Dave Van Horn explains the balance of wanting to win, get rest at SEC Tournament

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•05/23/23•

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Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn has spent 20 years at the helm of the Razorbacks program. He has had a lot of success during that time.

Starting with his first season in 2003, Arkansas has made all but one NCAA Tournament with seven appearances in the College World Series. The Razorbacks have been in Omaha three of the past four tournaments with a runner-up finish in 2018 when they lost in the Finals to an Adley Rutschman-led Oregon State team.

But there has been one thing has tended to allude Arkansas for most of the past two decades: an SEC Tournament title. The Razorbacks have won only one SEC Tournament title during Van Horn’s tenure during the 2021 season.

As the team heads into this year’s SEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after tying for the regular season title, Van Horn said that there is balance that needs to be struck between going all-out for wins and being ready for the NCAA Tournament next week.

“Obviously we do want to win,” Van Horn said ahead of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. “I guess the importance would be to continue to get these pitchers work but not too much work. Keep them sharp. Then the same with the hitters. They need live at bats. With a couple of guys that have been injured to get those guys in the lineup and swinging the bat and try to get them right.”

Dave Van Horn says the message is to take care of what is in front of them

The Razorbacks are entering the SEC Tournament with a 39-15 record and top-five ranking in the country. They are all but guaranteed to make host a Regional and be in position to host a Super Regional during the NCAA Tournament.

But even with all those things on the horizon, Dave Van Horn wants his team to focus on the here and now over this upcoming SEC Tournament.

“That’s the message to the team: let’s just take care of the game we have in front of us and let’s just play good today,” Van Horn said. “Let’s not go backwards. If you lose, you lose. You’re losing to a good team. If you win, you’ve beaten a good team. You just want to play good. If we do that and it doesn’t go good, you can live with that and get back to your to your home base and rest up and get ready for an exciting weekend.”