Slugger returns
First baseman Danielle Gibson is scheduled to return today when Arkansas’ 11th-ranked softball team takes on No. 25 Auburn.
FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 11 University of Arkansas softball team hits the road this week to take on No. 25 Auburn, and the Razorbacks will have one of their top hitters back in the lineup.
First baseman Danielle Gibson, who missed the past four games while in concussion protocol, will be ready for action when the Razorbacks (28-3, 9-0 SEC) begin a three-game series today at 5 p.m. at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala.
Gibson leads the country with 14 doubles. She’s been part of a dynamic top of the order for the Razorbacks, who are off to their best start in school history.
Arkansas, which matched its highest national ranking this week, ranks second in the country in home runs with 61. Senior Braxton Burnside is second in the country with 17 and ranks fourth with 39 RBI. Burnside and Gibson are tied for fourth in the country with 90 total bases.
Sophomore Sam Torres has hit at the bottom of the order for most of the season, but she moved to the top half of the order when outfielder Hannah McEwen, a preseason All-SEC pick, was out.
No matter the spot, Torres has been productive. She’s hitting .388 in 22 games (14 starts) with a .483 onbase percentage. The speedy outfielder from Temecula, Calif., has been even better in SEC play, with a .429 batting average and .529 onbase percentage.
“She has made the most of that opportunity,” Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said. “I’m incredibly proud of her because it’s just making the most of a situation and she hasn’t relinquished it and I’m not sure she will. She’s just been a huge spark for us, been incredibly steady.
“The chances she had gotten early were in a pinch-hitting role, and she made the most of those. That’s hard to do. That’s one of the toughest spots to be in. We felt like what she continued to do offensively, we needed to get her in the lineup to take on some of that offense we lost.”
Auburn (19-8, 1-5) has lost seven of its past 10 games, but eight of those games were against ranked opponents.
The Razorbacks will face a hot pitcher in freshman Shelby Lowe. She’s the reigning SEC freshman of the week and D1 Softball national freshman of the week. Lowe shut out No. 20 Missouri on Sunday and allowed 1 run over 141/3 innings with 17 strikeouts and no walks over the weekend against Missouri.
She is 8-2 with a 0.74 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 752/3 innings.
The Razorbacks will counter with the reigning SEC pitcher of the week Mary Haff (17-2). The junior right-hander leads the country in wins and innings pitched (117).