Tag: Razorbacks Softball

Arkansas Softball receives power boost from Transfer Portal

Cylie Halvorson brings 40 career home runs with her to Arkansas from South Dakota State.

It appears that Arkansas Softball and head coach [autotag]Courtney Diefel[/autotag] have found the latest “Bogle Bomber” from the transfer portal.

Arkansas Softball announced the signing of [autotag]Cylie Halvorson[/autotag], a transfer from South Dakota State, on Tuesday. Halvorson arrives in Fayetteville with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Halvorson was named Summit League Player of the Year as well as NFCA second-team All-Region in 2021 following a season that saw her bat .352 with 19 home runs with 59 RBI and a slugging percentage of .770. She followed suit in 2022 by crushing 19 more long balls and sending 46 runs across the plate, earning another Summit League First Team honor.

“We are excited to add Cylie to our program,” Deifel said in a press release. “She is a dynamic bat and leader that will be a huge addition to our program. We have had the privilege of competing against Cylie in Bogle Park, and we can say from our experience that she will keep our fans on the Berm very busy.”

Halvorson was a part of the 2021 South Dakota State team that competed in the Fayetteville Regional, where she recorded a hit in all three games. Halvorson says that she knew that Arkansas was a special place after playing in the postseason at Bogle Park.

“From the people to the facilities, Arkansas is a place for champions,” Halvorson said. “I’m going to be in a setting where I’m surrounded by great people who challenge and push me to my full potential every day both on and off the field.”

Halvorson played primarily first base for the Jackrabbits in 2022, a team that finished the season with a 41-13 record and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals. In two seasons at South Dakota State, Halvorson hit for an average of .342 with with 40 home runs, 124 RBI, and a .704 slugging percentage in 406 at-bats.

Halvorson becomes the second transfer to sign with Arkansas this offseason, joining [autotag]Kristina Foreman[/autotag], who announced that she would be transferring to Arkansas after spending four seasons at Duke.

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Gibson, Gammill throw first pitch at Naturals game

The best 1B/3B combo in College Softball last season teamed up one last time in Springdale on Saturday.

The best 1B/3B combination in College Softball last season worked together one last time on Saturday night.

Prior to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ 6-3 win over the Tulsa Drillers on Saturday, current Arkansas Softball third baseman [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] and former Razorback first baseman [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] teamed up to throw out the first pitch.

Gibson had one of the most illustrious careers in Arkansas history. In 2022, Gibson broke the program record for home runs (48) and RBI (180). In five total years as a collegiate athlete, Gibson hit .366 with 60 career home runs and 220 RBI. This summer, she is competing with Athletes Unlimited softball. In eight games, Gibson is batting .259 with two home runs.

In her second season at Arkansas, Gammill nearly doubled all of her stats. The sophomore totaled 58 hits with 18 home runs and 51 RBI.

Together, Gibson and Gamill formed one of the best fielding combinations in the game according to D1Softball.com, as they were constantly among the top of the best 1B/3B power rankings. At season’s end, Gammill was at the top of D1Softball’s third base power rankings.

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Arkansas Softball lands slugger from Transfer Portal

Arkansas Softball lands Duke’s leading batter from last season, which will help rebuild a depleted roster heading into 2023.

The leading batter from one of the ACC’s top programs becomes the newest member of the “Bogle Bombers”

Kristina Foreman, a graduate transfer from Duke, has committed to Arkansas the program announced Saturday.

“She is a proven competitor that has performed and produced at an elite level through her time at Duke,” says head coach [autotag]Courtney Diefel[/autotag] in a press release. “She brings a great deal of experience and power to our already dynamic lineup. On top of that, she is an incredibly impressive student and leader, and there is no doubt she will make an immediate impact on our program.”

Foreman will look to build on the Razorbacks program record in 2022, where they hit 109 home runs. They have lost most of that production due to graduation, however. Power bats such as [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag], [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag], and [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] have since left the program. However, Foreman will fit in with those returning, such as [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] and[autotag] Kacie Hoffman[/autotag].

Foreman led the Blue Devils in average (.368) and RBI (56) in 48 starts primarily at second base. She earned a spot on the ACC Tournament team, as well as second-team All-ACC honors. She was a part of the first team in program history to earn a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2022.’

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Arkansas Softball to open 2023 season in the Sunshine State

Arkansas will open next season by playing College Softball’s best teams in Florida.

The Arkansas Razorbacks softball program set the bar high for themselves in 2022, by winning the SEC regular season as well as the Tournament crown before closing their season in the Super Regionals.

The Razorbacks proved that they can handle the strong competition of College Softball’s elite teams. Because of that, they will open the 2023 season in Clearwater, Fla. at the 4th annual TaxAct Clearwater Invitational presented by Evoshield.

The Invitational will feature 16 teams, half of the field competed in the 2022 Super Regionals, while three of those programs went on to play in the Women’s College World Series. Joining Arkansas will be Alabama, Arizona, Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, South Florida, Texas A&M, UCF, UCLA and Virginia Tech.

