Arkansas softball’s Kennedy Miller and Cylie Halvorson earn post-season honors

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Kennedy Miller and Cylie Halvorson, two of the brightest stars on this year’s Arkansas softball team, got their flowers on Tuesday.

Razorback freshman catcher Kennedy Miller was tabbed as a Softball America first-team All-American, an honor that came an after she hit .331, had 8 home runs and 36 RBIs.

She did so while starting all 52 games for Arkansas (37-18 overall, 14-10 and fourth in the SEC), whose season ended with losses to Arizona and Villanova in the NCAA Tournament Fayetteville Regional.

Defensively, the Georgetown, Texas native had only one error on the season 310 chances for a .997 fielding percentage while also throwing out five runners trying to steal.

Miller admitted the year exceeded what she thought might happen.

“In my dreams and in my sleep, but legitimately I didn’t,” Miller said. “…Obviously everybody has that hope and dream, but I just wanted the opportunity.

She did so playing against older players, but doing so with confidence.

“I’m 18 years old, but I belong here,” Miller said. “Some of this girls might be, I don’t know like 23 with their super senior year, but I was made for this.”

The batting average was just behind Reagan Johnson’s team-leading .411 while her eighth blasts followed Bri Elli’s 13, Hannah Gammill’s 12 and Halvorson’s nine.

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Halvorson was named to the CSC Academic All-District team per a releaser from Arkansas.

She will advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, as voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on June 18.

Halvorson majored in supply chain management, earning her bachelor’s degree this May.

She graduated with a 3.944 GPA and was named on the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2023.

Halvorson spent her first three years in college at South Dakota State, where she was named to the Summit League Commissioner’s List and an Academic Honor Roll selection.

On the field Halvorson was dominant, coming off being named an All-SEC Second Team selection for the second straight year. Halvorson also was an NFCA Second Team All-South Region choice, making an All-Region Team for the third time in her career, second at Arkansas.

Halvorson was .300/.553/.357 in the 2024 season with 45 hits, 32 RBI, 11 doubles, nine home runs and 28 runs.

During conference play, Halvorson logged a .313 clip with 20 hits, a team-high five doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, a .531 slugging percentage and a .389 on-base percentage.

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota product made the seamless transition from first base to second base during her final season as a Hog, logging a .964 fielding percentage on 193 total chances.

Halvorson also assisted in flipping 16 double plays.

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communcations