The Arkansas Razorbacks are Super Regional bound for the fourth time in program history and first since 2022. It will be the third time the Razorbacks (43-12) have hosted in the past five seasons, the other two were in consecutive years in 2021-2022.
As one of 16 teams left standing, No. 4 overall seed Arkansas will host SEC foe Ole Miss (40-18) at Bogle Park in a Friday–Sunday best-of-three series. The Razorbacks dropped their SEC opening series to the Rebels in early March.
A valiant extra-inning triumph was sandwiched between two shutout run-rule victories in the Fayetteville Regional as the Razorbacks kicked off the weekend with a 10-0 rout of St Louis in five innings, then Courtney's Day's heroics sealed a walk-off win against Oklahoma State before Arkansas took care of the Pokes again Sunday with authority, 12-0 in six.
“I have an immense amount of pride for this team," Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel said. "What they have done and continue to do, who they are, how they play and how they fight together. Tonight was phenomenal in every aspect. They set their mind to it."
The Arkansas batting lineup has given opposing pitching committees fits all season, headlined by SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year finalist Bri Ellis (.457 BA, 1.788 OPS, 26 HR, 72 RBI).
The "Bogle Bombers" have notably gotten a lot of production at the top of the lineup with Ellis in the 3-hole, but junior shortstop Atalyia Rijo was the offensive hero of the weekend, going a perfect 8-for-8 (4-for-4 in each) in the two matchups against Oklahoma State.
In the weekend's three games, Rijo was 9-for-10 with four runs scored, three RBI and a solo home run that started the late rally in Saturday's extra-inning win over Oklahoma State. Rijo has been one of Arkansas' unsung heroes all year and by far the most-improved returning player on the team.
Under second-year hitting coach DJ Gasso, the 2021-2022 New York Gatorade Player of the Year has seen her production increase immensely in 2025. It is worth noting that Rijo only played in nine games last spring after appearing in 56 her freshman season, however the improvements even from 2023 have been night and day.
During her freshman campaign, Rijo slashed .203/.285/.361 with five home runs and 24 RBI and also committed 12 errors in the field. Fast-forward two years, she is currently at .333/.406/.551 with six long balls and 37 RBI, which ranks fifth on the team. She has recored multiple hits in 13 games this season and been charged with only five errors on defense.
Along with Rijo and Ellis, the Razorback lineup also includes the likes of reliable veteran Courtney Day (.319/.460/.770, 16 HR, 65 RBI), versatile utility player Kailey Wyckoff (.339/.417/.529), speedy slapper Reagan Johnson (.363/.439/.409) and freshman sensation Ell McDowell (.360/.426/.552, 7 HR, 52 RBI).
Protect the Circle
As hot as the Razorbacks' bats were all weekend, the pitching display put on by junior southpaw Robyn Herron and freshman Payton Burnham was the best collective postseason performance in program history.
Burnham kicked off the weekend by notching the first postseason no-hitter ever at Arkansas in the run-rule win over St.Louis, striking out six batters and walking only one. The Oregon native was also a big reason the Hogs rallied to take down Oklahoma State Saturday, twirling four relief innings of scoreless two-hit ball.
After surrendering five earned runs in four frames on Saturday, Herron seized the opportunity when she got a second chance at the Cowgirls in the championship game. Herron sat down 14 of the first 15 Oklahoma State batters and ended up allowing only three hits with one walk and two punchouts in a complete game effort.
Super Regional Schedule
Friday (May 23): 7:00 p.m. CT, ESPNU
Saturday (May 24): 9:00 p.m. CT
Sunday (May 25, if necessary): TBD
Additional Notes
• Arkansas set a program record for runs scored (12) and hits (14) in an NCAA Tournament game. The previous record of 11 runs was set in an 11-0 win over Princeton on May 20, 2022. The Hogs’ previous NCAA single-game hits record was 13 which occurred in a 6-5 (11 inn.) loss at Oklahoma on May 17, 2008.
• Atalyia Rijo tied a career-high and her own single-game NCAA tournament program record with four hits in the win. She became the first player in program history to register four or more hits in consecutive games.
• The Hogs 43 wins this season are tied for the fourth-most in program history.
• Arkansas snapped Oklahoma State’s five-year streak of Super Regional appearances while also giving the Cowgirls their largest loss in NCAA and AIAW postseason history (190 games). Arkansas handed Oklahoma State their only two losses in regional play dating back to 2019 this weekend.
• The Razorbacks are 23-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, including a 16-14 mark under Courtney Deifel. She is the only coach in program history with a winning record in NCAA Tournament contests.
• Bri Ellis scored her 64th run of the season which is the second-most in program history trailing only KB Sides who scored 67 in 2022.
• Courtney Day extended her career-best reach-based streak to 18 games with a second-inning single.
• Karlie Davison registered her 11th multi-hit game this season and 20th multi-hit game of her career. She also had a season-high four RBI. Defensively, with three putouts and six assists she played a role in half of the Hogs’ 18 outs.
• Reagan Johnson increased her reached-base streak to 14 games with a second-inning single.