Arkansas hosts Colorado State for Friday twinbill in brief break from SEC softball grind

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – An Arkansas softball team that has been sizzling in SEC action as off late will step out of conference play this weekend.

The Razorbacks (32-9 overall, 10-8 in SEC action) will host Mountain West foe Colorado State (15-25, 5-11) Friday in a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader and a single game Saturday at 10:30 a.m. if weather permits.

Arkansas started its SEC slate 1-5, but has responded by winning 9 of its last 12 conference contests.

That’s moved the Razorbacks up to seventh in the 16-team SEC standings with Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi State just ahead and tied for fourth at 8-6.

“I really like where we are at,” Deifel said. “I like where we are at competitively, I like where we are at character-wise. There are just some things we need to to fine tune with our approach and our commitment to plans and things.

“We are going to grind that the next couple of weeks. It’s nice to have a lighter part of our schedule, not light in our opponents, but in our games these next couple of weeks.”

Indeed Arkansas is done with its midweek contests for the season, has three weekends left in the regular season and will have at least a couple of upcoming days to rest.

“It’s a grind,” Deifel said. “This part of the year, you are really starting to feel your bodies and you play with such high emotion in these really big match ups.

“It’s always nice to get a little break and will have Easter Sunday and Monday off. I am looking forward to those two days off. Those are big.”

The Razorbacks will return to SEC action next weekend when it faces SEC leader and current No. 1 Texas A&M (37-5, 11-3).

Arkansas is ranked No. 5 this week’s Softball America poll, No. 7 in D1 Softball, No 10 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll and No. 11 by NFCA/GoRout.

Colorado State assistant coach Shana Easley is a former Arkansas pitching standout (2003-2006) that also led the team in home runs her senior and was a volunteer assistant coach for Deifel in 2019.

Esley also served as a graduate assistant and director of operations for Arkansas in 2007-2008 under former coach Jamie Pinkerton.

All three games will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Josh Haley (play-by-play) and former Razorback player KB Sides (analyst) on the call.

Both teams played in the Mary Nutter Classic back in Feb. with Arkansas going 4-1 and Colorado State 1-4.

The Rams lost a pair of games in that event to No. 1 Texas (18-2 and 10-2) and single games to Stanford (10-2) and Arizona (10-0) while downing UC Davis 8-6.

Colorado State downed New Mexico 4-1 on Sunday to avert a sweep.

Photo by John D. James