The tournament is one of the most prestigious in-season tournaments. Not only does it feature top programs in a pristine location, but it partners with ESPN in an effort to give each competing program exposure by broadcasting every game on the ESPN family of networks.

The TaxAct Clearwater Invitational is set to take place February 16-19 in Clearwater, Fla. A full tournament schedule and ticket information will be released in the fall.

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Five Razorbacks earn All-American Honors, tied for national lead

Even though the season is over, Arkansas Softball is still finding ways to break records.

The season may be over, but the best season in Arkansas Softball history keeps getting better.

Prior to the opening game of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association released their All-Americans from the 2022 season on Wednesday, with five players from Arkansas making the list.

With five selections, Arkansas ties Oklahoma for the most athletes to be named All-American.

First baseman [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], third baseman [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag], center fielder [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], and utility player [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] grabbed first-team honors, while pitcher [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] was named second-team All-American.

Gibson earned her second All-American honor after a record-breaking season. During her senior season, Gibson set school records in batting average (.445), hits (81), RBI (70), and total bases (155).

Sides’ lone season in Fayetteville was memorable, as she hit 13 home runs for the Razorbacks. In three seasons at Alabama prior to making the move to Arkansas, she hit three total home runs. Other career-bests for Sides include hits (70), total bases (121), doubles (12), triples (3), RBI (42), stolen bases (28), and walks (45).

Malkin lead the team in home runs with 22. During the meeting with Ole Miss during the SEC Tournament, Malkin became the program’s all-time leader in home runs with 48. According to the press release from Arkansas athletics, Malkin sits at second in the SEC in slugging percentage (.870) and RBI (68).

The final member of the first-team is Hannah Gammill. Gammill was 4th on the team in average with .374, and in RBI with 49. She was also one of five Razorbacks to reach double-digits in home runs. She led the team in on-base percentage with .513, which is fifth-highest in program history.

Chenise Delce, a transfer from Tulsa, was the anchor to Arkansas’ pitching staff. Delce posted a 19-3 record with a 2.12 ERA, 188 strikeouts, and 35 walks in 151.2 innings pitched.

According to the press release from Arkansas athletics, prior to the five selections from this year’s team, only five prior Razorbacks had been named All-Americans: [autotag]Braxton Burnside[/autotag] (2021, First Team), [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] (2021, First Team), Danielle Gibson (2021, Second Team), [autotag]Autumn Storms[/autotag] (2019, Second Team) and [autotag]Miranda Dixon[/autotag] (2010, Third Team).

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Hooked ’em! Arkansas takes game one of Super Regionals from Texas

Arkansas Softball is just one win away from a trip to OKC following a series-opening win over Texas on Thursday.

Fans that attended the opener of the Fayetteville Super Regional at Bogle Park were spectacular, and Arkansas Softball rewarded them with a victory.

Behind a strong offensive push in the later innings, the Razorbacks claim game one of the best-of-three Super Regional with Texas, beating the Longhorns, 7-1.

The Razorback defense got out of a jam in the top half of the 5th inning, which swung much-needed momentum towards the Arkansas bats. The Razorbacks were able to grab three runs.

After allowing two hits and an intentional walk in the inning, [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] became locked in a battle with Texas power-hitter Bella Dayton, which ultimately ended in a ground out to [autotag]Audrie LaValley[/autotag] at 2nd base, keeping the Longhorns off of the scoreboard.

That was the play that Arkansas needed to get going offensively. The bats finally struck gold in the bottom half of the inning, as Arkansas left a total of seven runners stranded on base without a run to show for it through the first four innings. That changed with [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] stepped in the batter’s box.

After [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] reached on a leadoff double, and [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] was intentionally walked, Gammill hit a bloop single over the head of Texas’ Alyssa Washington to score McEwen to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead.

[autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] kept the streak going by hitting a single to center field to load the bases for [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag]. Hoffman hit a ground ball to 2nd base, which looked to set up a routine out with a throw home. However, the throw was wide, which allowed Gibson and Gammill to score to extend the Razorbacks’ lead to 3-0.

The Razorbacks added four insurance runs in the 6th inning. Gammill grabbed her second RBI of the day by scoring McEwen on a single, and she later scored on a single by Malkin.

History repeated itself in the inning, as Hoffman would again hit a ground ball in the infield, which turned into a Texas error. The wide throw to 1st base from Texas’ Mia Scott allowed two more runs to score, pushing Arkansas’ lead to 7-0.

Texas scored their first and only run in the bottom of the 7th inning. With the bases loaded, Texas’ Mia Scott hit a grounder to 2nd base, which Arkansas used to get the out at 2nd, allowing the run from 3rd base to score. Bella Dayton flew out to McEwen in the next at-bat to close the game.

Arkansas was led offensively by Hannah Gammill’s three-hit, two-RBI night. Hannah McEwen also had three hits in the game while Linnie Malkin and former Longhorn [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] picked up multiple hits.

In a complete game performance, Chenise Delce struck out six Longhorns while allowing six hits and walking one batter.

