Gibson Selected in Athletes Unlimited Draft

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior Danielle Gibson was one of 13 college players chosen in the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Draft Wednesday.

Gibson, who was named a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year earlier Wednesday, has played a colossal role in No. 5 Arkansas clinching back-to-back SEC regular season titles. The Murrieta, Calif., product ranks in the nation’s top 20 in several categories, including sixth in batting average (.451), eighth in total bases (124), 15th in hits (65), 15th in RBI per game (1.15) and 17th in slugging percentage (.861). Gibson is no easy out, sporting a .503 on base percentage. Additionally, Gibson ranks in the conference’s top 5 in home runs with 16 and RBI with 54. Through 47 games, Gibson has posted 21 multiple hit games, including seven with three or more hits, and 14 multiple RBI games. During the 2022 season, Gibson has broken the program’s career RBI (164) and total bases records (388) and currently sits second in career home runs with 44. The first baseman is a staple of the Razorback defense, holding a .985 fielding percentage.

Embarking on its third championship season, Athletes Unlimited and ESPN have recently reached a new multi-year rights agreement for pro softball and lacrosse. More than 160 live games from the women’s sports organization will air exclusively on ESPN platforms over the next two years, which includes 34 on ESPN or ESPN2 and 56 on ESPNU. The third Athletes Unlimited season is scheduled for July 29-Aug. 28.

Draftees are selected by Athletes Unlimited’s player executive committee members. The total number of draftees is dependent on the needs of the overall roster. The league utilizes a points system where all players fall in place on a leaderboard. Each team plays three games per week, and when each week ends, rosters reset and all 60 players go back into the draft pool. Four captains, who are determined based on who had the most points the previous week, act as general managers and draft new teams for the week. Points are awarded for both individual performance and team performance. For more information on how the points system works, click here.

Gibson and Arkansas hit the road to Texas A&M on May 6-8 for their final regular season series. The Hogs will look to clinch the program’s first outright SEC title with one win over the Aggies. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday on SEC Network+.