Softball

Razorbacks Set for Four-Game Road Swing in Florida

Hunter Corneliusen
Hunter Corneliusen April 3, 2025
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Fresh off a series sweep of Kentucky, the No. 12/13 Arkansas Razorbacks resume the SEC slate with a trip to No. 2/3 Florida for a three-game series this weekend before concluding the road trip with a visit to North Florida on Monday.

The series opener at Florida is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday’s matchup will start at 3 p.m. before the series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday and Sunday’s games will be broadcast on SEC Network+ while Saturday’s matchup will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Kyle Crooks (PxP) and Aleshia Ocasio (Analyst) will provide commentary of the action on Friday and Sunday, while Eric Friede (PxP) and Madison Shipman (Analyst) will be on the call for Saturday’s contest.

Arkansas will conclude its trip to The Sunshine State with a matchup at North Florida on Monday at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

LEADING OFF

  • The Arkansas Razorbacks are 23-7 and coming off a series sweep of Kentucky this past weekend by taking all three games by the scores of 5-3, 10-2 (5 inn.) and 2-1. Arkansas completed its first SEC sweep since March 31-April 2, 2023, when Arkansas swept Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss. It was the first sweep at Bogle Park for the Hogs since April 29-May 1, 2022, when they took all three games against South Carolina.
  • The Razorbacks have earned a program record 17 wins by run-rule this season. The previous record of 16 was set back in 2014.
  • Arkansas has outscored opponents 260-91 this season.

PRESENCE IN THE POLLS

  • Arkansas checked in at No. 12 in the NFCA/GoRout Poll and No. 13 in the D1 Softball, Softball America and ESPN/USA Softball Polls this week.
  • The Razorbacks have been ranked in the Top 25 of the NFCA Coaches poll for a program-best 80 consecutive weeks dating back to the start of the 2020 season. Arkansas is one of six 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, Oklahoma State and Florida State.

HISTORY LESSON

  • Arkansas and Florida have met 68 times, with Florida leading the all-time series 51-17.
  • Arkansas has won six of the last seven meetings between the program dating back to 2022, including four straight in Gainesville.

SCOUTING FLORIDA

  • Florida enters the series as the No. 2 team in the country with a 33-6 overall record and a 6-3 mark in SEC play. The Gators are coming off a 4-0 loss at No. 10 Florida State on Wednesday evening.
  • Florida is batting .357 as a team with 360 hits, 61 doubles, five triples, 65 home runs, 286 RBI and 174 walks in 1,007 at-bats. Freshman Taylor Shumaker highlights the Gators’ offense with a .405 average, 49 hits, 12 doubles, a triple, 13 homers and 56 RBI to go along with 16 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
  • In the circle, Florida is led by Keagan Rothrock, who just returned from injury last weekend. She owns a team-best 1.32 ERA and 9-2 record with 50 strikeouts in 58.1 innings pitched. The Gators own a 2.18 Era with 175 strikeouts in 237.2 innings pitched.

SCOUTING NORTH FLORIDA

  • North Florida is 29-10 this season and 9-0 in ASUN play. The Ospreys are coming off a sweep of crosstown rival Jacksonville this past weekend with wins by the scores of 8-2, 6-5 (9 inn.) and 8-3. They will host Stetson this weekend before welcoming the Razorbacks on Monday evening.
  • The Ospreys own a team batting average of .304 with 306 hits, 62 doubles, four triples and 22 homers while driving in 183 runs. Allison Benning is one of the best two-way players in the country. The Oregon transfer is batting .414 with a team-best 41 hits, eight doubles, 14 home runs, 36 RBI and 41 walks. In the circle, she owns a 1.35 ERA and is 15-5 with 118 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched. As a team, UNF owns a 2.39 ERA with 233 strikeouts in 258 innings.

