By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - As a first time national seed hosting their first-ever NCAA regional tournament, the nationally 13-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks women’s softball team completes today’s first round of the four-team double-elimination Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park playing the Big East Tournament champion DePaul University Blue Demons, 35-15.
Game time is set for 4 p.m.
Third-year coach Courtney Deifel’s Razorbacks, winning just one SEC game two years ago, but advancing to last year’s NCAA Tournament, are 39-15 and went 12-12 in the SEC that was so strong that all of its teams advanced to regionals.
The Wichita State Shockers, 30-21 of the American Athletic Conference, and the Big 12 Tournament champion Oklahoma State Cowgirls, 38-20, open the tournament at 1:30 p.m. today.
Three games will be played Saturday starting with the 1:30 p.m. winner’s bracket game, with that winner advancing to Sunday. The 4 p.m. loser’s bracket game and a 6:30 p.m. survivor’s game between the winner’s bracket loser and the loser’s bracket winner.
Sunday’s championship game is 1:30 p.m. and a winner-take all game at 4 p.m. if necessary with the champion advancing to face the winner of the Norman Regional hosted by nationally No. 3 Oklahoma, next week’s Super Regional host if the Sooners win their regional this weekend.
Deifel inherited an Arkansas program that won but one SEC game the preceding season and though the record didn’t show it her program was making strides for her plan to be a regional qualifier by Year Three.
“We were ahead of schedule,” Deifel said of last year’s 31-24 team.
Were they ever, recalls senior four-year letter winner third baseman Autumn Buczek of Greenbrier, and like Deifel, noting look at them now.
“It absolutely blows my mind, especially looking back at it,” Buczek said. “But I would say through the process, the confidence that we’ve gained is pretty great and we really believed we could do it from the beginning of this year because last year was a big year in building up confidence and understanding that we can do this. I think before that we were questioning whether we could do that or not. But after the year we had last year then another record setting year, we beat some top 10 teams and really started to see we had what it took. But it is still surreal to realize that we are here.”
A couple of surreal All-SEC freshmen, pitcher Mary Haff (28-6, 1.40 ERA), and right fielder Hannah McEwen, leading the team in batting average at .345, home runs with 11 and RBIs with 53, certainly helped.
“I knew the program was up-and-coming, but having this much success in my first year is awesome,” Haff said. “I definitely exceeded my expectations for myself and for the team in general. Having this much success so early is … the sky is the limit.”
Deifel’s Razorbacks, an astounding 24-2 at home, have attracted record crowds at Bogle Park and expect large crowds this weekend against a strong field starting with coach Eugene Lenti’s Blue Demons led by hitters Kate Poluch (.375) and Megan Leyva (.319 with 10 home runs and 39 RBIs) and Jessica Cothern (.310, 9 home runs and 32 RBIs).
Arkansas hasn’t played this DePaul team, but Deifel said when she was Louisville, the Cardinals clashed often with Lenti’s Blue Demons.
“I think Eugene does an incredible job with his team,” Deifel said. “They’ve been successful in the postseason as far back as I know. They have great offensive numbers and they have two pitchers that have thrown some really quality innings for them.”
Proximity lends Arkansas familiarity with Oklahoma State and Wichita State.
“We played Oklahoma State in the fall,” Deifel said. “We played Wichita State and they beat us 1-0. So we’re pretty familiar with Oklahoma State and Wichita State. They are very complete teams.”