[00:00:01] Speaker A: You're listening to the Hog Sports Network daily podcast.
Now here's your host, Matt Jones.
[00:00:10] Speaker B: Today on the show, Justin McLeod of D1Softball.com joins us. Ethan Westerman also in studio. We're going to look ahead to the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Arkansas, the number four national seed in this year's softball NCAA tournament. But it's not easy. They've got Oklahoma State, a team that's been to five consecutive Women's College World Series, coming over to Fayettevill is also here. St. Louis. We'll preview that. But first, a word from Kendall King.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: At Kendall King, we're proud of over four decades of design.
We're continuing the legacy of great creative design by combining our brands of Kendall King Soapbox and Shopcart. Together, these brands represent a new focus in marketing design with individual attention to specific areas. Through our design expertise, supported by a team of talented professionals, we showcase our best. We are Kendall King. We are Soapbox. We are Shopcart. We are, we are design.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: Justin McLeod is our guest from D1Softball.com you know, Justin, this is an interesting regional this weekend for Arkansas because this is not just kind of your normal two seed that's rolling in here to Fayetteville. You got Oklahoma State, a team that has been to the Women's College World Series, I think five years in a row.
Indiana, a really good hitting team. St. Louis, first time they've made the tournament. Just tell the, tell everybody what they should know about this regional and, and especially Oklahoma State and how dangerous of a team that is.
[00:01:39] Speaker C: Oklahoma State is a dangerous team.
I think this is one regional that is going to be a prime example in a couple of years when we get to the point of seating 32 teams in the tournament versus abiding by the old busing rule because that's, that's why Oklahoma State's in Fayetteville is the busing rule, the 400 mile radius.
So that will be a prime example because whatever happens this week, you're going to have a very good team knocked out quickly.
Oklahoma State is an incredibly talented team. They've hit some bumps in the road this year, lost some games that on paper probably shouldn't have lost. But I mean, Ruby Malin, their ace, is one of the best pitchers in the country.
They've got a very talented offense when that offense is rolling. So the matchup of Arkansas, Oklahoma State, I mean, even for schools that are just a few hours away from one another like that, that's a heck of a matchup. That's a top Tier that's a World Series esque matchup. Then you bring in an Indiana team that, that knows how to play ball. Shonda Stanton's the head coach. Her teams are always scrappy, but they, they have some serious power. They've got some Bre. Copeland's a two way star, so they've got some real talent. And then you throw a St. Louis team in, I mean they're, they're, they're busting down too. But as a four seed first time in the tournament, I mean, you can't underestimate them, right? Like, yeah, they're the four seed, but I, I really like the depth of this regional and I like the depth of offense in this regional. I mean, obviously we know the whole Bogle Bombers thing. I think we've talked in the past about just how multi dimensional Arkansas's offense has become this year, but I like the offense across all four teams, to be honest.
[00:03:18] Speaker B: You know, osu, it's a little bit closer to Norman than it is to Fayetteville. Not by much, but, but by a little bit. Why do you think they weren't sent to Norman?
[00:03:26] Speaker C: I really think it's as simple as not putting bedlam in the, in the opening round. I really do.
The committee doesn't always go for things like that. Sometimes they do, but I think it's as simple as that. Plus, Arkansas is by two, two seed lines, a lower seed than ou.
So if there's two to bust to, usually they'll try to. Normally it's more of a factor. You have, you know, a 5 and a 14, 2 and 4 is a little close, but I mean, that also factors in a little bit. Just the fact that Arkansas has a couple of seed lines lower.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Arkansas was close to being SEC co champion last week. Of course the tournament got their championship game rained out and A And M&OU ended up splitting the title.
As you watched Arkansas, I mean, oh, you obviously had a great comeback in that semifinal game. But as you watched them throughout the SEC tournament, what were your thoughts?
[00:04:17] Speaker C: I mean, I actually thought he looked really good.
I thought Peyton Burnham looked pretty good in the circle. I thought the offense was what I've seen the offense be all year. Granted, some hot and cold moments. Don't get me wrong, I think that game against Georgia where Randy rolling, if I remember right, had him no hit until the fifth inning. Courtney Day hits a home run, breaks up the no hitter and the shutout ties the game. Obviously Briella's grand slam at the end to win it.
So I saw the Same Arkansas that I've seen a lot this year. Got some cold moments in there. Maybe the offense can only scratch out one hit in five innings, but it's a home run and it ties the game against Oklahoma.
I think the thing that stood out most to me, it seemed like they were really. They relied really a lot on their experience with the other teams that they, excuse me, the other pitchers besides Audrey Lowry. They didn't face Audrey Lowry earlier in the year, and I felt like they made adjustments really well. That was a theme early in conference. I remember doing a presser with Courtney Dfel, and she mentioned executing the plan like that. That was a mantra over and over again in different responses and things. And I've really seen Arkansas execute that plan really well in the back stretch of conference play. I felt like I saw Arkansas continuing to execute their plan well in the early stages against Oklahoma, maybe not as much against Audrey Lowry herself.
And that's the one pitch they didn't face earlier in the season during the conference series. So I felt like I saw the same Arkansas I've seen through the course of the year. Some hot and cold moments, but the ability to make a difference without the long ball. Like the thing about Brie Ellis's grand slam, you had to get to Ellis in the lineup. The bases were loaded before that. So, like, I think pieces like that get missed a little bit. But I liked what I saw from Arkansas, and I think it was a continuation of what they've done so successfully during the course of the year, too.
