Tag: Courtney Deifel

Arkansas softball team back home to host Razorback Invitational

No. 14 Razorback softball team to host Invitational this weekend.

After opening the season with a pair of successful weekend road tournaments, the Arkansas softball team finally gets to play in front of the home crowd at Bogle Park.

No. 14 Arkansas (8-2) is hosting the annual Razorback Invitational this weekend and will open play Thursday at 4 p.m. against Illinois State. They will play the Redbirds twice over the four-day event, as well as a pair of games against both, Texas-Arlington and Wichita State.

“They are really strong,” Razorbacks Head Coach Courtney Deifel said of the opposing teams in the event. “We are playing them for a reason. It’s another non-con weekend where we’re going to be challenged.”

The Hogs will play a pair of games Friday – UTA at 3 p.m. and Wichita State at 5:30 p.m. – and two more on Saturday, facing Illinois State at 3 p.m. and the Lady Shockers again at 5:30 p.m. They will wrap things up with Arlington on Sunday, beginning at 12:15 p.m.

“We love playing at home,” Deifel said with a huge grin. “We have one of the best stadiums, with one of the best fields … and some of the best fans in the country. I’m excited that we are home this weekend, and I’m excited that we’re home for three weeks in a row.”

Arkansas will host the Woo Pig Classic next weekend, facing the likes of South Dakota State, Southeast Missouri State and Florida Atlantic. The following weekend, the Hogs will host Nebraska, South Alabama, St. Francis and Northern Iowa in the Razorback Rumble.

After the 17-game homestand, Arkansas will begin the SEC slate at Auburn on March 15.

The Razorbacks began the season two weeks ago, going 4-1 in the Paradise Classic in South Florida, then went 4-1 again in Arizona’s Bear Down Fiesta last weekend. That event included a split of two games against powerhouse No. 23 Arizona.

Deifel, who is in her ninth season at the helm, and the winningest coach in program history, is happy with her team’s early performance, but knows there is always room for improvement.

“I just feel like we’ve done a really good job, defensively, and we’ve got so many tools, offensively,” she said, “but I don’t think we have fired, from one through nine. I do think that last Saturday and Sunday we did take a step in the right direction. I don’t think we are there yet, but I definitely like the steps we have taken.

“The big thing is knowing that potential, knowing what this lineup could be, with different ones stepping up in big moments. We know our best softball is still ahead of us. When we all start firing together it’s going to be a really dynamic lineup.”

Sophomore lead-off hitter Reagan Johnson has begun the season with her bat on fire, leading the team with a .462 average, including a team-high 18 hits and six stolen bases.

Junior Auburn-transfer Bri Ellis has brought the power to the lineup, with a team-high three home runs, while slugging at a .759 percent clip. Collectively, the Razorbacks hit seven total home runs in Arizona, while outscoring their opposition 26-8 over the five games.

In the circle, the Arkansas pitching staff has been stellar. In 36 innings pitched last weekend, the staff did not give up a home run in a location known as a hitter’s “launching pad.”

“I was really proud of how they competed this past weekend, in an environment where the ball flies,” Deifel said. “I just thought our pitchers and our defense did a really good job of limiting the other offenses.”

Senior right-hander Morgan Leinstock and lefty Robyn Herron have been sensational slinging the ball. Leinstock (3-0) has tossed 19.2 innings with a 1.07 ERA and 22 strikeouts, while Herron (3-2) has thrown 27 innings with a 1.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts. Neither has allowed a home run.

The Razorbacks are 7-1 in home openers under Deifel, and are seeking their eighth straight home-opening win, dating back to 2017.

Arkansas softball gets revenge, topples host Arizona in Tucson

Lefty Roby Herron continues to shine in the circle with win over Arizona.

A day after losing a heart-breaker to host Arizona in the Bear Down Fiesta, the No. 13 Arkansas softball team returned the favor on Saturday, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

The Razorbacks (7-2) entered the event’s second day with an breezy 9-2 win over Omaha, before exacting some revenge in a 3-2 win over Arizona (9-1).

