Arkansas Softball – Syndication Server

Two Razorbacks named All-Americans

Morgan Leinstock and Bri Ellis are the 11th and 12th All-Americans in Arkansas history. Courtney Deifel has coached 11 of the 12.

First baseman Bri Ellis and pitcher Morgan Leinstock were named National Fastpitch Coaches Associatino All-Americans this week for the Arkansas softball.

Ellis had previously been named to the All-SEC first team and All-SEC defensive team and was Arkansas’ best hitter for a bulk of the season. She led the team with 14 home runs, 47 RBI, 36 runs, 97 total bases, and a .651 slugging percentage. A transfer from Houston, she is the first Arkansas player in school history to have been named SEC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks when she did so March 12 and March 19.

Leinstock, who arrived to Fayetteville as a graduate transfer from Southern Mississippi, also earned first-team All-SEC honors earlier. She went 13-6 with a 2.14 earned-run average and 137 strikeouts in 140 2/3 innings, tossing eight complete games with three shutouts and she held opponents to a .220 batting average.

The duo are the 12th and 13th Razorbacks softballers to be named NFCA All-Americans in school history. Twelve of those 13 have come since 2019 with coach Courtney Deifel.

Razorbacks’ season ends after losses to Villanova, Arizona

Ouch. Arkansas is the only national seed not to make the regional finals.

The Arkansas softball season came to an ignominious end Saturday.

One day after slipping past the worst team in the Fayetteville Regional, Arkansas lost another one-run game to Arizona, 2-1, and was blasted by Villanova in an elimination game, 7-2.

By the time the game against the suburban Philadelphia school was done, Arkansas looked done. The Razorbacks allowed 11 hits in Villanova’s clincher and came up with just six of their own. Both were solo home runs as manufacturing runs was a problem all weekend.

Against Arizona, Arkansas had just three hits. Two of them came to lead off innings and the Hogs were ultimately 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Arizona had just three hits, too, but was no .000 with RISP.

Arkansas was the national No. 12 seed and is the only seeded team not to make it to the regional finals. The 2024 season also marks the second straight the Razorbacks have not made Super Regionals after going in consecutive years in 2021 and 2022.

Arkansas ready to roll in NCAA Tournament Fayetteville Regional

Rain, rain stay away.

The homestretch of the Arkansas softball season left a bad taste in the mouths of the Razorbacks.

Friday, the switch flips.

Despite falling immediately in the SEC Tournament and in the last series of the regular season to the last-place team in the conference, Arkansas has a legitimate reason for confidence heading in the NCAA Tournament this weekend.

Namely, Bogle Park.

Certainly Ole Miss’ taking of the final series heading into the SEC Tournament is sour. But Arkansas was 18-9 at Bogle Park during the year. And all the evidence in the world, over decades, bears that teams playing at home are more successful than teams playing on the road.

The Razorbacks were chosen as hosts for the Big Dance and will perform those duties for Southeast Missouri State, Arizona and Villanova. The, the regional’s No. 2-seed, are plenty familiar to Arkansas. The two schools split two games in Tuscson earlier in the year. Each team won 1-0.

Coach Courtney Deifel has turned Arkansas into a national powerhouse, though they have yet to take that step into elite territory. The Razorbacks have made the NCAAs every year since 2017 and have finished in the top four in the SEC, alongside the Big 12 as the best softball conference in the land, each of the last four years. But the Hogs have not made the College World Series.

Yet. The path toward it starts Friday.

NCAA Softball Tournament – Fayetteville Regional info, teams, tickets

Everything you need to know for the NCAA Tournament at Arkansas.

Arkansas is cleaning the house and setting the table. Company is coming.

The Razorbacks will host three teams at Bogle Park on the weekend as part of the Fayetteville Regional in the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas, as host, is top seed and will open against Southeast Missouri State in the nightcap Friday. Starting the day at 5 p.m. are No. 2 Arizona and No. 3 Villanova.

