Arkansas Softball Fact Sheet #13

This WeekThe University of Arkansas softball team faces the University of Mississippi in Southeastern Conference action this weekend. The three-game series begins with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., and ends with a single game Sunday at 1 p.m.
RecapThe Lady Razorbacks enter the series after upsetting No. 23 Florida, 1-0, this past Sunday. The Lady’Backs lost the series, however, after dropping both games to the Gators on Saturday, 4-0 and 5-0. Arkansas split with Kansas in midweek action, 2-4 and 6-1.
Alcorn State Games CancelledThe doubleheader against Alcorn State scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, was cancelled due to overscheduling.
Henry Does it AgainJunior pitcher Katy Henry pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout against Florida, Sunday, earning her eleventh win of the season. Henry also picked up the midweek, 6-1 victory over Kansas.
Cloer Continues Winning WaysSophomore Whitney Cloer led Arkansas to two wins with two game-winning hits this week – a two-run home run against Kansas and an RBI single against No. 23 Florida.
Hitting StreaksLeMaster had the longest hitting streak on the team this season with an eight-game streak that ended Sunday against Florida. During the streak she hit .367 with 11 hits, three runs, one double and two RBIs. Freshman Jessica Bachkora and sophomore Kayla Johnson had six-game hitting streaks, while sophomore Whitney Cloer hit in five consecutive games.
Run Rachel RunRachel LeMaster is approaching the career stolen bases record of 72 by Dana Gulick. LeMaster currently sits second with 70 stolen bases.
There’s a First Time For EverythingSophomore Hillary Freeman hit her first collegiate home run and first collegiate double against Kansas, April 3. Freeman went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI, a career-high. Her homer was the 20th of the season for the Lady’Backs and broke the team’s single-season home run record.
Creeping UpCloer began the year batting .243 through the first half of season. The second half she increased her batting average over .100, hitting .371. Cloer’s slugging percentage also jumped from .338 to .661.
Five Home Run ClubCloer, junior Dayna Huckabee and freshman Miranda Dixon all lead the team with five home runs on the season. Cloer hit a two-run shot for her fifth of the year in the top of the first inning in game two against Kansas.
Blasting RecordsThe 2007 Arkansas softball team broke the single-season home run record smashing its 20th home run of the season against Kansas, April 3. The previous record was 19 set in 2005.
About MississippiOle Miss enters the weekend after dropping its last SEC series to Mississippi State this past weekend. After winning Friday’s single game 3-2 the Rebels lost Saturday’s doubleheader 4-7 and 0-8. The Rebels play Mississippi Valley State Wednesday before returning to SEC action against Arkansas Saturday and Sunday.
Versus the RebelsArkansas is 24-10 all-time against Ole Miss. The Lady’Backs won the last SEC series. Arkansas split with the Rebels Saturday, March 21, losing 1-2 and winning 4-3. The Lady’Backs then run-ruled Ole Miss with a 9-0 victory on Sunday.
Record-breaking game oneIn the first game of the series against Kentucky, Arkansas tied the single game records for most runs scored (14) and most hits (19), and broke the record for most runs batted in (14). The previous record of 19 hits was in a 19-inning game against Alabama in 1999, while the 2007 Lady’Backs tallied their 19 hits in just seven innings.
Another Single Game RecordCloer also broke the single game record for most hits in a game with five. Cloer was 5-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs scored, two doubles and one home run.
Pinkerton’s 200th WinHead coach Jamie Pinkerton picked up the 200th win of his career as a Division I head coach Sunday, April 1, in the final game of the Kentucky series.
Bring out the broomThe last time Arkansas swept an SEC series was against Kentucky in 2005.
Leading the WayFreshman Jessica Bachkora continues to lead the Lady’Backs with a .314 batting average, 25 runs, 48 hits, nine doubles and a .364 on-base percentage.
LeMaster’s 200th HitSenior Rachel LeMaster collected the 200th hit of her career in the final game of the Tennessee series, March 25. LeMaster is fourth on the career list with 211 hits. The current record is 224 held by Danica White.
Fanning the OpponentJunior Katy Henry is third in the SEC in strikeouts with 186. Tennessee’s Monica Abbott leads the way with a commanding 448 K’s while Auburn’s Anna Thompson is second with 218.
Top ThievesLeMaster and Bachkora account for 70% of the Lady’Backs’ stolen bases.LeMaster leads the team with 17 and is followed closely by Bachkora with 14. Arkansas has 44 stolen bases as a team.
It’s Out of HereJunior Dayna Huckabee tied the career home run record March 18 with a two-out, two-run blast in the first inning against Nebraska. She hit five home runs this year and 12 in her career.
Game WinnersCloer and junior Samantha Buckner both had game-winning hits in the Big Red Tournament. Against Nebraska March 18, Cloer hit her second home run of the game and third of the year in the sixth inning, a two-out, two-run shot to right center, giving the Lady’Backs the 5-3 lead. Buckner hit an RBI single in the seventh inning March 17 to give Arkansas the 2-1 victory against the North Dakota State.
Lady’Back Home Run RecordsThe Lady’Backs hit three home runs, a team game record, in two contests this season, March 4 against Louisiana-Monroe and March 18 against Nebraska. The previous record was two. Dixon Homers Three TimesFreshman Miranda Dixon hit three home runs and was 7-for-7, helping the Lady’Backs to two victories March 4 at Lady’Back Yard. Dixon put Arkansas up 6-5 against Northern Iowa with a two-run shot on two outs in the fifth inning. Against ULM she hit a lead-off home run in the fourth inning to bring the Lady’Backs within one run of the Warhawks, and homered again in the seventh to put the Lady’Backs up 8-4. Dixon had seven hits, seven RBIs and four runs on the day. She also marked a new Lady’Back Yard record, hitting two home runs in a game.
Bachkora Breaks Triple RecordBachkora broke the school record for most triples in a single game on Feb. 25 against Missouri. Bachkora hit two triples, breaking the previous record of one.
Preseason PredictionsArkansas was selected to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division. The Lady’Backs received 37 points trailing LSU with 14 points, Alabama with 15 points and Auburn with 30 points. Tennessee was unanimously voted as the overall champion with 10 votes while Florida received one vote.
New Faces on the FieldThe returning letterwinners are joined this season by eight new faces. Freshmen Jessica Bachkora (Overland Park, Kan.), Hannah Cicioni (Rogers, Ark.), Miranda Dixon (Edmond, Okla.), Teighynne Hulsey (Edmond, Okla.), Jess Reed (Fayetteville, Ark.), Brittany Robison (Owasso, Okla), Jessica Waddle (Chickasha, Okla.) and sophomore-transfer Dara Clark (Farmington, Ark.) all compete for playing time in 2007.
2008 SigneesAmanda Caldwell of Victoria, Texas, Lauren Chisom a Bentonville, Ark. native, Leslie Dixon from Edmond, Okla., Lauren Iverson of Grove, Okla., Emily Jones a Joplin, Mo. native, Kim Jones from Lenexa, Kan., Jacey Juden of Arkansas City, Kan., and Wynne, Ark. native Layne McGuirt signed national letters of intent to play softball at Arkansas and officially become part of the Lady’Back program in the 2007-08 academic year.