Arkansas Travels to Ole Miss
No. 9 Arkansas (22-6, 4-2 SEC) hits the road to Oxford, Miss., for its second SEC road trip of the season to face Ole Miss (25-7, 3-3 SEC) April 1-3. The weekend begins with a 5 p.m. first pitch Friday followed by a noon first pitch on Saturday. The series finale is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday. Friday and Sunday’s games will be available on SEC Network+, and Saturday’s game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Game Information
Friday and Sunday
Watch: SEC Network+
PxP: Will Kollmeyer
Analyst: Missy Dickerson
Saturday
Watch: SEC Network
PxP: Angel Gray
Analyst: Carol Bruggeman
Need to Know
Arkansas is coming off the program’s first SEC regular season title (shared with Florida) last season, going 19-5 in conference play. The Razorbacks became the first team not named Florida or Alabama to win the conference’s regular season title since Tennessee in 2007. On the road against league competition, the Hogs went 11-1, producing the most wins on the road during conference play by an SEC team since 2013 when the league adopted the current 24-game schedule. Arkansas posted a 43-11 overall record, recording the best win percentage (.796) and second-most total wins in program history. In the NCAA Tournament, Arkansas earned the No. 6 national need and swept the Fayetteville Regional before hosting the program’s first Super Regional at Bogle Park.
Haff Pencils Her Name Into History, Throws Program’s First Perfect Game
Senior Mary Haff has marched her way into the Arkansas softball history book during her time in Fayetteville. On March 11, Haff threw the program’s first solo perfect game, tossing a seven-inning, 14 strikeout gem to propel the Razorbacks to a 6-0 win over the Terrapins at the JMU Dukes Invitational. Back on March 4, Haff amassed her 700th career strikeout in a win against Kennesaw State. The Winter Haven, Fla., native is now on the hunt for 800 strikeouts after she grabbed her 739th career K in the Razorbacks’ win against Western Kentucky. Haff captured SEC Pitcher of the Year award last season, pitching to a 25-7 record with five saves and a 1.55 ERA over 198.1 innings pitched. She struck out 198 hitters compared to just 39 walks issued. Haff was named an NFCA First Team All-American, becoming the first pitcher in program history to earn first team All-America recognition. USA Softball named Haff a Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist. Haff was tremendous in conference play, and among pitchers who threw at least 80.0 innings, led the league in wins (11), saves (4) and appearances (19) while placing fourth in ERA (2.01) and strikeouts (79). Against Texas Tech, she hurled her second career no hitter, striking out six over 5.0 innings, and was one error away from a perfect game. Haff threw her first no-no against Northern Colorado in 2018 as a freshman and is the only pitcher in program history with multiple no-hitters. The senior sits atop the program’s career record book tallying 86 wins and 14 saves. After charting 11 strikeouts vs. Tennessee on March , Haff has now notched 15 double digit strikeout performances – the most in program history. Haff is tied with South Florida’s Georgia Corrick on the NCAA’s active career leaderboard with 158 pitching appearances and is tied for second in saves (14).
Razorbacks Ringing In SEC Weekly Honors
Kacie Hoffmann was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Tuesday. It’s the first weekly honor of her career. Hoffmann played an integral role in No. 9 Arkansas claiming its third-consecutive series win against No. 21 LSU, slashing .625/.750/.625 with five hits and three RBI in three games. The Elkhorn, Neb., product tied her career-high in hits twice after pounding two in game two and three. In the rubber match, Hoffmann delivered a crucial two-out RBI single to left in the fifth to push the Hogs’ lead to 6-3. In game two’s opening frame, Hoffmann smoked a two-out, RBI double to right center to grant an early 2-0 edge.
Danielle Gibson was named SEC Player of the Week for the third time in her career on March 22. Gibson’s honor marks the second-straight week a Razorback has captured SEC weekly honors as Hannah Gammill and Mary Haff were selected as Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 15. The Murrieta, Calif., product guided Arkansas to its first series win in Knoxville, Tenn., and a dominant win against a Western Kentucky squad that was receiving votes in several national polls. In four games, Gibson slashed .667/1.917/.733 with five home runs and 12 RBI. She scattered eight hits and accumulated 23 total bases. Additionally, Gibson produced a season-high seven RBI, which is the most by an individual in SEC play so far this season, and two home runs, including a crucial top of the seventh grand slam to clinch the series over No. 14 Tennessee. The home run output didn’t stop Saturday as she tattooed a solo shot in Sunday’s series finale. The senior also swatted two-run and three-run jacks against the Hilltoppers Monday. In an offensive tear, she has homered in each of her last three at-bats. Nationally, Gibson’s .500 batting average ranks sixth, and she ranks fourth in slugging percentage (1.012), 11th in total bases (83), 13th in on base percentage (.571), 14th in RBI per game (1.25), is tied for 16th in home runs (11) and ranks 17th in home runs per game (0.39), 21st in RBI (35) and 30th in runs per game (1.04).
Sophomore Hannah Gammill and senior Mary Haff earned SEC Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 15. It’s the first weekly honor for Gammill and fourth for Haff. The duo powered Arkansas to a 3-0 record in Virginia, picking up wins against Liberty, Lehigh and Maryland. Gammill manufactured an explosive weekend to help the Razorbacks to a 3-0 record, going 6-for-6 with eight runs, seven RBIs, three home runs and one double while playing errorless defense at third. The Beebe, Ark., product slashed 1.000/2.667/1.000 over the weekend. Through 28 games, Gammill is fourth nationally in hit by pitch per game (0.46), ninth in slugging percentage (.971), 10th in on base percentage (.583), tied for 16th in home runs with 11 and 17th in home runs per game (0.39).
Haff (9-3) tossed the program’s first solo, seven-inning perfect game against Maryland on March 11 to secure her 83rd career win as a Razorback. The reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year struck out a season-high 14 batters against Terrapins, her 14th double digit strikeout performance. Haff picked up her first win of the weekend after downing Liberty Thursday, surrendering one run on one hit while fanning four in two innings of work. In wins over Maryland and Liberty, Haff struck out 18 and walked zero. She retired 27-straight heading into the SEC opening series at Tennessee.