[00:06:04] Speaker B: You think the committee got it right? Arkansas, the number four national seed. Did you see them leaning any way, one way or the other the other way?
[00:06:13] Speaker C: 4, 5, Florida State, Arkansas, I thought, could go either way. I felt like Florida State was going to be the team that broke up the SEC monopoly at the top. So it's just a matter of how high the committee seated them. But I had. I have no issue with Arkansas at four, Florida State at five. I think Arkansas's record buoys a four.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Seed or the SEC got 14 of 15 teams in. For those who don't know, Vanderbilt doesn't have a softball team, so there's only 15 SEC softball teams.
Were you surprised at all that any got in that Missouri wasn't eligible because they didn't have a record above.500? But out of the 14 who were eligible, were you surprised that they all got in?
[00:06:51] Speaker C: Not at all.
I think the strength of the SEC buoys that. I mean, some teams like Kentucky, that just didn't have great years, you still played an SEC schedule and I think that that buoyed it.
[00:07:02] Speaker B: How much do you think that is important? Because you know, I was reading some comments about that a day or two ago about how you've got teams who don't have winning records in their conference getting into the NCAA tournament. So obviously it feels like with the selection committee they are very aware of maybe the challenges that these super conferences present.
[00:07:26] Speaker C: No, and I think that's exactly what it is.
I think the thing for me when you have a conference as strong as the sec, it bothers me less from, from a bird's ey when I think about, okay, pretty consensus across the board, all biases included. Eight of the top ten seeds were SEC teams. Like anybody you ask anybody who doesn't really know a ton about it outside of UCLA and Florida State. The rest of the top 10 were SEC teams. We're going to be SEC teams.
I think when the conference is that strong, the record in conference bothers me a little less.
You go outside that strength and then it's a little different. If you get, if you talk about a Big Ten team, an ACC team and you tell me they finished 10th in conference and made the tournament, my spidey senses go up a little bit.
But 10th and conference in the SEC is sub 500. Record in the SEC still means you've got win. I mean you look at an Auburn started the conference, what was it, 0 and 11. Oh and 12 this year, still have a top 25 RPI still had a solid case for the tournament because once they started winning a handful of games, two SEC series, here they are the res. The resume is a tournament resume. So I think with the conference as strong as the SEC it buoys that. Outside of that I think it's a different animal. I think the SEC kind of stands alone in that category.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: We talked a lot about Oklahoma State at the top and I'll ask you some more about them here in a second. But there's no guarantee Arkansas is going to play Oklahoma State. I mean everybody thinks that the 1 and 2 will probably play at some point, but they start with St. Louis on Friday at 5:30 at Bogle Park. Tell us some about St. Louis and how you know their road went to the tournament.
[00:09:05] Speaker C: The Atlantic 10 Conference champs, first time making the NCAA tournament. They, they've done well the last five years or so. Had a regular season championship in there a couple of years ago. Just haven't made the tournament run, haven't made the top conference tournament run to get to the NCAA tournament.
They're a solid scrappy team.
One of my favorite St. Louis facts over the last few years, anybody who remembers Kayla Kowalik, that was Kentucky's star for a few years, her sister, twin sister, actually played at St. Louis.
Just kind of an extra context for us to tie into the SEC there.
Abby Mallow is having a heck of a breakout season offensively for St. Louis. Set the program career home run record earlier this year.
She, she's one. When I say I really like the offense in this regional, she's one that I would pin that on from the St. Louis side.
But St. Louis is, St. Louis is a scrappy bunch.
Their coach has been there for a while. She's a solid coach. They've been, it's. They're not a flash in the pan in the A10 is, is the one thing like they won a regular season a couple of years ago. They've been top three, top four in that conference for the last few years. This is just finally, they, they finally made that conference tournament championship run.
But they're, they're a sturdy little team.
[00:10:19] Speaker B: Oklahoma State will play Indiana. I know Indiana was a team that was right on the bubble to get in, but now that they're in, you know how this goes in the postseason. If you can hit, you can win a lot of times. And you look at their numbers, I mean they're first on base percentage, they're first in batting average, they're six in slugging. All these national rankings for them.
They feel like they're that kind of team that now that they're in, they could be a headache for whoever they're playing.
[00:10:45] Speaker C: Absolutely. And what's funny is Indiana actually is that 10th place Big Ten team that I mentioned. They finished 10th in the Big Ten standings. They make the NCAA tournament. That right there though, that's why that, that's a solid offensive team.
Had a clean sheet that, that was their resume for the tournament. But that's a really solid offensive team. I look at a Taylor Minick all American a couple of years ago. Hasn't been an all American sense, but she's been so steady, very sturdy leading that offense. Bree Copeland plays both ways. Sean Stanton's teams always have a few hallmarks.
A lot of speed, wiliness on the bases, a lot of get on base, a lot of make things happen. Well now they add some power component in there with a minicker. Copeland. Copeland set their program home run record earlier this year.
So I really like the multi dimensional aspect of Indiana's offense.
And to your point, like they're going to come in and they're going to have that chip on the shoulder that hey, we were, they didn't think we should be here. Here we go.
