Dave Van Horn Swatter's Club Remarks

Arkansas Head Coach Dave Van Horn“I think this team is outstanding. The fall season went very well, they have great work ethic, the guys like each other, there is really good leadership and they are just fun to be around. As a coach, I can tell it’s going to be a good year.

“Last year was a little bit of a rollercoaster and it was rough. We had a few injuries and a lot of times we had to depend on freshmen; it’s hard to win a lot of games with that combination. This year it’s going to be a few seniors, juniors, sophomores, and even a few freshmen getting in there and doing what they can.”

On Arkansas’ Pitching“Comparing our pitching to the last couple years, we had Nick Schmidt and Jess Todd a few years ago and we didn’t have much in our bullpen, so we put [Jess] Todd in the bullpen. When we got a lead we would lose it late. Last year, we would just lose all the leads it seemed like. This year’s team seems more solid on the mound. There’s more depth, there’s more options from sides, left and right and I think this team is going to score more runs. It’s going to take a little pressure off the pitcher.”

On the team’s energy“If we can just follow up the energy we had in practice yesterday and make it go all year it should just make it fun. They were like that in fall. I think this team has got that taste in their mouth from last year that they want to play a lot this year.”

On the schedule“The schedule that we have this year makes me feel nervous, excited, and concerned all at the same time. I’m really more excited. If we had this schedule without this type of team, I would be real nervous. I think we’ll be able to handle it. Most of our games are at home. Last year, we had to go on the road to Arizona State and Nebraska, so we had to play a lot of good teams on the road. This year, we get to play a lot of games here at Baum Stadium and it’s a great place to play.”