A grand slam home run against Wichita State and a win against Florida State took the Diamond Hogs to the College World Series in 2004.
Memories that former hog pitcher Clint Brannon will never forget.
“This right here is when we went to the College World Series, Jay Sawatski, a great left hand pitcher and Jake Dugger, a freshman player,” says Brannon as he shows off a picture.
Brannon says 2004 was a landmark year for the hogs, a renovation of Baum Stadium that led to more fans in the stands and success on the field.
“You know the guys that were recruited and the guys that Coach Van Horn took, all of those guys like Carley Boyce, Casey Rowlett, and Clay Goodwin are just special leaders and they helped build this place. And we got to the World Series, we won a regional, won a super regional from there,” explains Brannon.
As the diamond hogs get ready to play in Omaha for the seventh time, Brannon says he remembers what coach Dave Van Horn told the team when they went.
“We were ranked either 11th or 12th of the SEC and I remember Coach Van Horn coming to us and saying hey guys, every time you go out and play these guys there coach has pretty much voted you last in the SEC and that kind of gave us a chip on our shoulders.”
Brannon says representing not only your team but your state is something all hog players take seriously.
“When you play for Coach Van Horn and you put on that Razorback uniform there`s only one thing that comes to mind and that`s give 110 percent, you want to go to war for the guy because you know he`s going to war for you.”