It’s often said that the best two words in sports are “Game Seven.” For college sports, however, they have to be “elimination game.”
Coming in at #2 on our countdown of the best Razorback games of the year is arguably the most exciting elimination game of the 2009 College World Series: Arkansas vs. Virginia.
On a national television stage, the Hogs and Cavaliers played for the first time in school history and the Razorbacks survived a nearly five hour marathon contest, winning 4-3 in 12 innings.
Hogs rally to eliminate Virigina, advance at CWS (Courtesy of RazorVision)
Afterwards, we broke down the improbable comeback win. But from a ‘big picture’ perspective, the importance of this game to the Arkansas baseball program is immeasurable.
On a personal level, for example, I heard people the next day at work (here in Northwest Arkansas) who don’t closely follow the Hogs in any sport talking about this game. They even knew the names of some of the players.
Even for a baseball program that has some of the largest home crowds in the country, there is room for more growth. Next season, the Hogs will play non-conference games in Memphis and Little Rock in order for fans around the state to get a chance to see their team.
Perhaps more importantly, a big win helps recruiting. While the Hogs held a light workout in Omaha the next day, hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Todd Butler was on the phone:
In fact, Butler skipped Arkansas’ workout on Thursday, deciding instead to speak with recruits from the team hotel. Those recruits weren’t only impressed with the Razorbacks’ wins on the field, Butler said. He mentioned their excitement level regarding the principles exhibited by the Hogs.
A lot of Diamond Hog fans (both longtime and new) were pretty impressed and excited afterwards, too.