What was the best Arkansas team of all-time?

[Dale]

Team - 1979
Record - 49-15 (19-5)
Post Season - runner up in the CWS
Team Average - .303
Team ERA - 3.02
Offensive Leaders - Ed Wallace (.357, 19 stolen bases), Johnny Ray (55 runs, 47 RBI, 12 triples), Marc Brumble (17 doubles)
Pitching Leaders - Rich Erwin (13 wins, 75 strikeouts, 124 innings), Steve Krueger (1.73 ERA)
Of Note - won 14 games in a row…went 3-2 at the CWS…set the single season record for triples…1 All-American – Ronn Reynolds…had two players drafted that year


Team - 1985
Record - 51-15 (13-7)
Post Season - won the SWC tournament, third at the CWS
Team Average - .321
Team ERA - 4.56
Offensive Leaders - Jeff King (.366, 64 runs, 82 RBI, 26 doubles, 17 homeruns), Mike Loggins (15 stolen bases)
Pitching Leaders - Fred Farwell (11 wins, 120.2 innings, 90 strikeouts), Tim Dietz (2, 53 ERA, 12 saves)
Of Note - won 16 & 17 games in a row…went 2-2 at the CWS… set the single season record for double plays turned… set the single season record for wins in a season…2 All-Americans – Jeff King, Mike Loggins…had ten players drafted that year, all of whom signed…Mike Loggins (3rd round) and Ellis Roby (5th round) topped the list


Team - 1987
Record - 51-16-1 (17-4)
Post Season - fifth at the CWS
Team Average - .326
Team ERA - 4.46
Offensive Leaders - Jim Kremers (.393, 76 RBI, 28 doubles), Andy Skeels (70 runs, 76 RBI, 7 triples, 18 homeruns), Dan Campbell (26 stolen bases)
Pitching Leaders - John Cebuhar (11 wins, 115.2 innings, 106 strikeouts), Dennis Fletcher (2.73 ERA)
Of Note - won 12 games in a row…threw a combined no-hitter on March 11…went 1-2 at the CWS…set the single season record for hits and doubles…1 All-American – Andy Skeels…had eight players drafted that year


Team - 1989
Record - 51-16 (17-4)
Post Season - fifth in the CWS
Team Average - .307
Team ERA - 3.38
Offensive Leaders - Scott Pose (.383, 28 stolen bases), Troy Eklund (62 runs, 16 doubles, 12 triples, 9 homeruns), Greg D’Alexander (66 RBI), Philip Stidham (2.68 ERA, 12 saves)
Pitching Leaders - Dennis Fletcher (10 wins), Mike Oquist (10 wins, 109 innings, 93 strikeouts)
Of Note - tied for first in the SWC…won 17 games in a row…went 1-2 at the CWS… pitching staff set the single season record for saves…set the single season record for best fielding percentage…1 All-American – Troy Eklund…had seven players drafted that year


Team - 1990
Record - 47-15 (16-5)
Post Season - lost the Wichita regional
Team Average - .325
Team ERA - 3.63
Offensive Leaders - Greg D’Alexander (.387, 65 RBI, 18 doubles, 14 homeruns), Kirk Piskor (56 runs), Mark Johnson (26 stolen bases)
Pitching Leaders - Doug Bennett (10 wins, 96 innings, 86 strikeouts), Philip Stidham (0.95 ERA, 11 saves)
Of Note - 2 All-Americans – Greg D’Alexander & Philip Stidham…had four players drafted that year


Team - 1999
Record - 42-23 (22-8)
Post Season - lost the Fayetteville regional
Team Average - .301
Team ERA - 5.12
Offensive Leaders - Joe Jester (.338, 76 runs, 20 doubles, 35 stolen bases, 22 HBP), Rodney Nye (78 RBI, 20 homeruns), Ryan Lundquist (20 doubles)
Pitching Leaders - David Walling (10 wins, 121.1 innings, 155 strikeouts), Charlie Isaacson (3.16 ERA)
Of Note - went 4-2 in the SEC tournament…set the single season record for homeruns…pitching staff set the single season record for strikeouts… set the single season record for consecutive SEC wins (10) and total SEC wins…2 All-Americans – Charlie Isaacson & David Walling…had seven players drafted that year, all of whom signed…Walling (1st round) and Dan Wright (2nd round) topped the draft list




There are obviously a lot of good teams in the history of the program I did my best to narrow it down to the very best.



Tell us why you voted the way you did.

[Bruinstyle2001®]

The 1999 was tempting due to the impressive SEC record and the number of conference sweeps that year, but it didn't make it out of the regional and was viewed as 16th best team in the nation.

I went with the 1979 team. Hard to argue with the CWS finish and how they got out of its regional.

[Charlie]

1985...51 wins and 10 players drafted.

I too was tempted to go with 1999. One or two more good arms in the bullpen and who knows...

[Dale]

I narrowed it down to '89 and '87 even though they were all pretty close. I went with '89 because they had the best closer the UofA has ever seen and they played the best defense of any team. Pitching and Defense! That's what wins games.

[Hognoxious™]

1989

Great coaching moves that year during the Evangel game to continue what would eventually be a 17-game winning streak.

[The Kid]

What. No 04

[Bruinstyle2001®]

Kid, you are showing your youth. '04 was a great story, but no where near the best year ever.

For example, '99 team won the SEC outright, swept 5 series, was 14-1 at home in SEC, and won road series @florida, @vanderbilt, @south Carolina. The only sweep incurred was by the 2nd best team in the nation, Alabama. We also made the SEC championship game against Alabama after losing the opening game.

[Dale]

Exactly. '04 put together a heck of a run at the end, but to be the best you've got to do it from day 1.

[OklahomaSooie]

Based on 5 sweeps, the 99 team is the obvious choice. I am too young to remember the other but what the 99 team accomplished, in the conference we play in, is remarkable.

[BradysDad]

I'm certainly not qualified to evaluate the 2004 team against those other great Arkansas teams, but I don't think it is accurate to make it as simple as they 'put together a heck of a run at the end'. That would be true for the 2002 team, but the 2004 team had a different experimental lineup every game until the 2nd game at Florida in the first SEC series. That's when the lineup was put on the field that was pretty much stayed with for the rest of the season. From that point on they were the best team in the SEC, including a sweep at LSU, and, of course, made the CWS. I don't know that it qualifies them for consideration as one of the best of all time, but their run did encompass almost the whole SEC season as well as postseason.

[dacooks]

I need to check my own sanity, as I was going to cite excellent coaching and team chemistry as 89, which made them a complete package. Then I see Hognoxious also picks 89...what is wrong with me? The 99 team has got to be up there too, as the work ethic of Joe Jester really typified a tremendously fun team to watch. In any case, I hate the poll as it is like picking a favorite child.......OK, 1989.