Softball

No. 15 Arkansas Welcomes Mississippi State for Conference Series

Jacob Pavilack
Jacob Pavilack March 25, 2021
Game Notes

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Winners of 24 of its last 25 games and the SEC’s only unbeaten team in league play, the No. 15 Arkansas softball team (25-3, 6-0 SEC) hosts Mississippi State (15-11, 0-6 SEC) for a three-game conference series this weekend at Bogle Park. The weekend’s first game begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 26. All three games will air on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Megan Turk (analyst) on the call.

Friday, March 26 – 6 p.m. – vs. Mississippi State – Watch – Live Stats
Saturday, March 27 – 1 p.m. – vs. Mississippi State – Watch – Live Stats
Sunday, March 28 – 1 p.m. – vs. Mississippi State – Watch – Live Stats

Last Time Out

Arkansas won a pair of road midweek games this week, defeating Kansas City, 9-3, on Tuesday before taking down Kansas, 7-4, on Wednesday. The Razorbacks scored four runs in the second inning and five in the fourth on Tuesday against Kansas City and with infielder Danielle Gibson’s 2-for-3 day at the plate leading the club. She doubled for the fourth game in a row and increased her nation-leading season total to 14. Outfielder Sam Torres and infielder Keely Huffine also logged two hits as the Razorbacks outhit the Roos, 11-4. The pitching staff split up the innings as Autumn Storms, Allie Light and Jenna Bloom saw time inside the circle. Two home runs helped Arkansas defeat Kansas 7-4 on Wednesday. Long balls by infielders Braxton Burnside and Linnie Malkin accounted for three runs. Arkansas scored five combined runs in the first and second frames, acquiring a lead it would not relinquish. Pitcher Mary Haff went the distance giving up three hits, however, two were homers. She struck out nine to tally her nation-leading 15th win. Storms recorded her first save of the season, facing the minimum in the seventh.

First Timers

After sweeping Ole Miss last weekend, the Razorbacks are 6-0 in SEC play for the first time in program history. Previously, the best start to conference action was a 5-0 mark in 2009. Arkansas is the only undefeated team in league play.

Bogle Bombers

The Razorbacks have been on a power surge this season, totaling 58 home runs over their first 28 games to lead the SEC and rank second nationally. Burnside leads the team with 16 homers, which leads the SEC and ranks second in the country behind Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo (19). Gibson and Malkin have also added 10 each rank 11th in the country and third in the SEC. The Razorbacks are one of two teams in the country (Oklahoma) that have three or more players with 10 or more homers. Infielder Keely Huffine has hit five total homers, including four from the nine-spot in the order.

Brax Bombs

Burnside’s 16 home runs this season are already second-most in a single season in program history. She moved into sole possession of the second-place mark hitting a two-run bomb in the second inning Wednesday at Kansas. The Paragould, Ark. native is one homer away from tying Nicole Schroeder (2017) for the program’s top single-season mark.

One of a Kind

Gibson leads the country hitting 14 doubles this season and also ranks 11th nationally smashing 10 home runs. The first baseman is the only player in the country to hit at least 10 doubles and 10 homers this season. Gibson leads the team hitting .429 and is hitting .522 with five doubles during SEC play.

#HogHits

  • Haff leads the nation with 15 wins and ranks 10th in strikeouts (118). Haff’s career ERA of 1.55 is currently the best mark in program history.
  • Two weekends ago, Arkansas swept No. 20 South Carolina on the road, recording its first road SEC series sweep since 2009 against Mississippi State.
  • In addition to ranking second in the country in homers, the Razorbacks also rank third in walks, drawing 110.
  • Arkansas ended a 19-game win streak on Tuesday, March 16, which was the longest in program history. It bested the prior record of 12 set by the 1999 and 2008 teams and was the only one of the three streaks to encompass a conference series sweep.
  • The Razorbacks are off to their best start in program history over the season’s first 28 games. All three of the program’s best starts through 28 games have occurred under Head Coach Courtney Deifel (2018, 23-5; 2017, 22-6).
  • Arkansas climbed two spots to No. 15 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches and ESPN/USA Softball Polls, which were announced Tuesday (March 23).

Opposition Position

Mississippi State (15-11, 0-6 SEC) is looking for its first league win this season, after being swept by Ole Miss and Florida. The Bulldogs mustered just one run in six league games and have been outscored, 37-1. Catcher Mia Davidson leads the team hitting .346 with seven doubles and has added six homers and 18 RBI. Annie Willis is 7-2 with a 2.71 ERA in 51.2 innings of work this season with 52 strikeouts. Mississippi State leads the all-time series against Arkansas, 38-29, but the Razorbacks have won four of the last five meetings. The last series in 2018, Arkansas swept the Bulldogs in Fayetteville.

Up Next

Arkansas travels to Auburn for a three-game series from Thursday, April 1 through Saturday, April 3.

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