What has happened to the Arkansas baseball team?

It wasn’t long ago one poll had them ranked No. 1 in the country and they were atop the SEC standings. But now, after five straight losses, the Razorbacks have tumbled out of Baseball America’s Top 25 poll and resemble the Arkansas men’s basketball team.

OK, maybe that’s a little much. But you get my point.

Arkansas (31-17, 14-12 in SEC) is in the midst of its longest slide since 2005 after being swept at Alabama. Coach Dave Van Horn and his team will try to end the losing when it plays Oral Roberts in Baum Stadium on Tuesday night. It’s part of a four-game home stretch that will end the regular season. The Razorbacks play Ole Miss on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the season-ending series.

Van Horn addressed his team’s woes at the Swatter’s Club meeting earlier this afternoon. One of the most noteworthy things he told the club was this: “I do think we can host a regional. I do think we can make a run.”

Van Horn met with the media after the meeting ended and told us Arkansas just needs a win starting Tuesday night.

“We need to bounce back and win the game,” Van Horn said. “Hopefully we’ll get after them. … We just need to change the way the outcomes have been lately. We’ve got to find a way to finish a game.”

Arkansas will start the game with Drew Smyly (2-1, 5.77 ERA) on the mound, but the bigger concern will be at the plate. Arkansas, which is batting an SEC-low .271 as a team, is desperate for hits and runs. Arkansas is 4-8 in its last 12 SEC games. Six of those eight losses have been by one run, including the Friday and Sunday games at Alabama.

“The team is frustrated now. You don’t lose six one-run games the last couple of weeks in league play … If we flip-flopped three of those games and we win three of those games, we’re right there talking about championship right now.

“Yeah, there’s some frustration. The only way you can change that is to go out and get some wins.”