Across both games on Saturday, Arkansas outhit its opposition 20-11, and allowed just four runs over 14 innings of play.

Omaha actually jumped in front of the Hogs 2-0 in the first inning of Game 1, but couldn’t contain the red-hot Arkansas bats. Junior Bri Ellis led off the second inning with her third home run of the weekend, a shot to left-center field, cutting the lead to one. The Razorbacks took control with four runs in the fourth and four more in the seventh.

The Hogs racked up six hits in that fourth frame, including a huge three-run bomb to left by senior Rylin Hedgecock.

Sophomores Rylee Cloud and Reagan Johnson led off the seventh with back-to-back doubles. Seniors Nia Carter and Cylie Halvorson then both added run-scoring doubles later in the inning, to put the game on ice.

In Game 2, sophomore left-hander Robyn Herron (3-2) continued her blazing start in the circle, cooling off the Wildcat bats for the second straight day.

After holding Arizona to just one run on two hits in 6.1 innings on Friday, the Florida native went all seven innings against the home team on Saturday. She held the Cats to just two runs on five hits, striking out three along the way. Herron has already tossed 27 innings this season, with a slim 1.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

The Hogs shot out to a 2-0 first-inning lead this time around, as Johnson and junior Raigan Kramer both reached base, then pulled off a double steal to start the rally. Johnson scored on Carter’s fielder’s choice and Kramer came home on a a fielding error.

After Arizona cut the lead to 2-1 in the second, senior Hannah Gammill blasted her second home run of the season in the fourth inning, to make it 3-1.

The Wildcats then cut the lead back to one with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Herron proceeded to shut them down the rest of the way, giving up just one meaningless hit over the final two frames.

The Razorbacks will wrap up the weekend in Tucson on Sunday, facing Omaha again at 10 a.m. The game will be available to stream on FloSoftball.

Arkansas will then return to Bogle Park for its home opener on Thursday, facing Illinois State at 4 p.m., in the first of the four-day Razorback Invitational.

No. 12 Razorback softball team splits a pair in south Florida

Arkansas softball opened the twin-bill with a win over Michigan State, before suffering a loss to Penn State.

The No. 12 Arkansas softball team split a double-header in south Florida on Saturday, knocking off Michigan State in the opener, before suffering its first loss of the season at the hands of Penn State in extra innings.

The Razorbacks (4-1) wrapped up the three-day Paradise Classic and must now travel across the country to Arizona for next weekend’s Bear Down Fiesta tournament.

After wins over Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Ohio on the first two days, Arkansas remained unbeaten at the time, with a 6-5 win over the Spartans.

The Hogs thumped seven hits against Michigan State, including a pair of home runs by senior sluggers Cylie Halvorson and Hannah Gammill.

Right-handed sophomore Reis Beuerlein made her second start as a Razorback, after transferring from Mississippi State, tossing 3.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. After  while surrendering two runs on four hits.

After sophomore lefty Hannah Camenzind came in for 2.2 frames in relief, giving up three runs and striking out four, fellow sophomore Robyn Herron (2-1) came in to pick up her second win of the young season. The Tampa native shut down the Michigan State bats for the final 1.1 innings, striking out three of the four batters she faced, to put the game on ice.

Halverson’s solo shot tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. The Razorbacks extended the lead to 4-1 with three in the third, including junior Bri Ellis’ two-run single. Gammill’s two-run bomb then made it 6-2 after five.

The Spartans (0-4) rallied for three runs in the sixth, before Herron came in to extinguish the fire.

Facing their second Big Ten opponent of the day, the Razorbacks found themselves in a pitcher’s duel against the Nittany Lions, before allowing a run with one out in the eighth inning to fall, 3-2.

Herron started the game on the mound, and despite the loss, was dominant once again. She went the entire 7.1 innings, giving up just two earned runs, while striking out 10 Nittany Lions for her sixth career double-digit strikeout performance.

Sophomore Reagan Johnson and senior Nia Carter accounted for all four Razorback hits, with two apiece.

