FAYETTEVILLE — Since Courtney Deifel arrived at the University of Arkansas nearly eight years ago, her Razorbacks have gone from being the hunter to now the hunted.
When she was hired in June 2015, the softball program was on the heels of winning just one conference game and dwelled in the SEC basement. Her first season was more of the same, as Arkansas matched its 1-23 conference record from the previous year.
She has since orchestrated one of the nation’s most impressive turnarounds. The Razorbacks have incrementally ascended to the SEC mountaintop with the Merced, Calif., native guiding Arkansas to back-to-back regular season league titles and its first-ever conference tournament championship.
Arkansas debuted this season at No. 6 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25, the highest preseason rank in program history. The Razorbacks’ status change has come as a badge of honor for Deifel.
“I feel like we’ve been transitioning into this role and have gotten a little bit more of that each year,” Deifel said of the respect Arkansas has gained. “I think that they [the players] expect that. That’s why they’ve come here…We earn expectations. You earn those. They aren’t given to you.”
Deifel and the Razorbacks open their 2023 season today with a doubleheader against Weber State and Rebel Kickoff tournament host UNLV. The Arkansas coach, who helped California to four Women’s College World Series appearances as starting catcher from 2000-03, competed in the Rebel Kickoff as a player.
“I’m really just excited it’s game week,” Deifel said with a smile. “We get to play someone else, so I’m really looking forward to that … I know that this team is ready to go, I know that they’re going to battle, but I think we’re still looking at what’s our competitive identity going to be. I wish I could give you a full list of what to expect, but you can expect a Razorback team that’s going to play hard and put it all out there.”
Her 2023 squad is a mixture of veterans, a decorated freshman class and a pair of transfers.
“The mixture has been good,” Deifel said. “I think that we’ve gone through the ups and downs that fall will throw at you, and I think we’ve come out of that really nicely. I think our freshmen are gamers. They’ve played high level, they know how to win, and so they are a really good blend with everyone returning and the ones we had transfer in…It is a really, really fun group on and off the field.”
Returning Razorbacks Chenise Delce and Hannah Gammill along with Duke transfer Kristina Foreman were named to USA Softball’s Top 50 watch list for national collegiate player of the year.
Gammill played two seasons at third base and became the youngest Razorback to be named an NFCA First-Team All-American as a sophomore in 2022. She moved to catcher in the offseason. Gammill noted it takes a mental shift to move behind the plate but is excited to now be involved in each play.
“At third, if I missed a ball, I had all inning to dwell on it,” Gammill said. “But catching you don’t really have a choice. You have to have a short memory … not allowing one missed ball or whatever to affect the rest of the inning and eventually the game.”
Delce became the second consecutive Razorback to be named SEC Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander took the conference by storm with a 2.12 ERA and five shutouts. She hopes to continue confusing opposing batters in 2023.
“I’m trying to figure out what I can do in this league that will throw people off,” Delce said. “Whether that’s sharpening up the pitches I have or adding another pitch, it’s just figuring out what I need to do to continue to be effective in this conference.”
Foreman batted .398 with 15 home runs last season as a Blue Devil. She joined South Dakota State transfer and 2021 Summit League Player of the Year Cylie Halvorson as the Hogs’ two pick-ups from the portal. The veteran presence will unite forces with what’s been ranked by multiple outlets as the nation’s No. 1 freshman class.
Gammill, who has been part of the Razorbacks’ two NCAA Tournament super regional teams, said this year’s team is the most tight-knit group she’s been part of at Arkansas.
“Since I’ve been here, this has been the closest team that we’ve had,” Gammill said. “All of us have meshed, and I really feel like that will benefit us this season.”
First pitch between Arkansas and Weber State is scheduled for 4 p.m. Central. The Razorbacks’ nightcap against UNLV will begin after the Rebels finish playing Southern Utah.
All tournament games will stream live on UNLV’s YouTube channel.