Tusslin’ the No. 11 Missouri Tigers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks host No. 11 Missouri for a top-20 battle on April 5-7 at Bogle Park.

Friday’s series opener is set for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Erin Miller (analyst) on the call. Game two starts at Noon Saturday on SEC Network+ with Dorian Craft (play-by-play) and Hannah McEwen (analyst) on the call. Sunday’s series finale is slated for 2 p.m. on SEC Network.

A Series Win Would…

• Give Arkansas its first series win vs. the Tigers since 2018 when the Razorbacks took two of three games vs. Missouri at Bogle Park.
• Clinch the Hogs’ third ranked SEC series win this season, including Arkansas’ second consecutive top-15 series win after defeating No. 3 Georgia on the road on March 30-April 1.
• Seal Arkansas’ fourth three-game series win vs. the Tigers.

History Lesson

• Missouri leads the all-time series, 11-17.
• Arkansas is 5-9 against the Tigers at home.
• Under head coach Courtney Deifel, the Razorbacks are 7-6 all-time vs. the Tigers, including a 3-3 mark at home.
• The series dates back to 2000 when Arkansas captured a doubleheader sweep vs. Missouri (6-2, 5-1) on Feb. 27, 2000.
• Former Hog All-American pitcher Mary Haff returns to Bogle Park as a graduate assistant on Missouri’s staff. Haff pitched at Arkansas from 2018-22, earning NFCA First Team All-America recognition and SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2021.
• A win Friday night will give Arkansas back-to-back wins vs. the Tigers in Fayetteville.
• Last year, the Hogs suffered a series loss in Columbia despite run-ruling Missouri in the series opener, 9-0 (5), on May 5, 2023. The Tigers walked off in games two and three.

Last Time Out

• Arkansas matched its program record for highest ranked series win after taking down No. 3 Georgia on the road on March 30-April 1.
• The Razorbacks secured their highest ranked series win on the road.
• Arkansas claimed back-to-back series wins vs. Georgia in Athens.

Home Sweet Bogle

• It comes to no surprise that Bogle Park is regarded as one of the premier college softball stadiums and atmospheres in the nation as it recorded the third-highest single-season attendance in NCAA Softball history in 2023.

• On March 23, Arkansas broke its single-game attendance record, with 3,811 in attendance in game two vs. Mississippi State. The previous record was set in 2018.
• In 2024, the Hogs have accumulated the third-highest cumulative attendance across NCAA softball (56,536).
• In 2023, the Razorbacks averaged 2,845 fans per game at Bogle Park, which ranked second nationally.
• 96,725 people entered Bogle Park throughout the 2023 season – the third highest total attendance recorded in NCAA Softball history.
• Bogle Park hosted the highest attended SEC Softball Tournament in 2023 with 16,937 in the stands throughout the tournament.
• The Razorbacks have sold over 2,500 season tickets for the 2024 season, shattering last year’s season ticket sales record.
• The Hogs have ranked top-five in average attendance each of the previous three

The Friendly Confines  

Since 2017, Arkansas is 145-35 (.814) at Bogle Park during the regular season.

Rae$   

• This season, Reagan Johnson ranks second in the conference and 17th nationally in hits with 51 to her name.
• Johnson paces Arkansas with 11 stolen bases this year (11-for-11).
• Ranks second on the team and sixth in the SEC with a .398 batting average.
• The Karnes City, Texas, product leads Arkansas with 16 multi-hit games this season.
• Johnson holds a .434 batting average when she leads off an inning.
• In her career, Johnson is a perfect 29-for-29 on stolen base attempts.
• Johnson, who was selected to USA Softball’s Preseason National Player of the Year watch list, is looking to build upon her first season in Fayetteville.
• Johnson was named to D1Softball’s Freshman All-America team and was tabbed a Top 10 Finalist for TUCCI/NFCA’s National Freshman of the Year award last season.
• Johnson propelled Arkansas offensively and led the team with a .378 batting average, 79 hits, 47 runs scored, 18 stolen bases and four triples.
• Johnson is already a staple in the Razorback softball record book as she peppered the third-most hits (79) in single-season program history. She also boasted the sixth-highest batting average (.378), tied for the seventh-most stolen bases (18) and 10th-most runs scored (47) in single-season program history. The Karnes City, Texas, native ranked second in the SEC and eighth nationally in hits. Johnson also shined in center field and compiled a .968 fielding percentage with 86 putouts and four assists on 93 total chances.

Bri Bombs       

• Junior first baseman Bri Ellis was named back-to-back SEC Player of the Week on March 19.
• She’s the first Razorback in program history to win SEC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks.
• The Houston native is hitting .409 with RISP.
• Ellis is hitting .380 while pacing the Hogs in runs scored (29), doubles (7), home runs (12), RBI (40), total bases (81) and slugging percentage (.810).
• Leads the team in two-out RBI with 17.
• Ellis is quickly approaching 50 career home runs as she currently has 46 to her name.
• Her 46 career home runs are the most nationally by a current junior or younger.
• Ellis ranks among the top-10 in the conference in several categories: hits (10th – 45), home runs (3rd – 12), home runs per game (4th – 0.34), RBI (5th – 40), RBI per game (5th – 1.14), sacrifice flies (8th – 3), slugging percentage (5th – .810), total bases (4th – 81).
• Making the most of her return to the Plains on March 17-18, Ellis slashed an astronomical .667/1.444/.692 (6-for-9) with a team-leading six hits, two home runs, six RBI, five runs scored, 13 total bases, three walks and a sacrifice fly. In the series opener vs. the Tigers Saturday, Ellis smoked a three-run home run to give the Razorbacks an early 3-0 lead in the first. In game two, Ellis jacked her team-leading 10th home run on a solo shot to guide the Razorbacks seal the series win.

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