Those two games can be seen on ESPN+. It’s unclear whether Saturday’s elimination and semifinal games will air and the same for Sunday’s championship.

Tickets are on sale through the school, though no announcement has been made yet for purchase. This link will update when available.

If you are not planning to head to Bogle for the action, here’s the schedule for watching from home.

Friday, May 17

Game 1 — Arizona vs. Villanova, 5 p.m. (ESPN+)

Game 2 — No. 12 Arkansas vs. SE Missouri State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 18

Game 3 — Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 2 p.m. (TBD)

Game 4 — Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 4:30 p.m. (TBD)*

Game 5 — Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner, 7 p.m. (TBD)*

Sunday, May 19

Game 6 — Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBD (TBD)*

Game 7 — Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, TBD (TBD)* if necessary

* elimination game

Arkansas lands 12-seed for NCAA Tournament, will host Fayetteville Regional

Arkansas split two games with Arizona and beat SEMO during the regular season.

Arkansas softball will serve as a host for the NCAA Tournament as was announced Sunday night during selection show.

The Razorbacks are the No. 12-seed overall, which means if Arkansas wins the Fayetteville Regional, they will travel for Super Regionals if the No. 5-seed Oklahoma State wins its.

Arkansas will play Southeast Missouri State, the No. 4-seed, first. Villanova is the No. 3-seed and Arizona earned the No. 2. Arkansas played Arizona twice during the regular season. They met February 16 and February 17 in Tucson during a festival hosted by the Wildcats. Arizona won the first game, 3-2, and Arkansas won the second, 3-2.

The Razorbacks also played and beat Southeast Missouri State durin the regular season at the Woo Pig Classic, 5-0.

Opposite Arkansas, the Cowboys are one of three national seeds from the Big 12. Arkansas is one of eight national seeds from the SEC. Two of the Big 12’s national seeds are joining the SEC next year in Texas and Oklahoma. The Sooners are the three-time defending national champion.

Did Arkansas’ series loss to last-place Ole Miss mean anything? Well, maybe

What happens next for the Razorbacks will determine their station, not what happened against Ole Miss.

The Arkansas softball regular season came to an end Saturday in a way less than ideal for the No. 11 Razorbacks.

Arkansas lost its series and season finale to Ole Miss, 4-3, ultimately dropping the series to the Rebels two games to one. The Hogs still finished fourth in the SEC standings and will receive the No. 4-seed for the league tournament later in the week.

But falling to the last-place team in the conference isn’t helpful for the bigger picture of Arkansas’ hopes to host in the NCAA Tournament. Certainly coach Courtney Deifel’s team is in prime position and it really is hard to imagine Arkansas not getting hosting duties for the Big Dance.

But what happens if they lose immediately at Auburn in the SEC Tournament? Rhetorical. We would probably still bet Arkansas hosts as a Top-16 seed at Bogle Park for the NCAAs.

Most likely, the loss to Ole Miss was just a hiccup. Arkansas had reeled off five straight SEC series wins before that, anyway. And the flip side is more likely, if also unlikely.

If Arkansas uses the losses to the Rebels as a springboard and goes out to win the SEC Tournament, not only are hosting duties obvious, a top-eight national seed is in play, too.

And that will have made it all worth it.

Ole Miss, Arkansas split Friday doubleheader

Arkansas is locked into the No. 4 seed for the SEC Tournament.

Last-place Ole Miss beat No. 10 Arkansas in the early game Friday before the Razorbacks bounced back to the second of a doubleheader at Bogle Park.

The rubber game and regular-season finale is set for Saturday at 3 p.m., though regardless of the outcome, Arkansas is locked into the fourth in SEC standings and Ole Miss is last.

Grace Sparks limited Arkansas to three hits in Ole Miss’ 6-0 win. The Rebels entered with just five wins in league play, but Sparks upped her record to 7-2 personally. Home runs from Aynslie Furbush and Angelina DeLeon powered the victory.

