Razorbacks Land Five on the D1Softball D100 Players List

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas softball’s OF Dakota Kennedy, LHP Robyn Herron, INF Ella McDowell, RHP/UTL Payton Burnham and UTL Kailey Wyckoff were ranked as Top 100 Players nationally on the D1Softball D100 Player Rankings ahead of the 2026 season, the publication announced on Tuesday morning.

Kennedy checks in at No. 14 nationally heading into the final season of her illustrious collegiate career. The Sacramento, Calif., product arrives in Fayetteville after spending her freshman-junior seasons at Arizona, where she was a two-time Third-Team NFCA All-American, three-time first-team all-conference selection, three-time NFCA All-West Region selection and won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in left field in 2024. Kennedy started 44 of Arizona’s 61 games in left field in 2025 while missing 17 games due to injury. She recorded career-highs in batting average (.444), on-base percentage (.539), slugging percentage (.689), and OPS (1.228) in 2025 while tallying 60 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 25 RBI, 28 walks, 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases. She posted 19 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games, highlighted by a career-high six RBI during a 14-6 win over Western Michigan on Feb. 7. Kennedy also registered a 23-game reached-base streak from Feb. 6 to April 6. Defensively, she had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 74 putouts.

Herron was slated at No. 25 on the list ahead of her senior season in Fayetteville. The senior left-hander has already etched her name among the programs’ greats in the record books during her three seasons on The Hill. Herron ranks first in program history in career opponent batting average (.182), sixth in shutouts (11), seventh in earned run average (2.23), and eighth in wins (38). Additionally, her 10 career 10+ strikeout games are the third-most in program history, trailing only Katy Henry (2005-08, 14) and Mary Haff (2018-22, 16). Herron earned Second-Team All-America honors from both D1 Softball and Softball America and was also named Second-Team All-SEC and Second-Team NFCA All-Central region in 2025 after posting a team-high 18 wins while registering an 18-7 record, with a 2.72 ERA and team-leading 160 strikeouts while limiting opposing hitters to a .195 batting average in 144.0 innings of work.

McDowell was named the 53^rd best player in the country. She made history in 2025 by becoming the first freshman in program history to earn NFCA All-America honors when she was selected as a Third-Team NFCA All-American at third base. McDowell batted .352 with 63 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 54 RBI and 21 walks to go along with a .425 on-base percentage and a .961 OPS. She was among the Arkansas leaders in hits (2nd, 63), assists (2nd, 79) and home runs (T-3rd, 7). She registered 18 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games while posting a 16-game reached base streak and a seven-game hitting streak during the season. Defensively, she started the season on a 29-game errorless streak and posted a .969 fielding percentage with 79 assists and 44 putouts in 127 chances. Her .352 batting average and .425 on-base percentage were the third-highest by a freshman in program history (min. 100 AB). Additionally, she also garnered Second-Team All-SEC recognition and was a D1 Softball and Softball America Freshman All-American.

Burnham was ranked 58^th nationally. The sophomore right-hander broke onto the scene in 2025 with a 16-2 record, 94 strikeouts and three saves in 117.1 innings pitched while limiting opposing hitters to a .217 batting average and posting a team-best 2.62 ERA. Her 16 wins were the most by a Razorback freshman since Mary Haff’s 29 in 2017, while becoming just the third Arkansas freshman since 2010 to throw multiple seven-inning complete game shutouts in a season, joining Robyn Herron (2, 2023) and Mary Haff (8, 2018). Burnham became the first Razorback in program history to throw a no-hitter in an NCAA Tournament game in a 10-0 win over Saint Louis (May 16), striking out six and allowing just one walk and a hit batter in her five innings of work. As a result of her efforts, she earned freshman All-America honors from both D1 Softball and Softball America in 2025.

Concluding the Razorbacks’ selections was Kailey Wyckoff in the 74^th spot on the list. The Katy, Texas product earned Second-Team NFCA All-Central Region honors in 2025 after batting .328 with 61 hits, 15 doubles, seven home runs and a career-high 55 RBI while posting a .406 on-base percentage. She reached base in 50 of the Hogs’ 58 games while recording 15 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games and posting a team-best 11-game hitting streak. Wyckoff is one of the nation’s most versatile players. During her three collegiate seasons, she has appeared all over the field, with nine or more starts at five different positions. She appeared in 61 games at catcher, 71 games in right field, 12 games in left field, 12 games at designated player and nine games at first base.

Arkansas opens its 30^th season of play and 11^th season under the direction of head coach Courtney Deifel in Conway, S.C., at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic (Feb. 6-8). The Razorbacks will commence the season by facing Virginia (9 a.m.) and Akron (11:30 a.m.) on Friday, Feb. 6. The Hogs are coming off a 44-14 mark in 2025, which featured their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and fourth NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history, all of which have come under Deifel’s guidance

Kennedy (No. 19), Herron (No. 30), McDowell (No. 31), CF Reagan Johnson (No. 70), and Burnham were previously named Top 100 Players nationally by Softball America on Jan. 12.

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