Game two of the Super Regionals is set for 5:30 p.m. CDT on Friday at Bogle Park. The game can be seen on ESPN2. An Arkansas win will send them to Oklahoma City for the program’s first-ever trip to the Women’s College World Series.

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Rivalry rekindled: Arkansas Softball set to host Texas for a spot in the WCWS

A rivalry series for a shot at the Women’s College World Series? Count us in.

The rivalry between two former Southwest Conference foes begins a new chapter on Thursday, that in the form of softball.

The Arkansas Razorbacks, winner of the Fayetteville Regional, is set to host the winner of the Seattle Regional, Texas, in the Super Regionals this weekend at Bogle Park for a shot to compete in the Women’s College World Series.

The Razorbacks defeated Oregon on Sunday, 9-3 to close a perfect 3-0 weekend in their home-standing regional led by a four home run game from the likes of Danielle Gibson, Kacie Hoffman, Linnie Malkin, and KB Sides. Despite there being four home runs hit, the leader at the plate was [autotag]Rylin Hedgecock[/autotag], as she hit a three-RBI double in the 6th inning, an inning where the Razorbacks scored six runs to put the game away.

For Texas, they were one of five teams to win their regional despite not hosting. Competing in the Seattle Regional hosted by Washington, Texas defeated the Huskies twice over the weekend to advance to the Super Regionals. After defeating Washington 8-2 on Saturday, the Longhorns fell to the Huskies, 2-1 to set up a winner-take-all game seven.

In the final game of the weekend, the score was deadlocked at 0-0 until the 5th inning when Bella Dayton doubled down the left field line to score two runs, giving Texas the 2-0 lead. The Longhorn’s final blow came when Jenae Jefferson hit a solo home run in the top of the 7th to extend the lead to 3-0. That home run really came at a great time, as the Huskies scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning to trim Texas’ lead to 3-2, but ultimately ran out of outs and taking the defeat.

The Razorbacks and Longhorns begin their three-game set on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. CDT at Bogle Park. The game will be televised on ESPN 2.

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Where the SEC Tournament Champions rank in this week’s polls

Arkansas’ placement in the weekly polls reflects their national seeding in the NCAA Tournament

The Arkansas Razorbacks made history last Saturday evening, by winning their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship with a 4-0 win over Missouri in Gainesville, Fla.

The win solidified their placement as the no. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which means that as long as Arkansas wins their regional at home beginning Friday, they will also host a Super Regional next weekend against the winner of the Seattle regional, hosted by no. 13 Washington.

With the tournament win, Arkansas’ placement in the polls reflects their national seeding. Here’s a look at where Arkansas Softball lands in this week’s rankings.

PHOTO GALLERY: Arkansas wins the SEC Tournament Championship

Here are the best images from Arkansas Softball’s SEC Tournament Championship.

The Arkansas Razorbacks won their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship on Saturday, by defeating the Missouri Tigers 4-0 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

The Razorbacks have had a phenomenal season, from winning every SEC series on their way to their second-straight regular-season championship to placing six players on the SEC first-team. Winning the tournament championship is the icing on the cake.

Now that Arkansas has won the SEC, they will now prepare to host Oregon, Wichita State, and Princeton for the Fayetteville Regional beginning on Friday afternoon.

But, until then, enjoy these moments from Arkansas’ victory over Missouri for the SEC Tournament Championship.

Arkansas Softball wins SEC Tournament, earns no. 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

For the first time in program history, the Arkansas Razorbacks are SEC Tournament Champions!

The Arkansas Razorbacks wrapped up a special regular season on Saturday evening by defeating Missouri, 4-0 in the SEC Softball Tournament Championship Game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

Arkansas had played well in all areas leading up to the championship game, only allowing one run in two previous games, which included the host Florida Gators. Missouri had played well defensively as well, not allowing a run in wins over two top-seeded teams in Alabama and Tennessee, as well as Auburn.

But one of the nation’s top offenses prevailed again, leading Arkansas to their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship.

Three of Arkansas’ four runs came on RBI singles. After Arkansas led off the inning with two singles, [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] put the Razorbacks on the board with a single to score [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead.

[autotag]Marlene Friedman[/autotag] followed suit in the 2nd inning by driving home [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag], who led off the inning with a triple. The final RBI single of the game came in the 5th inning by [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] to give Arkansas the 3-0 lead. Arkansas’ final run was scored on a wild pitch later in the 5th to solidify the win.

In all, Arkansas outhit Missouri, 11-2. In the circle, [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] struck out five batters and issued zero walks in the complete game effort.

Once the dust settled, Arkansas’ postseason fate was learned. The Razorbacks will host the Fayetteville Regional as the national No. 4 seed, which means that if the Razorbacks come out victorious in this regional, they will host the Super Regionals next weekend. Arkansas welcomes Oregon, Wichita State, and Princeton to Bogle Park for the 2022 regional.

Arkansas is paired with the Seattle Regional, hosted by no. 13 seed Washington. Teams included in the regional are Washington, Texas, Weber State, and Lehigh.