FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas and Tennessee will try to punch their way to Omaha beginning Saturday in the Fayetteville Super Regional.
The two will meet at 4 p.m. Saturday and televised on ESPN. Sunday's game begins at 2 p.m. also on ESPN and then Monday is to be determined.
Arkansas (46-13) reached the Super Regional by sweeping through the Fayetteville Regional undefeated. Tennessee (46-17), on the other hand, had to work to get through the Knoxville Regional. The Vols defeated Wake Forest, a team that had beaten them Sunday, 11-5 on Monday afternoon advancing to once again face the Hogs. Dave Van Horn talked about what his team needs to do against the Vols.
“It would be 80 percent of we just need to do what we do well,” Van Horn said of how his team is preparing. “You just don’t want the players to kind of think that the coaches are in a little bit of a panic mode because are doing some kind of stuff we haven’t done all year.
“Just keep doing what you are doing and try to be as prepared as you can for the team coming in. “
The last time Tennessee won a series in Arkansas was 1996. The two teams met at Baum-Walker Stadium earlier this season. The two teams clashed on May 15-17 with Arkansas winning two games. The Vols took the opener 10-7 before the Razorbacks took 10-8 and 8-4 victories.
“And in this case, we played them in a three-game series,” Van Horn sai. “ We’ve saw them play a game in the (SEC) Tournament. We know what they do. We know what they do well and that’s pitch and score. And we know what we so well.
“If both teams are doing that well (this weekend) it is going to be an incredible series. The atmosphere is going to be electric.”
The weather forecast for area this weekend could offer some challenges to this event as well.
“The weather here this week had been in and out rain, wind and being warm with storms,” Van Horn noted. “But once we get through Friday night, it looks like nice – upper 70s, 80 degrees.
“…Offensively both teams won’t be stopped by the weather so to speak. It’s going to be a little nutty.”
Tennessee is coached by Tony Vitello, former assistant at Arkansas. The Vols have been to five straight Super Regionals are the defending national champions.
“We got work to do, they’re good,” Vitello said. “I mean, if I’m not mistaken, by default, or as we now stand, they’re the No. 1 seed or the favorite to win the whole thing. So, they’re good. We knew that, learned that last time. That hasn’t changed.
“I know as well as anyone that it’s a rowdy environment to play in and they’ll probably kick it up a notch this time of year, as our fans did last year. It’s an SEC series. Just has different labels to it for circumstances that follow and definitely circumstances that precede it.”
Tennessee will be without starting catcher Cannon Peebles in the first game of the series after he was ejected in the Vols’ win over Wake Forrest in the Knoxville Regional championship game.mHe will be replaced by back up Stone Lawless.
“I fully understand it’s not exactly an SEC conference series, but it’s an SEC series, and he’s caught in SEC games and we’ve won some of those games, too,” Vitello said. “So, he’s prepared. And then with his work ethic, that was one of my favorite things about last year’s group, and he was a part of it, it just was a “So, I’d kind of say the same thing about anyone, but yeah, you mentioned the teammate factor, there is a little bit of a difference there with Stone. Coach (Josh) E(lander) has created with the catchers, is you put in extra work, and when you are working, you have an intent approach to it. So, he’s a part of that group.
“And on top of the fact, I think he’s prepared, you’re not going to find a coach when I go back to the office, the whole staff is going to be up there, you’re not going to find somebody that’s not excited to see him play.
“And I guess equally, I could say if you wanted to tap any of our pitchers on the shoulder before they get on the bus tomorrow, you’re not going to find one that’s not excited to throw to him or willing to throw to him and enjoy that camaraderie that’s there.”