FAYETTEVILLE — Danielle Gibson had thoughts of last year being her final one as an Arkansas Razorback, but her call to return has turned out to be a great one for the 22-year-old and the Razorbacks softball team.
The redshirt senior from Murrieta, Calif., currently leads NCAA Division I with a .548 batting average and has “just been on another level” at the plate, according to University of Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel.
“Wow is the word,” Deifel said. “She’s seeing the ball incredibly well. She knows exactly what she’s hunting. The adjustments she’s making, the intent in which she’s attacking her pitches. And she’s just staying so consistent with her mentality and understands the ups and downs even within the at-bat.
“She just refocuses, shakes it off and stays on the attack. … Even [last] weekend with the five [home runs] she hit — two were off change-ups, one inside, one outside and then one kinda up in the zone. Man, she’s just on another level.”
The numbers back up what Deifel is saying. Gibson earned SEC Player of the Week honors, after going 8 for 12 in her last four games with 5 home runs and 12 RBI. She also walked three times. For the season, Gibson also has a team-best 34 RBI and is tied with Hannah Gammill for the team-high with 11 home runs.
She also ranks second in Division I in slugging percentage (1.123) and among the top 10 in seven other offensive categories.
Gibson leads the No. 10 Razorbacks into their first home SEC series of the season as they host No. 22 LSU, beginning tonight in Bogle Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
It’s not like she’s coming off an average season either. Gibson hit .355 with 16 doubles, 15 homers and had 55 RBI to help the Razorbacks claim a share of their first SEC title. It was good enough to be selected second-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and All-SEC second team. She was also chosen to the SEC All-Defensive team.
Gibson said her mindset going into games is a little different this season.
“I’ve always been kinda a little worried about numbers, not into the success point, but just knowing that I’m going to fail,” Gibson said. “But also competing every pitch. I’ve always been able to do that. But staying really present is huge for me.
Knowing it’s my last year, that gratitude aspect of it has been really huge just because I’ve been able to cherish every single moment. I’m having fun and I’m playing more light and so I think that’s translating over.”
Gibson has elevated her game this season while balancing a different sort of obligation. She married Mallie Whorton last summer.
“I love it, it’s the best,” Gibson said. “I think it’s uncommon for a reason. It is challenging and I think that’s a word that I think is very much practical in describing it. Mallie, my husband, he’s just been really supportive and it was a big deciding factor whether I was going come back or not.
“He knew that he was my priority, and he knew that was a step that I wanted to take next was to get married. It’s just been the best of both worlds.”
The couple met in 2019 not long after she transferred from Arizona State. Whorton is also nearing graduation but working in strength and conditioning in the athletic department, so the two have similar interests.
Gibson admitted at one point that she thought her playing days at Arkansas would be over, even though she could return for one more year of eligibility because of the pandemic. But she never totally turned the page. She said a conversation with her husband in the middle of last season helped her make the call to return.
“He just sat down and said, ‘Danielle, I think you need to stay and play,’ ” Gibson said. “ ‘I’m not giving you permission. I don’t think you need permission, but I want you to know you have my support.’ ”
Those words helped her decide to give it one more shot with the Razorbacks.
“That discussion was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is it. We’re doing this,’ ” Gibson said. “I just felt so much less stress to make that decision. It coulda gone either way, but I wanted him to know that I was committed to this relationship. I think about life and I think about relationships and him and me is way bigger than the game.”
She said popping into Deifel’s office to deliver the news before practice was fun. There wasn’t much fanfare, but the reaction was immediate, Gibson said.
“I like peeked through the coach’s office and said, ‘Hey, I’m staying,’ ” Gibson said. “They screamed, jumped up and down, gave me a hug.”
The celebration has continued as Gibson and the Razorbacks are off to a strong start in league play after taking two of three at No. 15 Tennessee last week. The Razorbacks have one of the top offenses in the country, ranking second in scoring in averaging more than eight runs per game.
But she believes there’s much more to come.
“Oh my gosh, we’re still just scratching the surface,” Gibson said. “And we’re still trying to figure out how to still keeping going. I’m excited for us. We competed the first two days at Tennessee. Our lineup and our depth is just great.”