RAKING AT THE PLATE

  • Entering this weekend, Arkansas ranks among the nation’s leaders in numerous categories including hit-by-pitch (7th, 38), runs per game (12th, 7.88), sac flies (2nd, 22), on-base percentage (10th, .452), RBI per game (11th, 7.27), walks (7th, 157) and slugging percentage (13th, .601).
  • Through 33 games, this year’s Arkansas team ranked among the top three in program history in batting average (2nd, .335), doubles (1st, 56), slugging % (2nd, .601), on-base % (1st, .452), runs (2nd, 260), sacrifice flies (1st, 22), RBI (T-1st, 240), total bases (2nd, 499) and walks (2nd, 157).
  • Arkansas owns a .452 on-base percentage. Two of the Razorbacks’ starters own an .OBP of .500+, while seven starters own an on-base percentage of .400+.
  • In hitting coach DJ Gasso’s first season in Fayetteville, Arkansas struck out a program-low (COVID season not included) 192 times in 1,408 at-bats during the regular season, bettering the previous program record of 204, which was set in 2014 by 12.

BRI ELLIS IS PUTTING UP NUMBERS

  • Bri Ellis has gotten off to the hottest start in program history and one of the hottest starts in modern NCAA history at the plate. Through 33 games, she currently holds program records in batting average (.494), RBI (52) and slugging percentage (1.276). Additionally, Ellis ranks second in on-base percentage (.615), home runs (18), runs scored (39) and total bases (101). Trailing only Braxton Burnside, who hit 19 HR and had 102 total bases in 2021, and Devon Wallace, who posted a .643 on-base percentage in 2013. Jessica Bachkora holds the record for runs scored with 40 in 2010 (As of April 4).
  • Ellis is batting .494 with 18 home runs, 52 RBI, 101 total bases, 39 runs scored while posting a 1.247 slugging percentage and a .615 OBP. Her 66 career home runs are the most among all active D1 players.
  • She was ranked as the No. 1 first baseman in the country in the Softball America April Position Rankings on April 1.
  • She was one of only two DI players to lead the nation in slugging percentage, homers and on-base percentage through March 19 of a season since 2012. The only other player to accomplish the feat was Louisiana-Lafayette catcher Lexie Elkins in 2016.
  • Through March 2 of this season, her .686 on-base percentage at the time was the second-highest of any NCAA DI player through that date since 2012, trailing only Sydney McKinney of Wichita State, who posted a .741 OBP through that date in 2023.
  • Through the first 10 games of the season, Ellis was the only player nationally to have equal or more RBI than at-bats through the first 10 games of the season since at least 2015 (min of 20 AB).

ROAD HOGS

  • Since 2020, the Razorbacks have excelled on the road with a record of 61-22 (.735) which is the second-best mark of all current SEC members, trailing only Oklahoma (78-7, .929).
  • On March 23, the Hogs became the first SEC team to win a series at Tennessee since they accomplished the feat on March 18-20, 2022. The series win snapped an 11-series home winning streak that Tennessee owned which was a league-best.
  • With Arkansas’ road series victory at No. 7 Tennessee on March 22-24, 2025, the Hogs have won 16 of their last 18 SEC road series which is the best mark among all SEC members during that time span (2021-present).
  • From 1997-2020, the program had only won 17 SEC road series. Over the last four seasons, Arkansas has won 15 conference road series to go along with two SEC Titles.
  • The Hogs recorded two top-10-ranked SEC road series wins last season and have accounted for four top-10 road series wins in league play over the past four seasons.

