No. 9/10 Hogs Host No. 3/5 Florida for Top 10 SEC Series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 9/10 Arkansas Softball team returns to SEC play this weekend (Friday-Sunday) by hosting No. 3/5 Florida for a three-game series at Bogle Park.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Friday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 with Mark Neely (PxP) and Madison Shipman (Analyst) on the call. Saturday and Sunday’s games will be streamed on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (PxP) and Sydney Parr Lee (Analyst) calling the action.
The Razorbacks are 28-4 this season with 19 wins coming by run-rule. Arkansas is coming off an 11-2 run-rule win over UCA in six innings on Tuesday, highlighted by a two-homer performance by Ella McDowell. The Hogs are outscoring opponents 299-78 this season and carry a five-game winning streak into the series.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, one of the nation’s most successful programs in recent years, have been ranked in the Top 25 of the NFCA Coaches poll for a program-best 96 consecutive weeks dating back to the start of the 2020 season. Arkansas is one of five programs nationally to have appeared in the Top 25 of every NFCA Coaches Poll since the start of the 2020 season, joining Oklahoma, Florida, UCLA, and Florida State.
FOLLOW ALONG
Friday, March 27
#3/5 Florida at #9/10 Arkansas– 6 p.m. – ESPN2 – Live Stats
Saturday, March 28
#3/5 Florida at #9/10 Arkansas– 7 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Live Stats
Sunday, March 29
#3/5 Florida at #9/10 Arkansas– 1 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Live Stats
PROMOTIONS
Friday, March 27
First 750 fans receive a replica anthracite jersey
Saturday, March 28
First 750 fans receive a corduroy rope hat
Saturday, March 29
Bark in the Park
REAGAN IS ON THE HUNT FOR HISTORY
With 260 career hits, Reagan Johnson is just two hits away from breaking the Arkansas all-time career hits record of 261 held by Hannah McEwen (2018-2022) She also ranks second all-time in Arkansas career batting average at .372 while ranking fifth in career on-base percentage (.434), fifth in career triples (8) and third in career stolen bases (64). McEwen accomplished the feat in 231 career games, while Johnson has 260 hits in 204 career games entering this weekend.
She has posted a .387 batting average this season with 36 hits, four doubles, a triple and eight RBI while drawing 21 walks, scoring 40 runs and stealing 14 bases.
Johnson batted a team-high .565 last week during a midweek win over Central Arkansas and a sweep of UConn, with six hits, including a double and a triple in addition to eight runs scored, two walks and three stolen bases while posting a .615 on-base percentage and 1.433 OPS.
McDOWELL WOWS
Sophomore infielder Ella McDowell made history in 2025 by becoming the first freshman in program history to earn NFCA All-America honors when she was selected as a Third-Team NFCA All-American at third base.
The Richmond, Texas product is hitting .402 with seven doubles, 10 homers and 40 RBI while scoring 40 runs to go along with 15 walks this season.
She recorded her first career multi-HR game by blasting solo shots in the third and sixth innings of an 11-2 win at UCA on March 24.
McDowell went 3-3 with a solo home run in a series finale loss at Alabama (March 15).
She went 3-3 with a grand slam, double and six RBI in a win at Missouri State (March 9). She became the first Arkansas sophomore to drive in 6+ runs in a single game since Danielle Gibson’s 10 during her home run cycle in a win over SIU-Edwardsville on Feb. 23, 2019. Her six RBI also marked a career high. She was just the third sophomore to drive in 6+ runs in a single game in program history, alongside Gibson and Cortney Mitchell, who accomplished the feat on March 11, 2002, during a win over Coastal Carolina.
WOOO SLAM SOOIE
Arkansas has already tied a single-season program record with seven grand slams in just 32 games this season, joining the 2022 team as the only other squad to achieve the feat throughout the entirety of the season.
Kailey Wyckoff provided the record-tying seventh grand slam with a shot to right field during the sixth inning of Sunday’s 9-4 win over UConn.
Tianna Bell and Ella McDowell have both registered a pair of grand slams this season, marking just the third season dating back to 2005 that Arkansas has had multiple players with 2+ grand slams.
McDowell became the first player in program history to hit grand slams in consecutive games by accomplishing the feat in wins over Georgia (3/8) and Missouri State (3/9).
SOOIE SPINNERS
The Hogs own a 2.41 ERA in 189 innings with 193 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .216 batting average this season. Arkansas ranked 15th nationally in ERA and 14th nationally in team strikeouts per seven inn. (7.15) entering the weekend.