And that team, if they get rolling, that team can be dangerous.
[00:11:46] Speaker B: Justin, I think I have this right. I think we had you on back in the fall when Arkansas was playing Oklahoma State in a exhibition game over in Tulsa. You went to that one, right?
[00:11:56] Speaker D: Correct.
[00:11:57] Speaker B: So take me back to Oak or to Tulsa in October when these two teams played an exhibition game.
What about them has changed your opinion on each team since that time.
[00:12:11] Speaker C: So I'll, I can give you something on both. I'll start with Arkansas. Arkansas's consistency on both sides of the ball has really smoothed out to me. I look at their pitching, I didn't know what to make of their pitching after that fall exhibition. Granted it's an exhibition, you can't ever have any solid answers from that. But wasn't really sure what to make of their pitching. Their pitching is really the way Diefel's managed the pitching staff, the way that Peyton Burnham, Robin Herron have looked. Even Reese Berline and Cam Harrison like they've looked solid.
The pitching changes in, in one out, the other in different times. Like the pitching staff is really smoothed out, which I wasn't sure was going to be the case after that exhibition.
Arkansas's offense has also added extra dimension.
I watching him there, they pretty well got dominated as memory serves. And I really like the, the addition of more than just the power. Like if you look at the talent, yeah there's some new faces and Ella McDowell for instance. But I really like the way Arkansas's offense has added a dimension and now it's not just the, it's gaps now it's just get on base now it's if you're Brie Ellis now it's just take the walk or the hit by pitch and add a baserunner.
So, so smoothing out the pitching staff, adding the dimension to the offense and executing. Obviously executing is key for Oklahoma State. I think it's a little bit of the reverse. I think, I think in the fall I really thought their talent level was. Was going to produce to the level it should. They are, bar none, one of the most raw talented teams in the country.
I understand they're not a top 16 seed. I understand they didn't win the Big 12 anything like that. They are raw talent wise, one of the most talented teams in the country. So I think for me after the fall to now I think I've seen Oklahoma struggle a little bit in the execution piece. I, I think I haven't seen them play to their talent level like I expected them to do.
Ruby Malin has been very good and she's, she's their ace for a reason.
But the pitching depth has been an issue and the offense just has struggled. I mean, there's just no other way to put it. The offense has struggled quite a bit. So I think Oklahoma State's kind of gone the other way in the fall. I was like, hey, this is a World Series team. The talent's playing to their level. Malin's as good as advertised.
I don't think that's born itself through the course of the regular season for.
[00:14:23] Speaker B: Osu, Briella's won SEC Player of the Year last week. Yet to hear on on National Player of the Year, where do you think she she fits into this conversation? I know we asked you this a few weeks ago, but I wonder if anything has changed with her or what other players are doing elsewhere that's maybe changed your opinion at all in this race.
[00:14:42] Speaker C: Oh, I don't think so. She should still be the national Player of the year. Like I understand there's going to be some argument for Jordy Ball at Nebraska, for instance, maybe Nigel Kennedy at Texas Tech and people like the two way player and all that. But the what Briellis has done and how consistently she's done it, even through the course of SEC play. And we've already talked about the strength of the sec.
It shouldn't be close.
[00:15:02] Speaker B: I want to ask you about pressure for Arkansas this weekend. I mean, you know, this is well documented. They've lost a couple of super regionals here on their home field and a couple of regionals here on their home field in the last four years. I was reading a story this morning where Kenny Gajewski, the head coach at Oklahoma State, said, I look at it as Arkansas as a team and has got the pressure in this regional, not us not trying to get to a sixth consecutive College World Series.
What do you think about that? And maybe the pressure that comes along with hosting this weekend with such a talented team coming over.
[00:15:35] Speaker C: I think he's right. I think for Oklahoma State this is the easiest road they've had because they're not air quotes supposed to win this week.
They're the road team. They're not a top 16. It's a down year.
Air quotes but for Arkansas, I do think that pressure is there. You've had a couple of regionals and super regionals where you just haven't just haven't gotten where you need to be. I mean, last year was a much earlier exit than expected.
That said, though, I think Arkansas's done well with that pressure this year. Like coming into the year, Arkansas wasn't really.
It wasn't really supposed to be a top team in the sec.
If you think about it, they didn't have that. I go back to that 2022 lineup with Gibson and McEwen and sides and all that. This wasn't murderers row this year. There were freshmen in the lineup, there were transfers, and it was okay. What are the transfers going to do? You get two freshman pitchers probably, or your two, three. What's that going to look like?
Arkansas's lived up to the challenge, and then they've added pressure to themselves the more they've won and they've kept winning. Like I go back to that one that stands out to me is that A M series like you had already. At that point, you. You started one in five in conference. You already had Tennessee under your belt. You already had Florida under your belt. You go into an A M series after your bye week. That's very difficult. A M top team in the conference at that point the year on the road in College Station, there's a lot of pressure attached.
And then the Arkansas wins the series and, oh, you get to the last week of the regular season. LSU's in town. You're in front of your home crowd. You two programs that know each other well, first game goes absolutely drunk, to be honest, you win that series, you know, you. So I think Oklahoma. Excuse me. I think Arkansas has withstood pressure really well outside of maybe the last three innings of the Oklahoma game. And if that's your worst sin under pressure, I think you're doing okay.
