No. 9 Arkansas Continues 2026 Campaign at States Up! Invitational
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 9 Arkansas continues its 2026 non-conference campaign and looks to improve on its 4-1 record this weekend at the States Up! Invitational in San Marcos, Texas, on Feb. 13-15, where the Hogs will square off against Wichita State, No. 18 Clemson, BYU, and tournament host Texas State.
Arkansas opens the invitational on Friday, Feb. 13, by facing Wichita State at 10 a.m. and No. 18 Clemson at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, the Razorbacks return to play by facing BYU at 11 a.m. and the tournament host, Texas State, at 1:15 p.m. Arkansas will then conclude the States Up! Invitational with Clemson at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15.
Last weekend, Arkansas went 4-1 at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic with run-rule wins over Virginia (17-1, 5 inn.), Akron (9-1, 6 inn., 23-1, 5 inn.) and tournament host, Coastal Carolina (11-1, 5 inn.). The Hogs’ lone loss was to Virginia (4-2). The Razorbacks’ 60 runs during the opening weekend of play are the most in program history, besting the previous record of 51 set in 2023 over five games at the Rebel Kickoff in Las Vegas, Nev.
Arkansas enters the second week of the 2026 season ranked in the top 10 in three of the four major national polls. The Hogs were ranked ninth in the NFCA/GoRout D1 Coaches Poll, D1 Softball Poll, and Softball America Poll while garnering a No. 11 ranking in the USA Softball/ESPN Top 25 Poll.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, one of the nation’s most successful programs in recent years, have been ranked in the Top 25 of the NFCA Coaches poll for a program-best 90 consecutive weeks dating back to the start of the 2020 season. Arkansas is one of five programs nationally to have appeared in the Top 25 of every NFCA Coaches Poll since the start of the 2020 season, joining Oklahoma, Florida, UCLA, Oklahoma Stat,e and Florida State.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 13
No. 9/11 Arkansas vs. Wichita State – 10 a.m. – Live Stats
No. 18 Clemson vs. No. 9/11 Arkansas 4:45 p.m. – Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 14
BYU vs. No. 9/11 Arkansas – 11 a.m. – Live Stats
No. 9/11 Arkansas at Texas State – 1:15 p.m. – Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 15
No. 9/11 Arkansas vs. No. 18 Clemson – 9 a.m. – Live Stats
Home team underlined
RUN IT BACK
This weekend, Arkansas returns to San Marcos after opening the 2025 Season at Texas State just over a year ago. It marks the first time Arkansas is returning to the same location for a non-conference tournament in consecutive years since 2016-2018, when the Hogs appeared in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for three consecutive seasons. This weekend’s trip will be the third to San Marcos, Texas, in program history. Arkansas also played in the SWT/CenturyTel Classic on the campus of Texas State in 2003.
ROBYN CAN SPIN IT
Senior LHP Robyn Herron is 2-0 this season with a 1.68 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and 0 walks in 8.1 innings of work. She earned a win against Virginia in which she allowed three hits on one run while striking out five in four innings pitched. A day later, Herron fanned 10 and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning vs. Coastal Carolina while allowing one run on one hit in 4.1 innings of work (Feb. 7).
Her 11 10+ strikeout games are the third-most in program history, trailing only Katy Henry (2005-08, 14) and Mary Haff (2018-22, 16), while her 40 career wins are tied for seventh in program history alongside Chenise Delce (2022-23). Arkansas is also 28-6 (.824) when Robyn Herron goes 5+ innings in her collegiate career.
Herron went 18-7 last season with a 2.72 ERA and a team-leading 160 strikeouts in 144.0 innings pitched while limiting opposing hitters to a .195 batting average. Herron and Nija Canady of Texas Tech are the only returning pitchers to rank in the top 30 nationally in fewest hits per seven innings in each of the past three seasons.
REAGAN RACING AFTER THE RECORD
Senior OF Reagan Johnson has already put herself in the company of the all-time greats in program history and is among the most accomplished active players nationally in her senior season. She is just 34 hits away from setting the Arkansas career hits record held by Hannah McEwen (261), and her 228 career hits rank fourth nationally among all active DI players, trailing only Mihyia Davis (264) of Texas Tech, Haley Ahr (234) of Marist, and D’Auna Jennings of Duke (230). Of the top four players in career hits, Johnson and Jennings are the only ones to spend their entire career at the Power 4 level.
