Razorbacks Open NCAA Regional Play by Hosting Fordham
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the seventh time in program history and sixth year in a row, the Arkansas softball team and Bogle Park will host an NCAA Tournament Regional on May 15-17. The No. 5 national seed Razorbacks will open play against Fordham on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Following the Hogs and Rams matchup, Washington and USF will clash at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
The winners of the first two games will meet at 1 p.m. on Saturday, while the losing teams will face off at 3:30 p.m. in the double-elimination bracket. The loser of the first game on Saturday will then face the winner of the second contest of the day at 6 p.m.
Arkansas finished the 2026 regular season with a 42-11 record and 15-9 mark in SEC play, with 21 wins coming by run-rule. The Razorbacks are coming off a 1-1 showing at the SEC Tournament last week, with a 3-0 win over No. 19 Mississippi State on Wednesday and a 7-1 loss against No. 3/4 Alabama on Thursday.
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 102 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, May 15
Game 1: Arkansas vs. Fordham – 4:30 p.m. – ESPN+ – Live Stats
Game 2: Washington vs. South Florida – 7 p.m. – ESPNU – Live Stats
Saturday, May 16
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 1 p.m.
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 17
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 1 p.m.
Game 7: If necessary game – 3:30 p.m.
- Times are not final and can be adjusted by the NCAA and TV
POSTSEASON PLAY AT BOGLE PARK IS NOTHING NEW
Arkansas is one of six schools nationally to host six consecutive regionals dating back to 2021 alongside Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and UCLA. The Razorbacks own a 12-4 record in NCAA Regional play since 2021. During that span, the Razorbacks have gone undefeated in regionals three times (2021, 2022, 2025).
POSTSEASON P
Sophomore Payton Burnham has tossed two seven-inning complete game shutouts in her two years on The Hill in postseason play, in addition to a no-hitter in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Opponent Date IP ER Result
Miss. State 5/6/26 7 0 W, 3-0
Ole Miss 5/24/25 7 0 W, 4-0
SLU* 5/16/25 5 0 W, 10-0
*- No-Hitter
Burnham leads Arkansas with a 1.89 ERA while posting a 12-3 record in addition to registering three saves and 52 strikeouts in 89 innings of work this season.
In her last time out, she tossed a complete-game shutout in a 3-0 win over Mississippi State on May 6. It was the first complete-game shutout by an Arkansas pitcher in an SEC Tournament contest since Chenise Delce accomplished the feat (7 IP, 5 K, 2 H) during a 4-0 win over Missouri to give Arkansas the SEC Tournament Championship on May 14, 2022.
Burnham earned second-team All-SEC honors this season after posting an impressive 5-2 record with a pair of saves in league play. She limited opposing hitters to a .220 batting average while registering a 2.40 earned run average with 25 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 49.2 innings of work. Her .278 opponent on-base percentage was the fourth-lowest in the SEC.
DAKOTA CAN DO IT ALL
Dakota Kennedy has made a massive impact during her one season on The Hill. She is batting .353 this season with 10 doubles, a triple, 14 homers, 43 RBI, 21 walks, and 46 runs scored. She has a career-high 43 RBI and 14 round-trippers while posting 13 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games.
She recently earned First-Team All-SEC recognition. With Kennedy’s first-team All-SEC selection, she has now earned first-team all-conference recognition in each of her four seasons of collegiate softball after earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2025 and first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2024 and 2023 at Arizona. Kennedy batted a team-leading .339 during SEC contests with 19 hits, four doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, and 38 total bases while scoring 13 runs and drawing 10 walks. Defensively, she posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 27 putouts and one assist in left field.
Following a sweep over Auburn (April 6), she claimed the prestigious AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) Golden Ticket, which is presented to players who will be selected in the upcoming AUSL draft on May 4. Kennedy was the second Razorback to receive the honor during its two years of existence, alongside Bri Ellis (2025). She was drafted with the fourth pick in the third round of the 2026 AUSL College Draft by the Carolina Blaze on May 4.
ROBYN CAN SPIN IT
Senior LHP Robyn Herron is 15-6 this season with a 1.98 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 106 innings of work while limiting opposing hitters to a .177 batting average and collecting four saves. The Tampa, Fla., struck out eight batters while allowing just three hits over 6.1 innings in a 2-0 series-opening win at Texas (April 30). Her 16 10+ strikeout games are tied for the most in program history alongside Mary Haff (2018-2022). She was the seventh pitcher in program history to record 500 career strikeouts and 50 career wins. Herron threw her third career no-hitter and struck out 12 in a 6-0 win over Northwestern (Feb. 21). She ranks among the top pitchers nationally entering the week in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (15th, 4.56), saves (22th, 4), and strikeouts per seven innings (4th, 11.0). Herron’s four saves rank fourth in the SEC.
Herron earned first-team All-SEC honors for the first time in her career last week. She was previously a second-team selection in 2025. During SEC play, Herron posted a 2.40 ERA and a 6-5 record with three saves, while striking out 74 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .205 batting average. Herron’s three saves were tied for third-most among all SEC pitchers in conference play. She also ranked in the top 10 in strikeouts (T-6th), wins (10th), and ERA (9th) despite ranking 15th overall in innings pitched. Additionally, her .205 batting average against was the sixth-best mark in league play while her 29.4 strikeout percentage ranked third.