So I think Gajeski is right. I think the pressure is on Arkansas, But I also think Arkansas has done well under the pressure they've had during their season so far.
[00:17:30] Speaker B: Get you out of here on this. You know, pressure aside, that probably being maybe the biggest key to this series on the field, what do you think the biggest key is for Arkansas to advance into a Fayetteville super regional?
[00:17:43] Speaker C: You've got to make. You've got to hit Ruby Malin. You've got to make Ruby Malin work. Like, yes, we're assuming that Oklahoma State and Arkansas end up playing for the regional championship. Like, we're assuming that's going to happen that way. But that's the key. You've got to make Ruby Malin work and you've got to hit her. The more pitches she throws, the better for Arkansas.
And you just got to be able to hit her, whether that's blunt singles or home runs past the berm, you've got to be able to hit Ruby Malin. If you can do that, I think, I think it's, it's a solid bet.
[00:18:11] Speaker B: Justin McLeod of D1Softball.com Justin, we appreciate your time. I know this is a busy time of the year for you.
[00:18:18] Speaker C: Absolutely. I appreciate you guys.
[00:18:19] Speaker B: All right. Appreciate you. When we come back, Ethan Westerman is going to join me here in studio. But first, a word from Kendall King.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: At Kendall King, we're proud of over four decades of design.
We're continuing the legacy of great creative design by combining our brands of Kendall King soapbox and shopcart. Together, these brands represent a new focus in marketing design with individual attention to specific areas. Through our design expertise, supported by a team of talented professionals, we showcase our best.
We are Kendall King. We are soapbox. We are shopcart. We are design.
[00:18:56] Speaker B: Hey, welcome back. I want to tell you about our friends at Bentonville Glass. They've been serving their community since 1971. Committed, professional, versatile. If you're looking for a quality leader in northwest Arkansas or looking for skilled craftsmanship, look no further than Bentonville Glass for all your glass market needs with the highest quality products.
Come by and see them at 507 South Main in Bentonville or online at Bentonville glass.com also want to tell you you can get the latest breaking news on all Razorback sports@whole hogsports.com Most in depth source for all Arkansas sports analysis, latest in recruiting, unique stories on all your favorite teams. Subscribe today @wholehog sports.com they can read some baseball content. Razorback baseball, the national polls once again are kind of all over the place this week. They're number five in the coaches pol. They're as low, I think is number eight in a poll. And I don't feel like when you're looking at some of these polls, I've said this before, I trust the coaches poll. I think the coaches poll probably mirrors what the selection committee is thinking.
So when you look at them at 8 in another poll and you might think, oh, boy, they're in trouble as a top eight seed, I don't know that that's the case. Now if they don't do well this weekend, maybe we can revisit that. But I think right now they're still sitting in really good position for a top eight seed in the NCAA tournament. So you can read more about baseball at our side. Also, there was an announcement this morning. The Razorback foundation has launched the Razorback Raffle. Of course, this has been a contentious point in, in our state off and on for probably about the last ten months or so.
But they're going to begin this raffle with this weekend's baseball series against Tennessee. I think it's already open. I don't have the website or anything here in front of me, but basically you can, you can buy your chances into this raffle and then half of the jackpot will be given out after the Arkansas Tennessee baseball series this weekend. This is something they've been talking about and teasing at the baseball series over the last couple of weeks. Some legislation was passed earlier this year at the state House in Little Rock that made this a reality. So half of the pot will go to the winner. Half of the pot will go to the Razorback foundation as they try to figure out how to pay or how to add a 20 and a half million dollar line item to their budget every year. So that's all we're going to talk about. That's not softball. We've got Ethan Westerman here in studio with me. We'll transition back to talking about this NCAA Fayetteville Regional this weekend. Talked to Justin about having Oklahoma State here. He said it wasn't a surprise. I know you weren't real surprised by it, but you know, I, I understand what the NCAA is doing here. They got to foot the bill for these teams and so the more teams they can put on a bus, the fewer teams they have to put on a plane.
So I understand why Oklahoma State was, was sent here.
I guess I get frustrated because it's this way in baseball too, where it's not like the NCAA basketball tournament where you trying to protect to an extent your top four seeds in each of the, you know, in each of the fields or you certainly protect your number one seeds. I mean, heck, two of your one seeds are going to play 16 seeds who just played two days earlier in Dayton, Ohio. It's not that way. I mean, like, like if you wanted to look at the softball tournament kind of in the same lens of the basketball tournament, Arkansas would be a number one seed this year.
Oh, now you get Oklahoma State coming over here and you got to defend your home field against a team that's been to five consecutive Oklahoma City College World Series.
[00:22:38] Speaker D: Yeah. And I think the frustrating part about it is, is it devalues, in my opinion, gaining that higher seed because, let's be real, had Arkansas been the number 14 overall national seed. You know who would have probably got sent to Arkansas is Oklahoma State. I don't think it should be that way. I think that if you earn. There's a big G between being a top like five team and being, you know, it's not always like this every year, but this year in particular, I'd say that the top like six really separated themselves to where there wasn't much question of who was going to be a top six heading into the selection show. Now from seven to about 11, it was, you know, up for debate, but it shouldn't be to where. Arkansas had this great season and you're getting sent a two seed that is among the best two seeds. And I get it, you're going to have to play hard teams no matter what, if you want to make it as far as you want to go.
