Arkansas Softball Fact Sheet #16

This WeekThe University of Arkansas softball team travels to Wichita, Kan., Wednesday, to face the Wichita State Shockers in a midweek, non-conference doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m. The Lady Razorbacks then return home to take on Georgia in an SEC series this weekend.
RecapThe Lady’Backs swept Louisiana Tech this past Wednesday in front of 2,930 fans in Sherwood, Ark., and look to get back on the winning side after being swept by No. 6 LSU this past weekend. Against the Lady Techsters in game one, freshman Miranda Dixon led off the fourth inning with a solo home run scoring the only run of the game to earn a 1-0 shut out. Junior Samantha Buckner, and freshmen Brittany Robison and Teighynne Hulsey launched three home runs in a row in the sixth inning of game two to lift Arkansas to a come-from-behind 5-4 win. Versus the six-ranked Tigers the Lady’Backs lost by scores of 5-0, 7-0 and 1-3.
She’s on FireDixon went 5-for-6 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored against Lousiana Tech. Dixon ended a six-game hitting streak against LSU in game two Saturday. She led Arkansas with a .500 batting average on the week.
SEC StatsSophomore Whitney Cloer leads the team in league play batting .308 with 20 hits and seven RBIs. Hulsey follows Cloer with a .300 batting average.
Single-game Home Run RecordThe Lady’Backs hit three home runs, a team single-game record, in three contests this season, March 4 against Louisiana-Monroe, March 18 against Nebraska and April 18 against Louisiana Tech. Versus the Lady Techsters Arkansas hit the three home runs consecutively in the sixth inning. First Collegiate HomersOn April 18 freshmen Brittany Robison and Teighynne Hulsey launched their first collegiate home runs. Sophomore Hillary Freeman also hit her first homer against Kansas, April 3.
Run Rachel RunSenior Rachel LeMaster broke the career stolen base record with the 73rd stolen base of her career April 15 in Oxford, Miss. LeMaster earned her 20th stolen base of the season and the 73rd of her career after stealing second base in the top of the first inning. She beat the previous record of 72 set by Dana Gulick from 1997-2000.
Bachkora Ties Triple RecordFreshman Jessica Bachkora tied the record for most triples in a single season after hitting her fourth triple of the year April 14 against Ole Miss.
Most Home Runs in a Single SeasonSophomore Whitney Cloer and Dixon lead the team and are tied for second on the list for most home runs in a single season with six. Junior Dayna Huckabee sits tied for third with five home runs.
About Wichita StateWichita State enters the doubleheader on a five-game winning streak, taking care of Missouri-Kansas City midweek and sweeping Bradley this past weekend. The Shockers also won 12 out of their last 13 games. The Shockers are led by Britnee Barnett with a .353 batting average, 60 hits and 13 doubles. Ashly Bright tossed a pair of two-hit shutouts on the week and earned MVC Pitcher of the Week.
Versus the ShockersAgainst Wichita State all time, the Lady’Backs are 4-3. The Shockers defeated Arkansas earlier this season at Lady’Back Yard, 3-1. The Lady’Backs recorded their only hit of the day on a lead-off, solo home run by Kayla Johnson in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Leading the WayJessica Bachkora continues to lead the Lady’Backs with a .296 batting average, 27 runs, 53 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, and a .344 on-base percentage.
LeMaster’s 200th HitRachel LeMaster collected the 200th hit of her career in the final game of the Tennessee series, March 25. LeMaster is third on the career list with 216 hits. The current record is 224 held by Danica White.
Fanning the OpponentJunior Katy Henry is third in the SEC in strikeouts with 214. Tennessee’s Monica Abbott leads the way with a commanding 531 K’s while Auburn’s Anna Thompson is second with 262.
Top ThievesLeMaster and Bachkora account for 71% of the Lady’Backs’ stolen bases.LeMaster leads the team with 22 and is followed closely by Bachkora with 15. Arkansas has 52 stolen bases as a team.
Hitting StreaksLeMaster had the longest hitting streak on the team this season with an eight-game streak that ended April 15 against Florida. During the streak she hit .367 with 11 hits, three runs, one double and two RBIs. Bachkora and sophomore Kayla Johnson had six-game hitting streaks.
Creeping UpCloer began the year batting .243 through the first half of season. The second half she increased her batting average almost .100, hitting .338. Cloer’s slugging percentage also jumped from .338 to .622.
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. The Lady’Backs have 25 home runs this season.
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 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 March 31 against Kentucky.
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 BroomArkansas swept Kentucky March 31-April 1. The last time the Lady’Backs swept an SEC opponent was against Kentucky in 2005.
It’s Out of HereDayna 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.
Dixon Homers Three TimesMiranda 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.
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.