?" Good play on words!

We just got back from a Junior Day at the campus. What a beautiful facility and surrounding area. They do love there Hogs. We saw them play Ole Miss. and Friday they won the SEC West.
My son was very impressed with Butler, and Van Horn.
He is an 08 LHP

It looks to be like a great place to go to school and play at the next level.

We were there also. We went down on Friday. Got to see a great come from behind victory in that one. Coach Van Horn, Butler and Jorn are all very special people. I would have no problem sending my Son to Arkansas. They moved to the very top of his list. Have you ever seen a bigger weight room? My wife and I were also very impressed with the academic guy. Being 3 1/2 hours south of us would also be close enough that we would be able to catch alot of games...

They are indeed nice people, and my son really liked what he saw.
As far as the weight room goes I have seen bigger at the Univeristy of Houston they have a huge weight room 2nd largest in the country behind Neberaska. There academic center for student athlets was incredible, the coputer room and study hall was first class.

Who does your Son play for in the summer?

Dallas Drillers, now called the Dallas Diamond Jaxx