Softball

No. 6 Razorbacks Ready for SEC Tournament Play

Jacob Pavilack
Jacob Pavilack May 12, 2021
Game Notes SEC Tournament Bracket

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 6 Arkansas softball team (40-8) gears up for postseason play as it travels to Tuscaloosa for the 2021 SEC Softball Tournament. The Razorbacks will play from the No. 2 seed, and by their seed, receive a bye to the quarterfinals and await the winner of 7-seed Tennessee and 10-seed Texas A&M at approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 13. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Michele Smith (analyst) will call the action on SEC Network. The game will also be broadcast live on SiriusXM’s SEC Radio.

Thursday, May 13 – 4 p.m. – vs. Tennessee or Texas A&M – Watch – Live Stats

SEC Co-Champs

Arkansas has not played since Monday, May 3 when it won the series against LSU by claiming the rubber match, 4-1, while locking up the program’s first SEC regular season title. The Razorbacks shared the championship with Florida, who won three of its last four games with either a go-ahead or walk-off home run in the final inning. The Hogs (19-5 SEC) posted the best conference winning percentage (.792) in school history. It’s the program’s first SEC championship of any kind.

Hogs Haul in Postseason Awards

Pitcher Mary Haff earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year honors, becoming the first Arkansas pitcher to win the award in program history. Courtney Deifel earned SEC Coach of the Year recognition, the first for Arkansas since Carie Dever-Boaz in 1999. The Razorbacks also saw Haff and infielder Braxton Burnside named to the All-SEC First Team and infielder Danielle Gibson, outfielder Hannah McEwen and pitcher Autumn Storms tabbed to the All-SEC Second Team. Additionally, Gibson earned SEC All-Defensive Team recognition and pitcher Jenna Bloom was named to the All-SEC Newcomer Team. The five total selections on the first and second team is the most in a single year in program history.

Hogs in the SEC Tournament

Arkansas is making its 13th appearance in the SEC Tournament and holds an 11-17 mark all-time. Since the tournament shifted to a single-elimination format, the Razorbacks are 2-7. Under head coach Courtney Deifel the Hogs are 2-3 and reached the 2018 semifinals. Arkansas has appeared in one championship round game in 1999, but fell to LSU, 4-3, in 10 innings. Other than 2018, the Hogs also reached the semifinal round in 2000.

Bogle Bombers

The Razorbacks have been on a power surge this season, totaling a program-record 89 home runs to lead the SEC and rank fourth nationally. Burnside paces the team with a league-leading 24 homers, which places second nationally behind Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo (25). Designated player Linnie Malkin has hit 16 jacks to rank 17th nationally and fifth in the SEC. Danielle Gibson’s 15 homers are 30th nationally and ninth in the SEC. Four players have double-digit bombs this year, which includes catcher Kayla Green’s 12 homers.

Brax Bombs

Burnside’s 24 home runs this season are the most in a single season in program history. She broke the record with her 18th shot of the year on April 1 at Auburn, launching a three-run bomb in the fifth inning. Burnside broke Nicole Shroeder’s record of 17 set in 2017. The Paragould, Ark. product is also tied for fifth in homers in SEC single-season history and holds the record for most by a shortstop.

#HogHits

  • Haff’s 23 wins leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. She set the Arkansas program record logging her 74th career victory in the regular season finale at LSU.
  • During SEC-only games, pitcher Autumn Storms led the league in ERA (1.24) and was third in opponent batting average (.207).
  • Outfielder Hannah McEwen recorded her 200th career hit at LSU, becoming one of nine players in program history to reach the plateau.
  • In addition to ranking fourth in the country in homers, the Razorbacks also rank fourth in walks, drawing 191.
  • Arkansas’ five SEC series sweeps are the most in program history since the current conference scheduling format began in 2013. The team’s 17 SEC wins are the most in a year over that span.
  • Arkansas finished SEC play 11-1 on the road, the best record in league history since the adoption of a 24-game conference schedule in 2013.

USA Softball Top 25 Finalists

Both Burnside and Haff were named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists. The Razorbacks were one of just five teams to have two players named to the list, joining Washington, Oklahoma, UCLA and Alabama. The list of 25 Finalists will be narrowed to 10 Finalists on May 5 before the Top 3 Finalists will be announced on May 19. The 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed prior to the 2021 NCAA Women’s College World Series, which is set to take place June 3-9 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex.

Up Next

With a victory over either Tennessee or Texas A&M, Arkansas would play at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 14 in the semifinals.

Powered by