But it does seem like, you know, you should protect the seeds a little bit more and give them a more favorable path. Arkansas should not, as the 4 seed be sent this high of a 2 seed.
[00:23:35] Speaker B: Reminds me in 2021 when the baseball team was the number one overall seed in the tournament, they sent Nebraska down here a Big Ten champion. And my goodness, I mean, that was a dog fight. I think that that's part of the reason they lost to North Carolina State the next week was because Nebraska came here. I mean, they really had to give it everything they had just to get through that regional. That felt like a super regional. And then you got to turn around, you got to play a super regional again. The conspiracist in me says that the NCAA selection committee wants to keep the option open of having Oklahoma and Oklahoma State get to Oklahoma City.
You know, that's why they didn't pair them against each other. I mean, Justin said it. He said he didn't think that they wanted to have bedlam in the, in the first round of the tournament.
It's unfortunate, but like you said, I mean, here's. Here's your, here's your hand. And now you got to play the hand that you've been dealt.
[00:24:28] Speaker D: Yeah, and I think what's benefiting Arkansas in this circumstances, they played so many of the top seeds already in conference play to where it is unfortunate that you got. They got handed, you know, a tougher path than a lot of regional hosts. But it's not like Oklahoma State's any bit more intimidating than what they just faced at the SEC tournament with Tennessee and Oklahoma and back to back days. I mean, they should be well prepared for this it's going to be a battle I'm fully anticipating, like a winner take all, game three type of situation. That's just how I'm going into the weekend feeling about it, you know. But Arkansas has proven me a lot of times this year in a lot of ways. Right about my early intuition of seeing the team in non conference play even against some inferior opponents. I said this team, I feel like just has some it factor to it to where they can can maybe change their recent history of postseason getting eliminated in home regionals. I still feel like they should make it out alive from their regional, but it's going to be tough.
[00:25:23] Speaker B: Tough loss for Arkansas last week at the SEC tournament.
Oklahoma just nickel and dimed its way back into that game and then ended up hitting a three run walk off home run to win in the semifinals. You think there's any residual effects of that mentally?
[00:25:37] Speaker D: In a way?
You know, I think that one thing it did do for Arkansas is it really demonstrated, I think nationally because Oklahoma, anytime they're on tv, the whole college softball world watches and that's kind of, you know, the golden standard. And it really showed that there's not this year that much separation between Arkansas and who's been, you know, dominating the sport for a few years. So I think in a way it could take an emotional impact that, you know, you had it right there and you lost it. But I do think it more than anything showed that Arkansas is kind of right there, like the best of them this year. I know Oklahoma fans, it's funny, you check social media or whatever after these and it's like Arkansas gained Oklahoma fans respect after that game like they were. I was just seeing it everywhere, Oklahoma fans saying like, that's a team that could win it all. And so that means, I think that means a lot coming from a fan base that has seen good teams year after year that they're saying that's a good team.
[00:26:30] Speaker B: Of course, Arkansas and Oklahoma, they're playing a lot now because Oklahoma's in the conference. But it felt like even before Oklahoma was in the sec we would see matchups between these teams quite a bit. Whether it be Arkansas getting sent over to Norman for a regional or, you know, what have you. Super regional one year it hasn't been as many matchups with Oklahoma State. I guess that kind of surprises me. I thought that these teams would have seen each other more recently.
[00:26:54] Speaker D: Yeah. And honestly, I think that's more a byproduct of Oklahoma State is usually a regional host. I mean there, it's kind of whenever one of the two isn't a host, which just hasn't been the case for like the past five years or whatever. It's. You're not going to see them matched up against each other. But what's happened the last two times? I think one of them hasn't been a regional host. Arkansas got sent to the Stillwater Regional once and now Oklahoma State's getting sent to the Fayetteville Regional. I think that they're kind of in a geographic bind to where if one of them isn't the one seed, get ready, just learn that college town because you're going to be there.
[00:27:29] Speaker B: Yeah, you see that with baseball quite a bit too. Arkansas and Oklahoma State, I think they've been in the same regional like seven or eight times over the years and certainly it's happened a little bit more frequently in the last decade or so.
Let's start with the last two years for Arkansas because they haven't made it out of their home regional.
What do you think, if anything is different this year, about this year's team that you think gives them maybe a better path out of this weekend than what you saw the last two years?
[00:28:00] Speaker D: Yeah, I think there's a couple ways you can go with this. First, I mean the offense is just a lot better. It just, you look at the numbers, it is a lot better this year. Their batting average is way higher.
Their run scored is a lot higher. They have star power, which they haven't had since. You know, they've had some good players the past few years, but you haven't had a player like a Daniel Gibson or KB Sides until this year with Briellis. And to be honest, there's some players on this year's Arkansas team that you stick them on some of those teams the past two years and they're kind of the one of the play like the bigger names because they're starring a lot more. I think you have such a good player on your team right now that there's performances up and down the lineup that are kind of getting overshadowed by it that really are worthy of awards at the end of the year.
