Arkansas softball gets postseason run started with SEC Tournament clash with Missouri
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
After watching some other SEC softball teams in action Tuesday and Wednesday, Arkansas will open its league tournament action Thursday at Auburn.
The fourth-seeded Razorbacks (36-15, 14-10) will face fifth-seed Missouri (41-14, 13-11) in a game set to start at 1 p.m. at a loaded event where all 13 teams are projected to get an NCAA Tournament bid.
“It was what we expect by playing in this conference,” Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel said. “I think what this conference does is prepares you, it grows you, it does all those things so I think this tournament is a small version of that to prepare us and grow us for the NCAAs.
“It is also a reminder that nothing you do prior this matters and you just show up and try to win each game that you are in.”
Arkansas joined top seed Tennessee, second-seeded Florida and third-seeded Texas A&M in getting double byes to the quarterfinals at Jane B. Moore Field.
“More than anything, I am just really proud of this group,” Deifel said. “It’s been a team of constant growth. It hasn’t been this straight line, firing and falling into place. We have played games where we haven’t got the breaks, we’ve played games where have.
“We have played games where we weren’t firing and found ways to win. We have played games where we were firing and didn’t win.
“You have all the experiences and then you reflect on it. If you had told me at the start of the year that this team would be a top four seed and a national seed, I would have just said ‘sign me up.’”
Tennessee (40-9, 19-5) will face 10th-seeded LSU (39-14, 12-12) at 10 a.m., Florida will meet Georgia (39-15, 12-12) at 4 and Texas A&M (39-12, 15-9) battles South Carolina (34-21, 8-16) at 7.
“I think for us we just wanted to get here in this climate and practice,” Deifel said Wednesday afternoon on SEC Now. “We had been focused on finals so most of them just finished Tuesday morning before we left.
“It gave them the time to do that and feel like you are not missing out on what you need to do for the team.”
Arkansas hosted the 2023 SEC Tournament in Fayetteville – something that made for a proud, but also stressful time.
“It is definitely nice to be on road,” Deifel said. “You don’t have as much responsibilities and our entire staff worked so hard last year…It’s just a really nice thing.”
The Arkansas-Missouri battle is a match up of two teams that met April 5-7 in Fayetteville with the Razorbacks winning two of three.
“I think Missouri is playing really well right now,” Deifel said. “I think they have three, four, five pitchers that they count on to throw a good chunk of innings, have settled into their roles and are throwing really effective innings for them.
“I think they are an offense that keeps finding ways to win. You could see in their last series against South Carolina that has a really strong pitching staff.”
It is the last postseason run for Arkansas third baseball Hannah Gammill, one of four seniors on the Razorback roster this season.
“I don’t feel any pressure, it’s really just enjoying our hard work and just staying in the moment and knowing this is the last time I am going to get to play in the SEC. It’s really sad, but also just really and honor,” Gammill said.
Arkansas certainly doesn’t fear playing away from home as evidenced by the fact the Razorbacks have won 15 of their last 16 road series.
“There is no answer other than we just take are of business,” Gammill said.
Arkansas pitchers Morgan Leinstock (13-4, 1.75 ERA) and Robyn Herron (11-8, 1.72) – who both have over 100 strikeouts this season – have definitely been doing that per Deifel.
“I think they have just stepped up,” Deifel said. “That was the question when this season started – do they have the pitching to be solid?
“…One they were offended and so they were ‘they are questioning us.’ Which is good because – as a coach – you want them to be offended. But they stepped up and got the job done.
“That’s all we have ever asked them is ‘give us a chance to win and this team is going to figure a way to win.’ That is what they have done more often than not.”
LSU downed Alabama 3-2 in 14 innings on Wednesday in what was the longest game in amount of innings in SEC tournament history.
Sydney Berzon pitched all 14 innings while throwing 208 pitches (129 strikes) and facing 56 hits while Taylor Pleasants got on base five times and delivered the walk-off, game-winning-hit.
In other action Wednesday, Georgia beat Auburn 6-5 and Sout Carolina topped Mississippi State 8-4.
Photo by John D. James
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