Arkansas has registered 52 shutouts since the start of the 2023 season. The Razorbacks are one of only five programs to rank in the top 20 nationally in shutouts in 2023, 2024, 2025, joining the likes of Oklahoma, Boston, Tennessee and Cal State Fullerton. Arkansas currently ranks 14th nationally with eight shutouts this season.
KOTA IS CRUSHING IT
Arkansas bolstered its roster with the signing of two-time NFCA All-American LF Dakota Kennedy, who transferred from Arizona this past summer.
Kennedy is batting .357 this season with 8 doubles, a triple, 11 homers, 32 RBI, 14 walks and 38 runs scored. Her 11 round-trippers lead the team, while she is four RBI and three homers away from setting single-season career highs in both categories.
She crushed her 11th round-tripper of the season and doubled, while walking twice, scoring two runs and driving in a pair of runs during the Hogs’ 11-2 win at Central Arkansas the last time out.
Kennedy went 3-4 with a triple, a long ball, a stolen base, three RBI, and three runs scored in a win over UConn (March 20). She also became the first Hog to triple and homer in the same game since Kristina Foreman did so on Feb. 11, 2023.
ON RECORD PACE
Through the first 30 games of the season, the Hogs put up some historic numbers. Arkansas registered program-best marks in batting average (.386), runs (279), doubles (61), RBI (252), total bases (503), slugging percentage (.649), on-base percentage (.481) and fielding percentage (.985).
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES
Since 2017, Arkansas is 178-46 at Bogle Park during the regular season. Additionally, Arkansas is 211-78 at Bogle Park since Courtney Deifel took over the program in 2016.
The Razorbacks have ranked in the top three nationally in total home attendance in three consecutive seasons and have finished in the top five in national total attendance in each of their past six seasons at Bogle Park.
Since its gates opened in 2009, Bogle Park has welcomed 552,940 fans through the turnstiles. Of those 552,940 fans, 467,814 (84.6%) have come during head coach Courtney Deifel’s tenure (2016-present).
IN THE RANKINGS
Arkansas ranked among the nation’s leaders in numerous categories entering the weekend including, batting average (6th, .383), runs per game (5th, 9.43), hits (7th, 318), on-base percentage (7th, .482), RBI per game (8th, 8.44), slugging percentage (10th, .653) total runs (5th, 299), WHIP (15th, 1.18), team strikeouts per 7 inn. (14th, 7.15), shutouts (13th, 8) and ERA (15th, 2.41).
SERIES HISTORY
Arkansas and Florida have met 71 times, with the Gators holding a 19-52 advantage in the all-time series. Arkansas has taken eight of the previous 10 meetings, dating back to 2022.
The Razorbacks won two of three games to take the series last year in Gainesville on April 4-6. The Hogs won the series opener 4-1 and series finale 9-5 while dropping game two 10-7 in nine innings.
KNOW THE FOE
Florida is 32-2 overall this season with an 8-1 mark in SEC play. The Gators are coming off a 3-2 win over Stetson on March 25. The Gators are ranked third nationally in the NFCA, Softball America and D1 Softball polls while being ranked fifth in the ESPN/USA Softball poll.
The Gators are led by Tim Walton, who is 1,186-321 in his 24th season as a collegiate head coach, which includes a 1,062-257 mark in 21 seasons at Florida.
Florida owns a 2.05 team ERA in 215 innings pitched with 208 strikeouts. Keegan Rothrock highlights the Gators’ pitching staff with a 2.21 ERA, 17-2 record, and 109 strikeouts in 101.1 innings of work while limiting opposing hitters to a .186 batting average.
Taylor Shumaker, Jocelyn Erickson, and Kenleigh Cahalan all have driven in 40+ runs this season for Florida. Shumaker leads the squad with a .504 batting average with 13 homers, 11 doubles, 43 RBI, and 25 walks while posting a 1.522 OPS. Erickson also headlines the Florida offense with a team-leading 1.592 OPS to go along with a .467 batting average, 49 hits, seven doubles, a triple, 16 homers, 52 RBI, and 24 walks.
30 SEASONS OF RAZORBACK SOFTBALL
2026 marks the 30th season of Arkansas Softball. The Razorbacks hold an all-time program record of 909-816-1 with four head coaches in the entirety of its history.
Arkansas played its first official game in program history on Feb. 20, 1997, which was a 4-3 loss to Cal State Northridge during the San Diego State Classic. The Razorbacks rebounded later that same day with a 5-4 triumph over Hawaii to earn the first win in program history. Designated Player Lisa Flores provided the winning runs in the victory with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