I think this team just kind of has that it factor to it. Like I said, they just, they, they're confident they have been through a tougher schedule. I mean this year's SEC was ridiculous how tough it was. I just think this team is more battle tested. They've proven it to themselves more than past years teams have because there wasn't as many opportunities to do so, to be honest. I mean, the SEC was good, but like this year, if you they, I mean, they drop their opening series at Ole Miss, then they get swept by Oklahoma. And the path to get out of that, that is like five series against top 10 teams and one series against unranked Kentucky. And they came out and won all six of those. I just think they've proven it more to themselves this year that they really can play with anybody.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: Well, taking you subscribe to our podcast, you can find it on Apple by searching Whole Hog Sports or you can find it on our whole hog sports YouTube page. We put a video version on that page every day. We put a podcast out every weekday, Monday through Friday. We've got Bubba Carpenter, our resident baseball expert, in here on Monday and Thursday. Ethan does a great job talking about softball. We'll have Anthony Christensen on, I think tomorrow to talk about what he hears from John Calipari at the Arkansas or the one, let me say it right, the one Razorback Roadshow, what's going on right now. So I hope that you'll subscribe to our podcast again. Just search Whole Hog Sports on apple or on YouTube.
Oklahoma State, they get overlooked a little bit because OU's in the same state and for a long time, I mean, obviously up until this year, they were in the same conference. And so you look at them and the number of championships and things like that, they may not catch your attention. But, you know, I knew enough about them just peripherally to know that, hey, I see them in Oklahoma City a lot. I didn't realize until I read your story the other day that they've been in those Women's College World Series five years in a row. I mean, this is a program that has got a really good track record.
[00:30:40] Speaker D: Yeah. And talking about geographic pairing and things to make it come to life a little bit more, I think the last two years, certainly last year, I think it's two years in a row the team that came out of the Fayetteville regional got sent to Stillwater and got swept both years. So that just goes to prove that the teams that Arkansas has gotten out on their home regional to have gone and lost in supers to a pro like this is a program that's used to winning. They are. I think there's a lot to be said about just a winning culture. This is like it kind of to Arkansas's benefit this year. I think there's been a lot of change at Oklahoma State on the roster. So it's not as much of like a core that's used to winning, but it's still they're coming from a coach and a staff and some players on the team that just do not know what it's like to not make it to Oklahoma City. I think there's a lot to be said about that.
[00:31:27] Speaker B: Ruby Malin is Oklahoma State's pitching ace. We heard Justin talk about that earlier. 161 ERA that ranks 12th nationally. That's kind of interesting to see that she and Robin Heron are kind of statistically comparable if it comes down to that pitching matchup at any point this weekend. How do you think that looks?
[00:31:47] Speaker D: Yeah, it really depends what version of both you get. I mean, that can be said, I feel like about any game. But Robin Heron, whenever she's not, I think her stats honestly get weighed out a little bit. Like her good performances from equally just games where she just doesn't have it. Like she just can't find the zone, struggle with command. It happened against lsu, but like whenever she's on, her numbers are crazy good. I mean, you think about what she did against Tennessee, games that she's had this year against Florida, Texas A and M.
Whenever she's on, it's.
I mean, Arkansas has a chance against anybody.
It's a matter of what version do you get. And the same could be said about Oklahoma State's pitcher, Ruby Malin. The thing about her too though is she's facing an Arkansas offense that I think you just look at the regional and that's, that's the best offense that she's going to be facing. So Indiana has a good offense too, but it's nothing like facing SEC pitching and producing against those type of teams. I just think that it's a favorable for Arkansas in the sense that, that their aces, if these teams stack up against each other, she's going to be facing an offense that has seen all Americans all year long.
[00:32:58] Speaker B: We talked with Justin earlier about pressure, the pressure that's on Arkansas to not only get out of its home regional after losing a couple, but of course they've got a couple of home super regionals that they lost before then. Just, just the, the it feels like this program is, is right on the doorstep of breaking through, of getting to Oklahoma City for the first time.
What kind of pressure do you think they're feeling over there right now about a lot of people saying, hey, you could be the team that's finally going to do this?
[00:33:33] Speaker D: Yeah, I think there's kind of two ways this could go. I think the staff probably feel it, honestly, more than the players. I would assume just because there's, you know, you think about. Courtney Deifo has been here 10 years. Matt Michael, her assistant's been here for all but one of those.
Danielle Gibson, she was a player on the team that they were, said the same thing about that this could be the team. I think that there's a sense probably in the staff of just, like, they know that this is a really good shot to make it.
And it's always disheartening if you don't with a team that you really thought could be the one to pick yourself back up and start over again, because it truly is such a grind every single year. And I think that they just know that this is a team that, you know, like, let's just imagine a world where all they do is that you don't play this much postseason, that they just pick the best eight teams. Like Arkansas is one of the best eight teams in the country. And there's no doubt about it. And that's the same way that that 2022 team was. I think that there's pressure in that sense, that there's no doubt in their minds that they're one of the best eight teams. Now you just have to prove it again. And I think that's the hardest part in postseason, is it's. You're reproving yourself every single postseason. It doesn't matter what type of regular season you had.
What you did the year before goes out the window. You're having to prove yourself all over again, because in that weekend, anything can happen. You get two losses on your. On your record over the weekend, your season's over. And I think all teams feel that. I do think this Arkansas team has a lot of newness about it, of players that weren't on those teams that lost. I mean, Briellis was last year. You think about a Reagan Johnson, Reagan Kramer. But other than that, there's a lot of players on this team that don't probably have that kind of weight on them because they're new, but you just never know. They do have to feel and hear what people are saying about how the team hasn't been able to get over the hump.