WE GOT GLOVES
The Hogs ranked sixth nationally in fielding percentage with a .979 mark entering the week and have turned a program-record 36 double plays this season. The previous single-season program record of 30 was set in 1999. Arkansas is the only team to rank in the top 10 nationally in both double plays and fielding percentage.
Arkansas led the SEC with three selections on the SEC All-Defensive team. Reagan Johnson (CF), Dakota Kennedy (LF) and Ella McDowell (3B) were all selected at their respective positions. Oklahoma (2) was the only other school with multiple selections.
MCDOWELL WOWS
Sophomore INF Ella McDowell is batting .340 this season with nine doubles, 11 homers, 55 runs scored, and 50 RBI while posting a .599 slugging percentage and a .426 on-base percentage. Her 55 runs scored are tied for the fourth most in program history alongside Raigan Kramer, who crossed the plate 55 times a year ago. McDowell went 3-4 in the series opener at No. 1 Oklahoma with three runs scored and two RBI (April 17). The Richmond, Texas product went 2-4 with an RBI double in the series finale against Missouri (April 26).
McDowell recently earned second-team All-SEC honors for the second consecutive season. She started all 24 league games at third base and batted .324 with a team-leading 24 hits, including three doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI, 10 walks, and 21 runs scored while registering a .419 on-base percentage and a .527 slugging percentage. She recorded a team-leading seven multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games during league play. Defensively, the Richmond, Texas product posted a .980 fielding percentage with 32 assists, 17 putouts, and just one error in 50 chances.
EIGHT IS GREAT
Arkansas is 305-9 when scoring eight or more runs all-time, including a 171-1 mark during the Courtney Deifel era (2016-present).
The Razorbacks are on a 118-game winning streak when scoring 8+ runs. The last loss the Razorbacks had when accomplishing the feat was a 12-11 loss to Oklahoma State on Feb. 11, 2021, during the season opener at the Best on the Bayou Classic in Monroe, La.
STORMING OUT OF THE GATES = SUCCESS
The Hogs are 33-6 when scoring first this season and 673-215 when accomplishing the feat dating back to 1998. In NCAA Tournament play, Arkansas owns a 19-7 mark when accomplishing the feat. Additionally, Arkansas has scored 71 runs in the first inning this season, tied for the most in a frame this season. The Hogs have also scored 71 runs in the third inning.
IN THE RANKINGS
The Razorbacks entered the postseason ranked fifth in the Softball America, ESPN/USA Softball and D1Softball Top 25 Polls while being ranked ninth in the NFCA/GoRout D1 Coaches Poll.
Arkansas ranked among the nation’s leaders in numerous categories entering the weekend including, batting average (21th, .337), runs per game (13th, 7.47), on-base percentage (14th, .438), RBI per game (13th, 6.81), slugging percentage (23rd, .562), total runs (18th, 396), WHIP (9th, 1.18), team strikeouts per 7 inn. (14th, 6.85), shutouts (10th, 14) and ERA (11th, 2.52).
HISTORY LESSON
Arkansas is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Razorbacks are 24-28 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including a 17-16 mark under head coach Courtney Deifel.
Arkansas has previously appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The Hogs own a 4-0 all-time record against Fordham. The Razorbacks took the last matchup between the teams, 4-2 on Feb. 19, 2018, at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. The Razorbacks defeated Fordham twice in the 2013 Norman Regional by the scores of 5-1 and 5-2.
Arkansas and Washington have met five times, with the Huskies holding a 5-0 series lead. The teams last met on Feb. 12, 2022, when Washington defeated Arkansas 10-5 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The Razorbacks own a 1-4 record against USF. In the last matchup, on Feb. 18, 2012, South Florida defeated Arkansas, 7-6 in Tampa, Fla.
KNOW THE FOES
Fordham is making its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2022. The Rams are 27-26 on the season and carry a six-game winning streak into the weekend after posting a 4-0 mark on their way to the A-10 Conference Championship last weekend. Fordham is led by Melissa Inouye, who is in her eighth season at the helm with a record of 205-180.
Washington is making its 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Huskies have made 32-straight NCAA Regional appearances dating back to 1994, highlighted by winning the 2009 Women’s College World Series. The Huskies are 36-18 this season and posted a 16-8 record in Big Ten play. Heather Tarr is in her 22nd season as the head coach of Washington with a record of 890-351-1.
USF is making its 19th regional appearance in program history and its fourth in the previous six seasons. The Bulls own a 42-15 overall record and claimed their 10th conference title, including both the regular-season and tournament titles this season. South Florida Alum, Ken Eriksen, is in his 29th season at the helm with an overall record of 1212-616-2.
30 SEASONS OF RAZORBACK SOFTBALL
2026 marks the 30th season of Arkansas Softball. The Razorbacks hold an all-time program record of 923-823-1 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.
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