When softball signee Madi Conklin of Fort Smith Southside committed to the Razorbacks as a ninth-grader, she knew she was going to be a part of a winning program.
Four years later, Conklin is poised to join what is now an elite program in Arkansas, which is ranked sixth nationally and hosts Arizona this weekend in a super regional with a berth in the College World Series on the line.
“I have been watching for my whole life and I’ve been a Razorback fan forever,” Conklin said. “And for the last four years, there has been nothing but improvements for that team.
“(Arkansas head) Coach (Courtney) Deifel and the rest of the coaching staff have made amazing changes to an amazing program. I think what has helped them the most is they have really bought into how (hitting) Coach Yo (Yolanda McRae) teaches the swing and what they are doing in the batter’s box. That is how they are being so successful.”
Conklin, a catcher at Southside, is coming off a senior season in which she hit .494 with 4 home runs, 25 RBIs, an OPS of 1.172, a slugging percentage of .663 and just two strikeouts in 101 at-bats.
Ranked as the 46th-best overall player nationally in the 2021 class by Extra Inning Softball, Conklin batted over .500 in her four-year career for Southside with 14 homers and 118 RBIs.
“Madi is a big bat that will fit in with our offense nicely,” Deifel said of Conklin when she signed on Nov. 11. “She has a huge personality on the field and works well with her pitchers. Madi is an absolute worker and her drive is going to be a difference-maker.”
Conklin knew she wanted to be a Razorback from the start.
“I was looking at most of the schools in Arkansas and I got offers from most of them, but whenever I got offered by Arkansas my freshman year, I just kind of stopped looking for anything else because that is what I wanted,” Conklin said.
She will also be a catcher in college, where she finished up her high school career, but has the ability to play anywhere on the diamond.
“Whenever I first committed, I committed as a utility player and I was ready to play on any spot on that field and I didn’t care where it was. I just wanted to get on the field,” Conklin said.
“But recently it has come up, it looks like there are a lot of spots open for me behind the plate and that’s kind of where I want to go. And as long as my bat is really showing up and doing its job, I think I could make an impact in my first few seasons.”
Conklin is thrilled at the opportunity to play for Deifel.
“Coach Deifel is the most passionate person I have ever met when it comes to softball,” Conklin said. “I have never seen her without a smile on her face even when she is down or she has to give someone bad news. She is the most positive person I have ever met and has such passion and love for the game and it just bleeds over to the girls.”
Conklin will report to Arkansas in August after a full summer season playing for her travel team Tulsa (Okla.) Elite.
“I report around mid-August, that is when I will be up there and practice starts right away,” Conklin said. “I have a whole travel ball season ready. I start playing this next weekend and we are going to Colorado and then Tulsa and Kansas and just all over the country. It is going to be a big summer.”
Arkansas inked seven signees to national letters of intent in November, four of which are among the top 100 players nationally.
That includes the Greenwood duo of infielders Ally Sockey and Chelsi Possage and utility player Mallory Hardwick of West Chester (PA) Bayard Rustin, a Texas native who has family that attended Arkansas.
There’s also Elkhorn (Neb.) South utility player Kacie Hoffmann, Topeka (Kan.), Seaman infielder Raigan Kramer, Phoenix (Ariz.), Horizon infielder Spencer Prigge.
Prigge is ranked 27th nationally by Extra Inning Softball, Kramer 28th, Conklin 46th and Hoffman 87th.
“Our 2021 class is extremely talented and deep,” said Deifel. “These seven new Razorbacks add a ton of power, speed, versatility and athleticism, but the thing I am most excited about is how tough and competitive this group is. They will elevate our program immediately when they get to campus next August.”