So I think that this is the type of weekend that, you know, Arkansas, there could be added pressure on them, but I'm not sure that they've shown me all year that they feel. I mean, there's been pressure on them ever since they started Sec 1 and 5, if that makes sense. Because at that point, the pressure was, are y' all good enough to host a regional now that, you know they're good enough to make it to the World Series. It's just, will they do it?
[00:35:43] Speaker B: When the field was announced Sunday, Courtney Deinfeld, the Arkansas softball coach, spoke with reporters for a few minutes on a zoom call. This is what she had to say about the field and about potentially playing Oklahoma State.
[00:35:55] Speaker E: Well, we were pretty confident that we were going to get Oklahoma State and St. Louis. So the question more so was who was our three seed going to be?
And so that one was the surprise to us.
But we, we knew the other two were probably going to, going to be here as the day kind of unfolded and the weekend unfolded.
So it's going to be a tough region. I think it's, there's, I mean, really good teams. So it's going to be tough, but everything's tough this time of year. And so that's what we expect.
[00:36:24] Speaker D: Yeah. You know, whenever you're facing in your regional, potentially, you know, a team like Oklahoma State that's been, I think they've made five in a row, Women's College World Series, they kind of have that postseason pedigree. What's just kind of the, you know, the mentality going in whenever, you know that you have a team like that that's used to winning in the postseason.
[00:36:43] Speaker E: Yeah, I think when you look at the entire field, they all have, they all have a lot of strengths. They're all post season teams and they're all going to be fighting for their lives. So I think when you look at Oklahoma State, they've been there and they've done that.
It's a, it's a new team, just like our team's new.
Right now our focus is on St. Louis. So I think we look at the field, we prepare for the field, but we are going to put our focus and our prep for the team and everybody on St. Louis.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: Okay, so you heard she didn't want to go there with you talking about Oklahoma State. And I think that's one of the keys to the series is not overlooking that first team.
[00:37:21] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, for sure. Because I mean, let's be real, Arkansas, they should beat St. Louis. But you see it every single year where a four seed will knock off the one. And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, you should have pumped the brakes. And the similar style argument. Arkansas would be thrilled if they beat St. Louis. And Oklahoma State was overlooking Indiana because Indiana just squeaked in the tournament. I mean, it's one of those deals, you throw seeds out the window this time of year, you better be ready to play.
[00:37:46] Speaker B: Softball is different from baseball because baseball, you have to think about how you're going to approach it with pitching. You throw one guy, he puts probably is not coming back for the regional.
I wonder with Oklahoma State how they might approach this game with Indiana. Because Indiana, you look at their numbers, I mean, maybe the best hitting team in the country.
If you're Oklahoma State, do you think you can get through that game without throwing your ace? And then if you've got to throw her, how do you approach game too?
[00:38:12] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, I would be just gut feeling. I would be shocked if Oklahoma State didn't pitch their ace against Indiana, then roller back out for potential against Arkansas. And then at that point though, you know, that's why I say this gives me the winner take all game three type of series feel because let's say they do pitch their ace twice in a row and they were to beat Arkansas. I think Arkansas gets any other pitcher is going to really rough them up. They could definitely beat them with their A. Still, I mean, they just beat Carlin Pickens in a game. But it's, it's such a different game of, you know, chess with pitchers and softball than baseball.
[00:38:46] Speaker B: It's. As someone who covers baseball, whenever I look at, oh, this pitcher threw 200 something pitches over the course of the week.
[00:38:53] Speaker D: What Robin Harrod against South Carolina threw like 259 in one weekend. And I'm just like, it's crazy just how the different throwing motion can affect how much you can throw. But I'm, you know, with Arkansas, they have two solid options. With Burnham, the freshman too, I mean, against Oklahoma, she did pretty well. Like, I mean, she gave up the solo bombs, but like, no pitchers do great against Oklahoma ever.
And I think that she's got a lot of confidence. So I could see Arkansas game one rolling out Burnham for sure, and then Heron being ready for Oklahoma State or Indiana and then maybe throw her back to bag days as well.
[00:39:28] Speaker B: Do you think Arkansas gets out of this regional?
[00:39:30] Speaker D: I do, I really do. I don't think that this team this year has the same like last year in the year before it was the offense. You just, if they're off for a game, like, it's just hard to overcome that. And this offense I just think has too much power on it for them to lose this regional. I look at the field and I think that Oklahoma State's a really good team. But, you know, I just think Arkansas has proven it a little bit more this year than they have in years past.
[00:39:56] Speaker B: And Arkansas, Arkansas plays in a tougher conference, I feel like week by week. And you know this as well as anybody because you've written about it, but how many weeks did they play in succession a top 10 team?
[00:40:08] Speaker D: Yeah, it was four or five, but like five out of. They won their final six SEC series of the year, and five of those six were top 10. Three of those were on the road.
[00:40:18] Speaker B: So, I mean, it's like you're playing a super regional every week, every single.
[00:40:21] Speaker D: Weekend, and they came out live of every single one of them. Is what's different about this team.
[00:40:25] Speaker B: I don't think OSU, especially with OU and Texas being out of the Big 12 now that they've maybe seen that type of competition week to week.