In addition to closing in on the all-time career hits record at Arkansas, Johnson ranks fifth in program history with 53 career stolen bases, 22 shy of the program record of 75 set by Rachel LeMaster (2004-2007). She is the only player in program history to lead Arkansas in multi-hit games in three or more seasons, with 23 (2025), 21 (2024), and 24 (2023) in each of her previous three seasons.
In just five games this season, Johnson has driven in six runs, eclipsing half of her RBI total from each of the previous two seasons (11) while also stealing three bases in as many tries.
RAZORBACKS RAKING AT THE PLATE
Arkansas set an opening weekend program record with 60 runs scored over five games at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic (Feb. 6-8). During a 21-3 victory over Akron (Feb. 8), Arkansas registered 18 hits, which was the most in a single game since the Hogs had 18 during a 15-5 win over Nebraska on Feb. 9, 2020, in Las Cruces, N.M. The Hogs’ 21 runs scored were also the second most in a single game in program history.
After one weekend of play, Arkansas ranks among the national leaders in runs per game (12.00, 2nd), RBI (52, 2nd), total runs (60, 4th), hits (59, 10th), batting average (.413, 12th) and on-base percentage (.500, 13th).
T-BELL DELIVERS
1B Tianna Bell has made an immediate impact during her short time as a Hog. The Cal transfer is batting .692 with 11 hits in 18 at-bats, while registering four RBI, two doubles and eight runs scored. She currently owns a seven-game hitting streak dating back to the 2025 season.
Bell tied a career high twice during the Kickin’ Chicken Classic with a pair of three-hit performances against Virginia and Coastal Carolina while registering multiple hits in four of five games. Bell’s 11 hits this season lead the SEC and rank fifth nationally. She also ranks 22nd nationally in runs scored with eight.
A native of Antioch, Calif., Bell transferred to Arkansas after spending the 2023-2025 seasons at Cal. She started all 58 games for the Golden Bears at first base in 2025 while earning Third-Team NFCA All-Region honors in addition to being a Second-Team All-ACC selection. Bell batted .347 with 61 hits, 15 home runs, 10 doubles, 35 runs scored, 116 total bases, 12 walks and four stolen bases while posting a .659 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage.
RUN-RULING RAZORBACKS
Arkansas has won by run rule in all four wins in 2026, picking up right where the Hogs left off when they set a program record with 23 run-rule victories and had more wins by way of run-rule (23) than complete seven-inning games (21) in 2025.
The Razorbacks, under the direction of hitting coach DJ Gasso (2024-present), have accounted for 35 wins by way of run-rule in a total of 118 games played (29.7%). Throughout the entirety of the three seasons prior to Gasso’s arrival, the Hogs posted 37 wins by way of run-rule in 172 games played.
BRINLI BASHING OUT OF THE GATES
Freshman C/INF Brinli Bain is batting .600 with six hits, two doubles, four walks, three runs scored and a team-leading 7 RBI this season while reaching base safely in all five games. Her 7 RBI through the first five games of a season are the most by an Arkansas freshman since Devon Wallace and Katie Harrison drove in nine and seven, respectively, in 2012.
Bain drove in six runs during day one of the Kickin’ Chicken Classic on Feb. 6. She had a pinch-hit two-RBI single in a win over Virginia before going 2-4 with 4 RBI and a double in a win over Akron. She became the first Arkansas freshman to have 4+ RBI in her first collegiate start since Sierra Bronkey drove in 4 during a 16-3 (5 inn.) win over Belmont on Feb. 10, 2012. Bain then walked in both her plate appearances in a 21-3 win over Akron in the final game of the weekend on Feb. 8.
NO FREE PASSES
Arkansas is 144-41 since 2001, when its pitching staff issues no walks in a game. The Razorbacks are 89-18 when issuing no walks under head coach Courtney Deifel (2016-present). Arkansas has won 17 of its last 18 when issuing zero walks dating back to April 6, 2023.
In the past 21 years, Arkansas has had a pitcher throw 5+ innings in a single game without allowing a walk 26 times. When the feat is accomplished, Arkansas owns a record 20-6.
EIGHT IS GREAT
Arkansas is 286-9 when scoring eight or more runs all-time, including a 160-1 mark during the Courtney Deifel era (2016-present).
