No. 20 Arkansas Opens SEC Play at No. 9 Alabama

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 20 University of Arkansas softball team (14-6) begins Southeastern Conference play on the road with a three game series at No. 9 Alabama (12-7). The league opener begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6 with the middle game of the series beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 7. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. for the series finale on Sunday, March 8. All three games can be seen on SEC Network+.

Arkansas in the Polls

Arkansas has increased its position in the national polls for the third consecutive week. The Razorbacks now hold a No. 20 national ranking in the NFCA Coaches Poll, the organization announced Tuesday (March 1). Arkansas is also No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and Softball America Poll. The D1softball.com Poll ranks the Razorbacks at No. 22. The team has been ranked in all five weeks all four polls have been released.

Storms Senior Season off to Successful Start

Senior pitcher Autumn Storms is playing her final season in Fayetteville and has picked up where she left off last year as an NFCA All-American Second Team selection. This season Storms is sixth in the nation in victories (9), ninth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.17), 15th in walks allowed per seven innings (0.75) and 29th in ERA (0.99). The righthander is also fifth in the SEC in strikeouts (55) and her nine victories lead the league. With her victory over Kent State (March 1) she moved into third place in school history with 57 wins.

Wooo Pig Classic Recap

The Razorbacks went 4-2 last weekend to close out a 12-game homestand as part of the Wooo Pig Classic. Arkansas claimed a pair of wins against Vil­lanova (11-1, 12-4) and Kent State (9-5, 8-0) but fell to No. 23 Baylor (3-2) and No. 9 Florida State (2-1). The Saturday eve­ning crowd of 1,997 against the Seminoles was the eighth largest for a single game in program history. Junior short­stop Braxton Burnside led the way for the offense with a .526 batting average (10-for-19) in the six games and smashed three home runs. Arkansas outscored its opponents, 43-15, and hit 10 long balls on the weekend. Storms held a 1.54 ERA over 22.2 innings and went 2-2 inside the circle. Opponents hit .202 against her for the weekend.

#HogHits

  • Arkansas is fourth in the country in on base percentage (.449) which ranks second in the league. The Razorbacks are currently 11th in the nation in batting average (.343) and rank second in the SEC.
  • Senior infielder Keely Huffine had a day to remember last week when she hit two home runs and collected six RBIs in a doubleheader against Villanova and Kent State (Feb. 28). The Harrisburg, Ark. product posted a career-best four RBIs against the Wildcats on a three run homer and RBI triple.
  • Burnside is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak, which ties junior Danielle Gibson for the longest by a Razorback this season. Burnside has registered a team-best 10 multi-hit games and earned a career-best four hits against Furman (Feb. 15).
  • The Razorback pitching staff has a 5.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio which is third in the country.
  • Senior pitcher Mary Haff has totaled eight saves in her career. She is one save away from tying the program career record of nine held by Katy Henry (2005-08), Rachel Talley (1999-02) and Tammy Kincaid (1997-00).

Scouting Alabama

Alabama was picked to win the league in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll after it reached the Women’s College World Series last season. The Crimson Tide won three of their five home games last weekend but fell twice to No. 7 Arizona. Alabama’s best win of the season came on Feb. 13 when it run ruled then-No. 1 Washington, 8-0, at the St. Peter/Clearwater Invitational. Junior outfielder KB Sides leads the team in batting average (.429) and RBIs (19). Sophomore Montana Fouts leads the team in ERA (2.23) while freshman Lexi Kilfoyl paces the club in innings pitched (48.2), strikeouts (49) and wins (4).

Series History

Arkansas has won the last two games in the series, but Alabama has a commanding 58-10 all-time lead. The two teams have not met since the 2018 season when the Razorbacks took two of three games in a series in Fayetteville. The Hogs are in search of their first win in Tuscaloosa since March 17, 2000.

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