Senior Rylin Hedgecock got the Hogs on the board in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly to center field. After Penn State tied it at 1-1 in the second, Arkansas regained the lead in the fourth on a Carter’s RBI single.

The Nittany Lions (4-0) tied it again at 2-2 in the fourth, before both teams went scoreless until the eighth. With a “ghost runner” on second to start the inning, Penn State needed just one base hit to claim the win.

In addition to Johnson’s two singles, she also drew a pair of walks and stole her third base of the season.

Arkansas will begin play in Tucson on Friday, facing Long Beach State at noon, followed by a matchup with host Arizona at 5 p.m.

No. 12 Arkansas softball opens with pair of victories in Florida

The Razorbacks softball team got off to a good start with a pair of victories in the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton.

The No. 12 Arkansas softball team opened its season with a two-game sweep Thursday, on the first day of the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Fla.

Arkansas (2-0) opened the tournament with a 10-3 victory over Marshall, then needed just five innings to beat host Florida Atlantic, 8-0.

Sophomore lefty Hannah Camenzind earned the win in the opener, hurling 4.2 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just four hits and striking out three.

After the Thundering Herd grabbed a 3-2 lead in the top of the third, the Razorbacks tied it at 3-3, on senior Cylie Halvorson’s RBI single.

The Razorbacks began to take control in the fifth, plating three runs pounded in three runs in the fifth. Following a leadoff double by Bri Ellis, senior designated player Rylin Hedgecock put the Hogs back ahead with an RBI-single to left. Camenzind plated another with a sacrifice fly, before junior Spencer Prigge made it 6-3 with an RBI-double.

After Marshall walked in a run in the sixth, junior Raigan Kramer knocked in a run for Arkansas. Camenzind then knocked in the final two runs with a double to left-center.

The Razorbacks tallied 11 hits in the game, including four doubles. Halvorson and Ellis each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

“We had a lot of composure, and we ‘stayed the course’. It was very business-like considering it was our first game out there. We had a little nerves and unexpectedness, but we handled it very well. Reis (Beuerlein) gave us a good start. Hannah Camenzind came in and complemented her and did a good job using our defense. We exhaled at the half way point and started acting like ourselves.”

Sophomore left-hander Robyn Herron went the five-inning distance in Arkansas’ nightcap win over the Owls, tossing her third career complete game shutout. The Tampa native allowed just two hits, while striking out seven.

“Robyn Herron was outstanding. She controlled an offense that has the potential to really get going, so I was pleased with her outing.”

The Razorbacks’ bats exploded early, as they jumped out to a quick 5-0 first-inning lead. Ellis broke the ice with a two-run single. A hit batter and an FAU errors allowed two more runs to score, before sophomore Reagan Johnson added a run-scoring single. Johnson finished with two hits in the game.

Kramer slapped a two-run single in the second, and Halvorson capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

“I thought it was huge to score early runs in the second game. The start was contagious and shows a lot of potential for putting pressure on other teams. We did a really good job of passing the bat.”

Arkansas will next face Ohio at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on Friday, before a double-header against Penn State and Michigan State on Saturday. All games are available on FloSoftball.

Thanks to ESPN, Arkansas softball will have plenty of exposure in 2024

Arkansas softball will have plenty of television exposure this season, thanks to multiple broadcasts on ESPN networks.

Entering the 2024 season, [autotag]Arkansas softball[/autotag] is firmly in the national spotlight. They’re ranked in the top 20 of every major preseason poll and are poised to build off of six consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.

As a result, 11 Razorback games will be prominently televised across the ESPN family of networks during the regular season. That’s in addition to having all of their games available on SEC Network+.

The first of those 11 linear broadcasts will be on March 30-April 1 in a primetime road matchup with No. 6 Georgia on SEC Network and ESPN2. [autotag]Courtney Deifel[/autotag]’s squad welcomes Missouri to Bogle Park for two SEC Network broadcasts of the series.

Arkansas’ road series against No. 22 South Carolina on April 12-14 will have two SEC Network broadcasts, and right after that, the Hogs’ home series against No. 14 Alabama will feature a game on SEC Network and ESPNU.