YOUNG HOGS GRABBING THE HONORS

  • Arkansas earned back-to-back SEC Freshman of the week honors for the first time ever courtesy of Payton Burnham (March 25) and Ella McDowell (April 1) earning the distinction in consecutive weeks.
  • McDowell posted a .429 batting average during the Hogs sweep of Kentucky (March 28-30) with three hits, a home run, three RBI, two walks, and a run scored while posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage featuring numerous impressive plays at third base. McDowell put the final touches on the Razorbacks’ first home SEC sweep since April 29 – May 1, 2022, when she stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday’s series finale and smashed a 1-1 pitch from Kentucky pitcher Carson Fall over the wall in center field for a game-winning solo home run which ultimately gave Arkansas a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats.
  • Burnham was named SEC Player of the Week after pitching 6.1 shutout innings and striking out five while allowing just three hits and three walks in a 9-0 series-clinching win on March 23. The Eugene, Ore., product leads the Hogs with a 2.22 ERA this season and is 6-2 with 45 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched while limiting opposing hitters to a .182 batting average.

REIS TO THE RESCUE

  • Reis Beuerlein threw 5.1 no-hit innings with six strikeouts in relief during the series finale at Tennessee (March 24).
  • She became just the fourth Razorback to pitch 5.1+ innings without allowing a hit in relief since 2001, joining Morgan Leinstock (6.0 vs. Long Beach State, 2024), Robyn Herron (5.2 vs. Drake, 2023) and Chelsea Cohen (6.0 at Missouri State, 2012).
  • Beuerlein allowed just one hit (solo HR) in 10.1 innings pitched while posting a 0.68 ERA with 10 strikeouts during the week of March 24-30. As a result of her efforts, she took home NFCA Top Performance honors.

EIGHT IS GREAT

  • Arkansas is 215-3 when scoring eight or more runs since 2002, including a 148-1 mark during the Courtney Deifel era (2016-present).
  • The Razorbacks are on an 86-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.

HOUSTON HOGS

  • Arkansas has six players on its roster from the Houston metropolitan area in: Courtney Day, Bri Ellis, Cam Harrison, Ella McDowell, Ashtyn Reichardt and Kailey Wyckoff.
  • As of April 3, the five active Razorbacks from the Houston metropolitan area, have accounted for 49.28% (137-278) of Arkansas’ hits, 45% (117-260) of runs scored, 79.6% (39-49) of home runs and 63.3% (152-240) of RBI this season.

THE BASH SISTERS

  • UTL Courtney Day (45) and 1B Bri Ellis (52) have combined for more RBI (97) than 72 Division I programs this season, entering this week. Ellis has more RBI than three DI programs, while Day has more than one.
  • Day and Ellis, were the only pair of teammates to enter the week ranked in the Top 12 nationally in RBI per game with marks of 1.58 (2) and 1.41 (11).
  • Day (2R HR) and Ellis (solo HR) both homered in a 10-2 win over Kentucky (March 28)
  • In a 10-7 series finale loss to No. 1 Oklahoma, Ellis homered twice and Day hit a three-run homer. (March 16).

RAE$ 

  • Junior center fielder Reagan Johnson batted .583 in the series vs. Kentucky while registering multiple hits in the all three games, highlighted by a season-high three hits in addition to stealing two bases in the series finale. It marked her ninth career game with multiple stolen bases.
  • Reagan Johnson is the all-time program leader in career batting average at .374 while ranking fourth in career on-base percentage (.423), eighth in career triples (6) and fifth in career stolen bases (45).
  • Johnson entered the 2025 season as one of six active Division I players with 73+ hits in each of the previous two seasons, joining D’Auna Jennings (Duke), Kendra Falby (Florida), Korbe Otis (Florida), Mia Scott (Texas) and Paige Rocha (SIU-Edwardsville). Of the six players to accomplish the feat, Johnson and Jennings are the only non-seniors entering the 2025 season.
  • Johnson is the only Razorback in program history with multiple 70+ hit seasons with 73 in 2024 and 79 in 2023. In 2024, she became one of four Razorbacks in program history to post an on-base percentage of .426 or better while registering 70+ hits in a season, joining Danielle Gibson (2022), KB Sides (2022) and Hannah McEwen (2019).

SECOND-INNING SUCCESS

  • Through 33 games, Arkansas has scored a program-record 53 runs in the second inning. The previous record of 43 was set in 2022.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.

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