@RazorbackSB to Face Gamecocks in Weekend Series
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Playing their third of four road SEC series, the University of Arkansas softball team heads east toward Columbia, S.C. to play the South Carolina Gamecocks in a three-game weekend set April 10-12. All three games will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.
Arkansas (14-25, 0-12 SEC) at South Carolina (27-15, 2-10 SEC) Following this weekend’s conference games, the Razorbacks will travel to Sherwood, Ark., to play a doubleheader against Mississippi Valley State April 15.
Friday, April 10 | 6 p.m. ET | SECN+
Saturday, April 11 | 5 p.m. ET | SECN+
Sunday, April 12 | 1 p.m. ET | SECN+
Rounding the Bases
• South Carolina is the lone SEC road series Arkansas will play that is not against a top-10 team. Arkansas has previously played at then-No. 5 LSU March 6-8 and then-No. 8 Georgia March 20-21 with a series at No. 7/6 Auburn still looming April 24-26.
• Freshman Madison Yannetti continues to swing a scorching hot bat. In the series against Mississippi State (April 4-6), she led the Razorbacks with a slash line of .571/.700/.714. In conference games alone, Yannetti leads the team batting .450.
• Freshman Jessie Mullen is an impressive 3-4 (.750) at the plate over the last two games. She hit her first career home run in a pinch-hit situation against Mississippi State (April 6) and finished 2-3 with a pair of base hits at Oklahoma (April 8).
• Senior Devon Wallace, adding to her record-breaking Arkansas resume, became the first Razorback ever to be selected in the National Pro Fastpitch College Draft. Wallace was taken in the fourth round, No. 20 overall, by the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the 2015 Draft Wednesday, April 1, at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn.
• Arkansas lost its most recent game at Oklahoma (April 8) and its last series, dropping three games to visiting Mississippi State (April 4-6).
Yannetti on a Tear
Already with 20 of the 28 players on the roster as underclassmen, freshman Madison Yannetti is stepping up at the plate. Consider in the last series against Mississippi State (April 4-6), Yannetti batted a team-high .571 to go along with four hits. In SEC only games, of which she has started eight and appeared in nine of the team’s 12, her slash line of .450/.560/.650 leads the team. In the team’s last 10 overall, the Mesquite, Texas, native is batting .391 with a pair of extra base hits, including connecting for her first career home run against Georgia (3/21). Yannetti’s recent play has upped her season average to .268, fourth on the team among players appearing in at least 10 games.
Late Game At-Bats
Against Mississippi State (April 6), Rachel Box and Jessie Mullen both connected for pinch-hit home runs, the first pinch-hit homers of the season for Arkansas. Box has become accustomed to stepping to the plate in late innings, leading the team with 13 pinch-hit plate appearances. She is batting an even .500 in those situations, including two extra base hits.
Cooper in the Lineup
Freshman Tori Cooper, inserted into the starting lineup in the second game of a doubleheader against Georgia (March 21), has started each of the last nine games since and is making a case to remain in the lineup. Over the team’s last 10 games, Cooper is third on the team batting .333 while holding an on-base percentage of .346.