Arkansas rallied in the nightcap to the tune of a 12-2 run-rule in five innings. Razorbacks starter Robyn Herron gave up just two baserunners on two base knocks while striking out six. On the offensive side, seven of the nine Arkansas starters picked up at least one hit. Furbush and DeLeon homered again to provide the Rebels with their lone two runs.

The SEC Tournament will begin Tuesday from Auburn. All the seedings will be determined by Sunday night.

Razorbacks roll UCA in final nonconference game of the season

Arkansas finished off its noncon season with a run-rule of the old Sugar Bears

Robyn Herron is ready for the SEC Tournament. Maybe even the NCAA Tournament.

The ace of the No. 10 Arkansas softball team was her on game Tuesday night, throwing a shutout of Central Arkansas, 8-0, in the Razorbacks’ final nonconference game of the season.

Herron, who moved to 10-8 on the season, struck out nine Sugar Bears batters and gave up just two hits in the six-inning, shortened game. Her counterpart, Julia Petty, wasn’t nearly as sharp. Arkansas collected its eight runs on nine hits and seven walks.

Nia Carter went 3 for 4 with three singles to lead the Razorbacks in knocks. Reagan Johnson and Hannah Camenzind also each had two singles. But Kennedy Miller had the best day. She was 1 for 2 at the plate with two walks, three RBI and two runs. Her sixth-inning two-run home run was the game sealer, finishing things early when UCA couldn’t respond in the bottom of the frame.

Arkansas has just one more SEC series in the regular season before the SEC Tournament starts Tuesday at Auburn. The Razorbacks host Ole Miss at Bogle Park on the weekend, starting with a first pitch Friday at 6 p.m.

Razorbacks take second straight, series from LSU

A day after limiting No. 7 LSU to a single run in the series opener, Arkansas did it again Saturday.

The 13th-ranked Razorbacks did one better, even. Instead of a 2-1 win, Arkansas doubled its output and clinched the series against the Tigers, 4-1, to stun the home team in Baton Rouge.

A big third inning was key. Arkansas scored three of its four runs in the frame. Cylie Halvorson and Hannah Gammill each walked with the bases loaded on back-to-back plate appearances. Kennedy Miller then followed with an RBI single before LSU could stanch the bleeding.

The bats picked up for Robyn Herron who worked just 2 1/3 innings for Arkansas. She gave up three hits and three walks and allowed LSU to score on a wild pitch before Morgan Leinstock closed the third inning and Hannah Camenzind finished the final 4 1/3.

Arkansas’ win ensured the Hogs a sixth SEC series win in its seven so far. The teams will close the set at 1 p.m. on Sunday before the Razorbacks return home for a one-off game against Central Arkansas at Bogle Park on Tuesday.

Hogs take down Alabama in run-rule, pick up fourth straight SEC series win

That slow-ish start for Arkansas softball? In the words of the movie mobsters: fahgedaboudit.

The 14th-ranked Razorbacks run-ruled Alabama on Sunday, 8-0, to take two of three from the Crimson Tide for Arkansas’ fourth straight SEC win. Seven of the Hogs’ runs came in the first inning.

Arkansas has lost just one SEC series all season, the second of the year against Mississippi State. The four series since have all come against ranked opponents. Alabama was No. 15 entering the set.

The Razorbacks picked up their seven runs in the first inning on five hits and four walks. Bri Ellis’ two-run home run, her 14th of the season, as the three-hole hitter started the scoring. Rylin Hedgecock followed with a two-run single, Raigan Kramer scored on a passed ball and Nia Carter hit a two-run single to cap things in the frame.

Morgan Leinstock pitched all five innings to pick up her 12th win of the year. She gave up five hits and walked one batter while striking out five with the huge run support.

Hannah Gammil tacked on the final Razorbacks run in fourth on a sacrifice fly. Carter was the only Arkansas player to pick up more than one hit as she went 3 for 3. All but two of the Hogs’ starters scored a run.

Arkansas will travel to Baton Rouge for a three-game set against the Tigers next weekened, April 26-28.