The Razorbacks are on a 98-game winning streak when scoring 8+ runs. The last loss the Razorbacks had when accomplishing the feat was a 12-11 loss to Oklahoma State on Feb. 11, 2021, during the season opener at the Best on the Bayou Classic in Monroe, La.
FAMILIAR WITH THE FOES
Arkansas has some history and familiarity with some of the programs at the States Up! Invitational this weekend.
Arkansas softball athletic trainer Andrew Kreis is a 2014 graduate of Texas State. Kreis is the longest-tenured member of the Razorbacks’ support and coaching staff, having served as the Hogs’ trainer for 591 games since 2015.
Arkansas head softball coach Courtney Deifel played against current Clemson and former Stanford Head Coach John Rittman’s Stanford teams while she played at Cal from 2000 to 2003, helping Cal post a 7-6 record against Rittman’s Cardinal teams. During Cal’s 2002 national title run, Deifel went 1-2 with an RBI in a 1-0 win over Stanford on May 17, 2002, during NCAA Regional play in Fresno, Calif. Deifel lifted Cal to the win with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning.
SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Arkansas is just one of four schools nationally to rank in the Top 40 in winning percentage in each of the past six seasons alongside Oklahoma, UCLA and Duke.
30 SEASONS OF RAZORBACK SOFTBALL
2026 marks the 30th season of Arkansas Softball. The Razorbacks hold an all-time program record of 882-813-1 (.520) with four head coaches in the entirety of its history.
Arkansas played its first official game in program history on Feb. 20, 1997, a 4-3 loss to Cal State Northridge at the San Diego State Classic. The Razorbacks rebounded later that same day with a 5-4 triumph over Hawaii to earn the first win in program history. Designated Player Lisa Flores provided the winning runs in the victory with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
KNOW THE FOES
Wichita State is 2-3 this season, with wins over New Mexico (1-0) and Northwestern State (7-5) while falling to Baylor twice (3-2, 9-8) and Mississippi State (5-2). Ausha Moore is leading the team with a .357 batting average, five hits and two RBI. Following Moore is Kammie Smith with a .333 batting average, five hits, two doubles, and two RBI. In the circle, Ava Sliger is 1-0 with a team-leading 9.0 innings pitched while posting an ERA of 0.78 and two strikeouts. Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner is in her 15th season at Wichita St with an overall record of 423-314-2.
Clemson is 3-2 overall this season with wins over Southeastern Louisiana (5-3), Oregon (6-5), and Liberty (9-4) while falling to Auburn (10-5) and Michigan State (5-2). Marian Collins is leading the team with a .500 batting average, nine hits, one home run, five walks and five RBI. Freshman Mac Pavese is a close second to Collins, with a .429 batting average, six hits, a home run, two RBI and five runs scored. Sierra Maness leads the Tigers in the circle with a 3-1 record, 2.39 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14.2 innings pitched. John Rittman is in his seventh season at Clemson, with a previous stop at Stanford (1997-2014). His record at Clemson is 241-80 (.751) while he owns a career record of 991-431-3.
BYU is 1-4 overall this season after defeating Notre Dame (8-5) and falling to Tennessee (10-0, 5 inn.), Michigan State (8-4), Penn State (4-3, 8 inn.), and Missouri (9-6) at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. BYU will face Incarnate Word on Thursday afternoon before beginning play at the States Up! Invitational this weekend. The Cougars’ Hailey Shuler (.467 avg., 7 H, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Llove’a Brittingham (.313, 5 H, 2B, 6 RBI) lead BYU at the plate, Kaysen Korth headlines the pitching staff with a 3.09 ERA to go along with 10 strikeouts in 11.1 innings of work. Gordon Eakin is in his 24th season as head coach of the Cougars with a record of 864-416 (.675).
Texas State posted a 3-2 overall record last week with wins against Toledo (8-2), Northwestern (4-3) and Memphis (13-8) while falling to Northwestern (7-1) and Arizona State (3-2). Madison Azuza is leading the team with 13.1 innings pitched while posting an earned run average of 4.73 to go along with 14 strikeouts and a 1-2 record. Keely Williams is leading Texas State with a .500 average in addition to seven hits, three doubles, a homer and four RBI. Kate Bubela is also among the team’s offensive leaders with a .471 batting average while totaling eight hits. The Bobcats are led by head coach Ricci Woodward, who is in her 26th season and owns a record of 882-523-2 while at the helm of the Bobcats.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.