@RazorbackSB Resumes SEC Play at Georgia
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Following a weekend competing in non-conference, the University of Arkansas softball team slides back into Southeastern Conference play March 20-22 when it heads to Athens, Ga., to face No. 8/8 Georgia. Arkansas is coming off three consecutive losses at home to Texas, two of which were decided in extra innings. The Razorbacks will remain on the road for their midweek game, playing at Jacksonville State March 24.
The Series – Arkansas (13-14, 0-3 SEC) at No. 8/8 Georgia (24-5, 3-3 SEC) *all times central
Friday, March 20 | 5 p.m. | Turner Stadium | SECN+
Saturday, March 21 | 1 p.m. | Turner Stadium | SECN+
Sunday, March 22 | 2 p.m. | Turner Stadium | SEC Network (Jenn Hildreth, Cheri Kempf)
Rounding the Bases
• The series against Texas served as the record-breaking grounds for senior Devon Wallace. On March 14, Wallace scored a run in the fourth inning, marking her 167th career run scored and setting a new Razorback softball record. Wallace broke a second school record on March 16. Leading off the bottom of the third, the co-captain launched a towering home run to right center for her 44th career homer, marking the most in school history.
• The combination of Wallace and Stephanie Canfield at the top of the lineup proved particularly productive in the three-game set against Texas. Both players had identical on-base percentages (.692) and were each over 1.000 for slugging (Wallace 1.000, Canfield 1.111). Wallace led the team in batting (.600) while Canfield paced the team in RBIs (6).
• The Razorbacks’ opening schedule in the SEC has been established as the toughest in the conference. Consider this: Arkansas is the only team in the 13-team SEC to open with its first two series coming on the road against teams ranked inside the top 10. The Razorbacks opened SEC play March 6-8 and were swept by then-No. 5 LSU.
Wallace Rewrites Record Book
Senior Devon Wallace has left her imprint all over the Arkansas softball record book. In the series against Texas (3/14-16), she set new program records for career home runs (44) and runs scored (171). The Double Oak, Texas, native additionally is the career leader in walks (218) and intentional walks (12). Wallace is currently on pace to be the career leader in a number of other categories as she currently ranks first for: highest batting average (.371), highest slugging percentage (.710), and highest on-base percentage (.575). Her 184 career hits is tied for eighth, trailing leader Jessica Bachkora (2007-10) who has 227.
Canfield Can
Junior Stephanie Canfield, a fixture near the top of the lineup thus far, has proven to be a triple-threat from the left side of the dish. With 10 career triples, the St. Joseph, Ill., native is tied for second all-time in school history, trailing leader Dayna Huckabee who has 12. She has eight multi-hit games this season and is third on the team in batting with a .352 average. While Wallace holds many school records, Canfield is not far behind in being a record holder herself. Consider the numbers and rankings for Canfield’s career statistics: second in batting average (.360), third in on-base percentage (.407), and is fifth in slugging percentage (.489).
Production at the Top
The 1-2-3 combination of Wallace, Fagan and Canfield at the top of the lineup proved potent through the season’s first 23 games. The trio combined for a .383 batting average, .371 OBP, .560 slugging, and accounted for 47 of the team’s 92 RBIs at the time. Even with Fagan missing the last four games, Wallace and Canfield have continued the sizzling numbers. Over the last four, Wallace (.583) and Canfield (.429) lead the team in batting while both players post an OPS over 1.300.
