Arkansas softball team to face Oklahoma in super regional.

FAYETTEVILLE - For the privilege of advancing to their first super regional after winning their first regional they hosted the first time, it seems the Arkansas Razorbacks have been presented the women's softball equivalent to a firing squad.

The Razorbacks today at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 and noon Saturday on ESPN and, if necessary noon Sunday on ESPN, meet the Oklahoma Sooners in the best two out of three super regional in Norman, Okla., with the winner advancing to the College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Third-year Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel, inheriting a team that went 1-23 in the SEC prior to her arrival and 1-23 in the SEC her first season, has done a remarkable job advancing the Razorbacks to regionals last year while compiling a 42-15 record 12-12 in the SEC, which advanced all 13 softball teams to regionals.

Arkansas won the Fayetteville Regional unscathed at Bogle Park over DePaul and Wichita State twice.

But coach Patty Gasso's Sooners, 53-3, are two-time defending national champions, 18-0 in the Big 12 and 28-0 at home. Does Arkansas have any shot? "Hey, everybody's got a shot," Wichita State coach Kristi Bredbenner said after Arkansas beat her Shockers Sunday to clinch the Fayetteville Regional. "They've got some elements. When you've got two pitchers (Mary Haff, 29-6 and Autumn Storms, 12-9) that can compete and have some kids that have some confidence you've got a shot. We went into OU and had some confidence and put six runs (in a 7-6 loss) on them. They've got some vulnerabilities."

And Arkansas, Bredbenner said, "has nothing to lose."

"The key for Arkansas is to play loose and go out there and take it to them," Bredbenner said.

That seems to be Deifel's approach.

Respect the Sooners as a team, and certainly Gasso as a coach and her assistants for whom Deifel once worked for as an OU graduate assistant.

"They continue to reinvent what they do and put themselves at the top," Deifel said. "They're very good. But they're just another softball team. When we show up on Friday, they don't get a head start because of all of the things they've done in the

past —or even what they've done over the course of the year.

"It's an even playing field when we start. It's going to be a battle. It's postseason. Anything can happen in the postseason. All I know is our girls have a lot of fight and a lot of heart."

Often a softball team is just as good as its pitcher.

OU has two great ones, particularly Paige Parker, who is 29-2 with a 0.89 earned-run average, and a finalist for national player of the year.

But Arkansas has a great one, too, Mary Haff, with a school record for victories in a season at 29-6. She is a finalist for national freshman of the year.

"Pitching is the No. 1 thing," Bredbenner said. "You've got to have pitching and Mary Haff has done such a great job."

And Haff, Bredbenner implied even after Haff won all of Arkansas' Fayetteville Regional games mainly with her rise ball, might actually be better complemented against OU by Storms and her drop ball.

"I've always felt OU struggles a little more with the drop ball than they do the rise ball," Bredbenner said.

"So I will be interested to see how Mary does on the big stage versus how Autumn Storms can potentially do if she can get them chasing a little bit in the dirt."

Offensively, Arkansas is led by outstanding freshman outfielder Hannah McEwen (.341 BA, 12 home runs and 56 RBIs), senior slap-hitting third baseman Autumn Buczek (.318 BA) and designated player Katie Warrick (.314 BA, eight home runs and 45 RBIs) and first baseman Ashley Diaz (.313 BA, six home runs, 29 RBIs).

OU hits an astonishing .328 as a team, led by Sydney Romero (.430) and Jocelyn Alo (.410 BA and 26 home runs).

RAZORBACKS TO FACE RED RAIDERS

The Texas Tech Red Raiders will be the Arkansas Razorbacks' opponent in the 2019 SEC-Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

Texas Tech will host Arkansas in Lubbock, Texas as part of the 10-game slate on Jan. 26, it was announced Thursday.

Other games with times to be assigned and televised on the ESPN networks, four on ESPN, four on ESPN2 and two on ESPNU, include Alabama at Baylor; Florida at TCU; Texas at Georgia; Kansas at Kentucky; Iowa State at Ole Miss; South Carolina at Oklahoma State; West Virginia at Tennessee; Kansas State at Texas A&M; and Vanderbilt at Oklahoma.

Last season, including Arkansas' victory over Oklahoma State at Walton Arena, the SEC went 6-4 against the Big 12.

RUTLEDGE TRANSFERRING

Arkansas freshman pitcher Jackson Rutledge announced on Twitter Thursday his intentions to transfer to San Jacinto (Texas) Community College.

Though 3-0 with a 3.45 earned-run average, and considered to have excellent potential as a 6-foot8 hard throwing righthander Rutledge was ineffective in recent outings and not included on Arkansas' active roster at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.

Arkansas opened play in the SEC Tournament with a 13-8 win over South Carolina, and faced Florida in Thursday's final game.