The Razorbacks will then host Ole Miss to Fayetteville for their final series of the regular season on May 3-5. That series will feature two games on SEC Network.

In addition to those 11 games, all 12 SEC Softball Tournament games will be televised on SEC Network, with the semifinals and championship game appearing on ESPN2.

Arkansas softball’s 2024 season begins on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 1:00 p.m. against Marshall as part of the Paradise Classic.

Arkansas softball ranked in USA Today/NFCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll

The USA Today/NFCA Coaches’ poll was released on Tuesday and Arkansas softball was included yet again. Here’s where they were ranked.

Once again, [autotag]Arkansas softball[/autotag] is ranked inside the Top 20 of a preseason poll entering the 2024 campaign. On Tuesday, the USA Today/NFCA Coaches’ Poll was released and [autotag]Courtney Deifel[/autotag]’s Razorbacks were ranked No. 16 in the country.

This is the fourth preseason poll that has had the Hogs as a Top 20 team entering the season. Earlier this month, the team was ranked No. 8 and No. 18 by Softball America and D1Softball, respectively. Just last week ESPN.com/USA Softball had them ranked at No.12 on the new year.

All of this preseason love for the Hogs is warranted as Deifel’s squad is coming off of their third-straight 40-win season and the program’s sixth-straight NCAA Tournament berth.

Under Deifel’s guidance, Arkansas softball has received four national seeds. The remarkable thing about that feat is that before Deifel took over, the Hogs had never received a national seed for the NCAA Tournament.

The Razorbacks will open their 2024 season at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. Opening day is currently slated for Thursday, Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. where the Hogs will take on Marshall.

Arkansas softball opens at No. 12 in the ESPN/USA preseason poll

Arkansas ranked in preseason for sixth straight year, coming it at No. 12 in ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.

For the sixth consecutive year under Head Coach Courtney Deifel, the Arkansas softball team will begin the season ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Preseason Poll, which was released Tuesday.

The Razorbacks stack up at No. 12 in the most recent poll, which includes 10 teams from the SEC – most of any conference. It also marks the third straight year that Arkansas begins ranked in the top 15, coming in at No. 6 last season and No. 9 in 2022.

Now in her eighth season at the helm, Deifel is already the program’s winningest coach with 278 victories. She led the program to its first SEC regular-season championship in 2021, then won the regular season and the conference tournament in 2022. Arkansas has advanced to the past six NCAA Tournament, which includes four national seeds.

The Razorbacks return a core group of experienced players to the roster, while adding a stellar freshman class and four key transfers – former Auburn first-baseman Bri Ellis and former Iowa outfielder Nia Carter, as well as a pair of pitchers, Reis Beuerlieim from Mississippi State and Morgan Linestock from Southern Mississippi.

Last week, Softball America had the Razorbacks ranked No. 8 in their preseason poll, while D1Softball had them ranked No. 18.

Arkansas will open the 2024 slate with a trip to Boca Raton, Fla., for the Paradise Classic, facing Marshall in the opener. The Hogs will then open their home schedule on Feb. 22, hosting Illinois State.

Arkansas softball looks to make history, releases 2024 schedule

The Razorback softball team will face 29 NCAA Tournament team on their 2024 slate.

As the Arkansas softball program continues to rise in the national spotlight, the level of opponents keeps getting stronger.

The Razorbacks’ 54-game regular season schedule for 2024 was release on Monday and includes 30 games inside Bogle Park, and 29 games against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams.

Head Coach Courtney Deifel is set to begin her ninth season at the helm of the program, with a program-best 278 wins under her belt. She has developed the Razorbacks into a national brand on the diamond, guiding the program to two SEC regular-season championships, an SEC Tournament title and six NCAA Tournament appearances, including six consecutive berths since 2017.

Since her arrival in 2016, Arkansas been ranked 84 times in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll, after previously being ranked only once in program history. Additionally, 11 of the program’s 12 All-American awards and 78 All-America Scholar-Athlete awards have come accumulated under her watch.

