Dakota Kennedy Named CSC First-Team Academic All-American

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  – Arkansas outfielder Dakota Kennedy has been named a First-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), the organization announced on Tuesday.

With her selection, Kennedy became just the eighth player in program history to earn CSC Academic All-America honors and the third under head coach Courtney Deifel, joining former Razorback standouts Raigan Kramer (2025, Third Team) and Danielle Gibson (2022, Second Team). Kennedy was also just the third first-team selection in school history, alongside Tiffany Woolley (2001) and Jessica Bachkora (2010).

The selection marks the third CSC Academic All-America honor for Kennedy, as she was previously a first-team selection in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2025. She excelled on the field and in the classroom during her four-year collegiate career. Kennedy posted a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout all four years of her college career, majoring in criminal justice at Arizona and in Spanish at Arkansas. The Sacramento, Calif., product was also an all-conference academic selection three times and a three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.

Kennedy was one of just four members on the Academic All-America® Division I softball teams to boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. Additionally, she was one of three to garner their third CSC Academic All-America selection alongside Nija Canady of Texas Tech and Jordy Frahm of Nebraska.

In 2026, Kennedy led the Razorbacks with a .373 batting average, tallying 60 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, and 54 RBI while drawing 26 walks and scoring 51 runs. She posted a team-leading .764 slugging percentage and a .466 on-base percentage. Defensively, Kennedy logged a .959 fielding percentage with 46 putouts and one assist in left field. The Sacramento, Calif., product collected 17 multi-hit games and 15 multi-RBI games. She became just the third player in program history to hit 3+ home runs by going 3-3 with three home runs and 5 RBI in a win over Kansas on March 1. She joined Danielle Gibson (4, 2/23/19) and Rylin Hedgecock (4/22/23) as the only Hogs to accomplish the feat. Kennedy also had a 3-4 performance that included a solo home run, a grand slam, a double, a walk, and seven RBI in a win at Alabama on March 14. She was a First-Team All-SEC selection and a Second-Team NFCA All-Region selection. Kennedy batted a team-leading .339 during SEC contests with 19 hits, four doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, and 38 total bases while scoring 13 runs and drawing 10 walks. She registered a .679 slugging percentage and .448 on-base percentage while recording five multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games. Defensively, she posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 27 putouts and one assist in left field.

Nominees for the CSC Academic All-America Teams must have competed in 90 percent or started in at least 66 percent of the institution’s contests, or – for pitchers – pitched at least 35 innings or made 17 appearances, must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing, and must carry at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale).

Arkansas is coming off a historic 47-13 campaign, which featured the Razorbacks’ first trip to the Women’s College World Series in program history. The 2026 Arkansas squad’s 47 victories were the second-most in program history, while the Razorbacks’ 26 run-rule wins were a program record. At Bogle Park, Arkansas posted a 29-3 record, which marked the second-most wins and second-best winning percentage since the stadium opened in 2009, trailing only 31 wins in 2022 and a .931 winning percentage during a 27-2 campaign in 2018.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.