Poll: The Hogs and the SEC Tournament
by Arkansas Expats on Mar 10, 2010 3:21 PM CST
in Basketball
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The SEC Tournament starts tomorrow, and you can just feel the excitement in the air. How do you think the Hogs will fare in Nashville?
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Powell: Hogs Are "My Team"
I'm not quite sure that the 2010 bball Hogs are much of a prize to claim, but props to the big freshman for his take-charge attitude.
1 day ago
John Expat
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Diamond Hog Update: March 8
by dxf04 on Mar 8, 2010 5:17 PM CST
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This weekend saw the Hogs far from home, in the decidely anti-Ozarks of Berkeley California. This series was the Diamond Hogs' first "real" test of the season, and they didn't disappoint, taking 2 of 3 from those pot-smoking hippies (present company excluded, John).
Hogs fell behind 2-3 late in Game 1, until blowing the game open with a 5-run 8th inning, headlined Zack Cox's 2-RBI single and James McCann's 3-run homer. Starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger had a workman-like performance, pitching a career-high 7 innings, with 6 Ks and only 1 ER. However, his performance was marred by 2 ERRs. Unfortunately, errors would become all-too-common throughout the series. Hogs win 7-3, with DJ Baxendale notching his third save of the season.
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Baseball in Berkeley: An Eyewitness Account
by John Expat on Mar 8, 2010 11:38 AM CST
in baseball
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Extensive archival research shows that, until last weekend, the fine city of Berkeley, California had never been treated to the majesty of a Hog call. But, I'm pleased to say that this is no longer the case.
I've been a Bay Area-based Arkansas Expat since the mid-90s (first in San Francisco, then Oakland, now Berkeley), and one of the only significant drawbacks about living here is that it's not the world's easiest place to follow the Hogs. So, even though I've never been much of a college baseball fan, when I realized the Razorbacks would be playing locally I had to check them out.
I went to the game fully expecting to be one of the only people wearing red in the whole place, but was pleasantly surprised to find a very solid contingent of Hog fans waiting there. In fact, I'd guess that a good 25-30% of the people there were on the Arkansas side. It was pretty awesome to see, and even more awesome to hear: as noted above, the sonorous sounds of Woo Pig Sooie rang out loud and clear several times.
As for the game itself, you can probably find better accounts elsewhere. I was chasing around my two small boys for most of the time, and although it was excellent father-son bonding it didn't make for the most blogging-friendly situation. But, I can report that the Hogs are as good as advertised. They jumped on the Bears early and never really looked back, particularly during a big five run 5th inning (the highlight of which was Tim Carver's three run HR - very nice). Fun times.
Besides the home run and Hog calls, the other highlight was that we were able to sit ridiculously close to the Razorback dugout (which was really more of a bench). The Cal stadium is what I'd call pleasantly intimate - definitely not the SEC here, folks - and we were right in the thick of things. After the jump, check out some firsthand photos and videos (including the Hog call!):
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Requiem for a Dream: Ole Miss 68, Arkansas 66
by Stephen Expat on Mar 6, 2010 5:49 PM CST
in Basketball
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Way back in January (given all the ups and downs of this season, it seems like several years ago by now) I unveiled an oh-so-stirring dream of mine: to see the Hogs finish with an 8-8 record in SEC play. I first articulated this on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, and like Dr. King's soaring vision of an America rooted in racial equality, my wish of a .500 conference record no doubt inspired millions and brought tears to many an eye.
With about five minutes to go in the second half, I felt certain my dream would shortly become a reality. In fact, I was preparing for a lucrative career as a corporate motivational speaker. My eyes kept glancing at the phone, certain that Jeff Long would be calling to thank me for my inspirational words.
And then, well ... the Hogs proceeded to score one point over the final 5 minutes and 22 seconds of play, and allowed the Rebels to rally from a 64-53 deficit during that time. Ole Miss took its first lead of the game with 53 seconds left to play. To quote The Walrus:
"And so dear friends,
you'll just have to carry on,
the dream is over."
It's hard to feel this way now, but the Hogs made some progress this year. Going from 2 wins in the SEC to 7 may not be cause for a ticker-tape parade, but it shouldn't be entirely dismissed, either. Having said all that, the regular-season-ending, five-game losing streak has done a good job of reviving the bad vibes that have surrounded this program for too much of the recent past.
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Inaugural Diamond Hog Update
by dxf04 on Mar 4, 2010 7:48 PM CST
6 comments
On the basis of a somewhat pointed suggestion from John Expat, I'm going to start leaving regular updates on the status of the Diamond Hogs. Yes, I know, college baseball isn't a "major" sport that garners regular attention from ESPN and can sometimes be as boring as week-old, store-bought apple pie, but the Arkansas baseball program has a strong pedigree and is regularly competitive for a national title. The least all good Hog fans can do is be aware of how the Hogs are doing on the diamond, and that's where I step in. If you're close enough to Fayetteville to make a day trip, I encourage you to go check out the Hogs at Baum Stadium one weekend. Tickets are cheap, so it's great for a family trip or just a day out with the kids. And, if you're so inclined, you can bring adult beverages (beer only) into the Hog Pen behind left field.
For those of you who need a primer, the Diamond Hogs have 22 NCAA Tourney appearance to their name, along with 6 appearances in the College World Series (5 in the last 15 years). The '79 Diamond Hogs came within 2 runs of being National Champions, and the 2009 squad had a fantastic season, finishing third at the CWS, posting numerous come-from-behind, ninth- and extra-inning victories, and sweeping #1 Arizona St. during the regular season, as well as upsetting #2 national seed Cal State-Fullerton in the first game of the CWS. Despite their post-season success, the Hogs have only won 4 conference titles (2 SEC, 2 SWC), which is a testament to the competitive nature of SEC Baseball.
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Just the (Depressing) Facts
by Stephen Expat on Mar 4, 2010 11:16 AM CST
in Basketball
1 comment
Check out this deflating tweet about the basketball Hogs from Dem.-Gaz. online editor Brandon Marcello:
"This is 5th season in last 9 UA will finish regular season below .500. Hogs had 5 losing seasons in 32-year stretch prior to 2001-02. Yikes."
And just to keep the good times a-rollin', chew on this fact, dug up by one of our interns: Since the end of the 1998-99 season, the Razorbacks have finished with a winning record in SEC play in just three - THREE - seasons. In the other seasons since then, the Hogs have posted losing conference records; there are no 8-8 marks to be found.
However, the Hogs can finish this SEC season with an 8-8 record by defeating Ole Miss on Saturday. In the meantime, you may want to check out this page.
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Final Nail, Meet Coffin
by John Expat on Mar 3, 2010 8:23 PM CST
in Basketball
5 comments
Well, the Razorbacks gave it the old college try on the road against a good Tennessee team, but it just wasn't meant to be.
Better than the LSU, Alabama or Auburn losses? Yes. A moral victory we can feel good about? Not really. Moral victories don't get you into postseason play, nor do they win you the SEC West. And, since both of those goals now seem solidly out of reach it doesn't seem like there's all that much to celebrate at the moment
Fellow Hog callers, as you look back on this season and ahead to the future what do you think?
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