Breaking news: Arkansas head coach has landed QB 5-star defensive player from Texas tech due to his lack of….
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas softball checked in as the No. 10 team in the country in the D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Poll, the publication announced on Tuesday morning.
The Razorbacks are one of nine SEC programs to garner a spot in the poll, the most by any conference, followed by the Big Ten with six teams.
The No. 10 ranking marks the third time that the Hogs have earned a Top 10 ranking in the D1 Softball Preseason Top 25. Arkansas was previously ranked eighth in the 2022 and 2023 preseason polls. The Razorbacks have appeared in every D1 Softball Preseason Top 25 since the poll’s inception in 2020.
Arkansas opens the 2025 campaign in San Marcos, Texas, at the Texas State Tournament (Feb. 6-8). The Razorbacks will face tournament host Texas State on Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. in the season opener. Arkansas will then return the following day to face Lipscomb (1:15 p.m.) and Bradley (3:30 p.m.) before concluding the tournament slate with Bradley (10 a.m.) and San Deigo (12:30 p.m.) on Feb. 8.
The Razorbacks have won two of the last four regular season SEC titles. They are coming off a 37-18 mark in 2024, which featured their seventh-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2024 and fifth national seed, all of which have come under head coach Courtney Deifel’s guidance.
Arkansas returns 262 total starts from a year ago, headlined by junior left-handed pitcher Robyn Herron (19 starts, 1.62 ERA, 12-9, 143 K), senior first baseman Bri Ellis (55 starts, .322 avg., 14 HR, 47 RBI, .444 OBP) and junior center fielder Reagan Johnson (55 starts, .380 avg., 73 H, 12 SB, 35 R, .426 OBP).
The D1 Softball Top 25 is among four nationally recognized polls in DI College Softball. The USA Softball/ESPN (Jan. 21) and NFCA GoRout D1 Coaches (Jan. 28) preseason polls will all be unveiled at later dates. The Razorbacks were ranked No. 13 in the Softball America Preseason Top 25 poll on Jan. 13
