Kennedy Named D1Softball National Player of the Week
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.– Arkansas senior OF Dakota Kennedy has been named the D1Softball National Player of the Week after her performance during the Hogs’ 3-1 showing last week that featured a series win over No. 3/5 Florida.
Kennedy batted .462 during the week with six hits, two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, four runs scored and three walks while posting a 1.077 slugging percentage and a .563 on-base percentage to register a 1.640 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The Sacramento, Calif., product gave Arkansas a 6-4 series-clinching win over No. 3/5 Florida on Sunday courtesy of a walk-off three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The blast was Kennedy’s team-leading 12th of the season and the first walk-off home run for Arkansas since Bri Ellis’ walk-off grand slam in an SEC Tournament win over Georgia on May 7, 2025. Kennedy’s three RBI on the walk-off dinger increased her season RBI total to a career-high 37. The Razorbacks tied their highest-ranked series win at Bogle Park in program history (NFCA Poll) with Kennedy’s walk-off blast. Arkansas also took a series at Bogle Park from third-ranked Tennessee in 2023.
Kennedy recorded a hit in all four games last week. She opened her week with an impressive 2-2 performance at Central Arkansas on Tuesday, which featured a double, a home run, two RBI and a pair of walks. She went 1-4 with a run scored in the Hogs’ series-opening win over Florida on Friday before turning in a 2-4 effort that featured a two-run double on Saturday before going 1-3 with a three-run walk-off homer and a walk on Sunday.
Kennedy is just the second Arkansas player in program history to receive National Player of the Week honors from D1Softball, alongside Bri Ellis, who earned the distinction on Feb. 18, 2025.
The senior outfielder is batting .358 this season with 39 hits, nine doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 37 RBI and 15 walks while scoring 40 runs and stealing seven bases. She has posted a team-leading .789 slugging percentage while registering 11 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games.
The Razorbacks resume SEC this weekend with a Sunday-Monday series against Auburn at Bogle Park. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, 3 p.m. on Sunday and 6 p.m. on Monday. Friday’s game will be streamed on SEC Network+ while Saturday and Sunday’s matchups will be televised on SEC Network.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