She has led the Razorbacks to all three of their NCAA Tournament Super Regional appearances – 2018, 2021 and 2022 – and hopes to equal that feat again this season, or possibly surpass it with their first trip to the College World Series.

Arkansas has won at least 40 games in each of the last three seasons, while hosting a regional all three of those years.

The Razorbacks will begin the 2024 campaign in the Paradise Classic, hosted by Florida Atlantic, Feb. 8-10. They will open play against Marshall and FAU on the first day, before finishing the weekend with games against Ohio, Penn State and Michigan State.

They will follow that with a trip to Arizona the Bear Down Fiesta, Feb. 16-18. The five-game slate will include two against host Arizona, two against Omaha and another against Long Beach State.

The Hogs then return home for three weeks, beginning with the Razorback Invitational, Feb. 22-25, opening play against Illinois State, then play two against Wichita State and two against UT-Arlington. That will be followed by the Wooo Pig Classic at Bogle Park, Feb. 29-March 3, as South Dakota State, Southeast Missouri State and Florida Atlantic come to Fayetteville.

Staying at home, Arkansas will then host the Razorback Rumble, March 7-9, with the likes of Nebraska, South Alabama, St. Francis and Northern Iowa coming to Bogle.

The Razorbacks first SEC series will be on the road at Auburn, March 15-17, before a midweek game at Texas A&M-Commerce. The Hogs’ first home conference series will be March 22-24, as Mississippi State comes to town, prior to a in-state battle with Central Arkansas  on March 26.

Arkansas then travels to Georgia, returns home to face Missouri, then is back on the road at South Carolina. The Razorbacks will then host a much-anticipated class with Alabama, April 19-21.

They will then take the road to LSU, before making the return trip to UCA on April 30. Arkansas will close out the regular season at home against Ole Miss, May 3-5.

Auburn will host the 2024 SEC Tournament, from May 7-11.

Click HERE for complete 2024 schedule.

Arkansas softball announces 2024 SEC schedule

The 2024 SEC schedule for Arkansas’ softball team was released on Wednesday. Nonconference games will be released at a later date.

Coming off SEC titles in two of the last three seasons, the Arkansas softball team unveiled its 2024 schedule on Wednesday.

Arkansas is looking to make its seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance (not counting the 2020 season that was canceled) under Courtney Deifel’s leadership.

The Razorbacks will begin SEC play on the road at Auburn, before heading home to Bogle Park for the following weekend’s series with Mississippi State.

March 8-10 is Arkansas’ bye weekend.

Other home SEC series include Missouri, Alabama and Ole Miss. The team will travel to Georgia, South Carolina and LSU, with the series against the Bayou Bengals the final one before SEC Tournament play begins.

Auburn is hosting the SEC Tournament this season, and it will be held May 7-11.

Deifel welcomes familiar face back to program as assistant

Welcome back Danielle! Courtney Deifel’s latest assistant coach hire is no stranger to the Arkansas softball program.

Arkansas fans won’t need an introduction to the latest softball assistant coaching hire.

Danielle Gibson Whorton, a former two-time NFCA All-American and first in program history, was announced Friday as Courtney Deifel’s newest assistant.

“I’m ecstatic to be returning to Fayetteville in a new and exciting role. Joining Coach Deifel, Coach Meuchel and Coach Gasso is an experience I couldn’t pass up,” Gibson Whorton said. “It’s home for my husband and has become home for me. It all made sense. How fortunate am I to have an opportunity to push this amazing program forward outside of my playing days? New opportunities come with new challenges, and I cannot wait to get started. We will Call the Hogs on The Hill once again.”

Gibson Whorton was a volunteer assistant at Georgia last season. While in Athens, Gibson Whorton guided Bulldog hitters to four All-SEC honors, four NFCA All-Region accolades and two NFCA All-America selections.

Under a new ruling handed down earlier this year, volunteer assistant roles were eliminated and a third paid assistant coach role was added by the NCAA Division I council.

Gibson Whorton will join a staff of Matt Meuchel and recently hired DJ Gasso.