[00:40:34] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. I mean, Oklahoma won the SEC this year with, I believe, three series losses that never happened in the Big 12.
[00:40:40] Speaker B: And I guess it was a little surprising Oklahoma State didn't win its conference this year because its big block has been those two teams that keep playing for the national championship who just went to the sec.
[00:40:49] Speaker D: Yeah, well, Nijerie Kennedy, the star pitcher at Stanford, transferred to Texas Tech this past year, and that made a big difference in that conference. But yeah, Oklahoma State, it's not the year that they would have won it at all. I mean, this is not their standard, but it's still a dangerous enough team that could make it all the way to the World Series.
[00:41:06] Speaker B: It's an interesting matchup this weekend. The first game for Arkansas is going to be on ESPN on Friday. This Oklahoma State Indiana game has gotten picked up by ESPN2. Mike Cousins and Leah Amico are going to be the broadcasters here. The expectation is, especially if you see an Arkansas Oklahoma State matchup that's probably going to get put onto one of the linear networks, but you'll be able to see everything on ESPN in the softball tournament.
[00:41:34] Speaker D: Yeah, they do. I mean, what ESPN does with the NCAA softball tournament, I think is just like how they take over the networks is pretty cool. I mean, it's. It's really grown in the past few years. And even like, what they did with the SEC tournament, that production was awesome. I don't know if the. The call for Briella says grand slam. I think it was. Kevin Brown was announcing it.
[00:41:52] Speaker B: We played it on our baseball podcast.
[00:41:53] Speaker D: That was an insanely good call. Like, it was one of those that I didn't realize how good it was until in hindsight. Like, re listening to it was like, man, this dude, it's like he scripted this before it ever happened. I mean, the thing about holding a toothpick and that was capital G. Gulp. I'm like.
[00:42:09] Speaker B: And it just been a little too much. But the call of the. Of the home run was good.
[00:42:13] Speaker D: Yeah. Oh, I mean, he nailed it. He nailed the whole thing. I feel like we had Bubba in.
[00:42:17] Speaker B: Here the other day, breaking down Breeze, grand slam swing.
[00:42:20] Speaker D: Oh, really?
[00:42:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:42:21] Speaker D: What did he have to say? Do you remember?
[00:42:23] Speaker B: He loved it. I mean, he loved. I mean, he said he probably went back and watched that play. I don't remember.
[00:42:28] Speaker D: Several times MLB shared it on their social media accounts, which. There's this partnership right now between the MLB and a usl, the pro softball league that's starting that. I think it's actually we're going to see some legs taken just with getting kind of that MLB support and backing. And Breeze was second overall picked by them. So pretty cool stuff for the future of the sport.
[00:42:47] Speaker B: I wish that ESPN would push the spring sports on their main networks more.
You know, like, I was.
I was flipping through our channel guide on a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago and I'm like, you know, who wants to be watching this that you can find anywhere when you could have live sports? And it would, it would. I feel like it would bring in more eyeballs for like if ABC had.
Let's say it was the weekend of Texas A and mlsu. These are two big brands in baseball. You put that thing on ABC on a Sunday afternoon, I guarantee you more people are going to watch that than a rerun of the Rookie or whatever.
[00:43:31] Speaker D: It is they sandwich it between. NBA playoff games on espn. I mean, it's just. I don't know, I feel like there's such a.
Yeah. Market out there with these sports are like. So I don't know, it's. It's brands that you are familiar with from baseball and football. But then you watch the product and there's so many unique things that make Arkansas baseball different from Arkansas. Anything else that it's like, I don't know. It's just something that I think a lot of people gravitate to because it's very unique. The sport is. And the traditions that. I mean, you see beer hats at Razorback baseball games. Tell me where else you. I guess you see it at Bogle now, too. It came down the road a little bit, but it's just like you, you learn there's different things about these teams that you won't see in any other sport. And I think that people like a unique product.
[00:44:15] Speaker B: I was like, I was watching Texas Florida in baseball the other day. It was a Great atmosphere in Austin. It's like, you can't tell me that if someone is just curious on a Sunday afternoon that, you know, they see that, that it's not going to bring them back in and they say, hey, you know, let me go watch a little bit more of that. Same thing goes with softball. You watch an OU home softball game or an Arkansas home softball game or whatever.
I don't know. I just, I. That's a, That's a totally different conversation, I guess, for another day. But I just wish that the networks would. Would lean in more to this because I think they are the ones, the networks who are trying to push everything over to these pay apps that they have. They're the ones that are actually keeping the games from growing more by not putting it on some of their premier networks.
[00:44:59] Speaker D: And I just think that if you did what you do in college football to an extent in college basketball, where you pick a time slot like, I mean, the SEC on CBS game on Saturdays every week was such a cool deal, but you have like one college baseball game every Saturday, SEC that's on ABC and you have like the A team and you have. I mean, it'd be so cool if you could just like have that one. At least just one game that's on ABC every week and people know that series is happening. Instead, I'm having to like check every app and stuff to figure out who's in a rain. Like, like, oh, they were on ESPN plus but they're in a rain delay. So it. Or they were on espn you. But they went to a rain delay. So now it will resume on ESPN plus. And I mean, glad we have all these ways to watch games, but I just feel like there's.
You kind of live in the dark a little bit half the time with all these things until you see like I watch Rally Cap on SEC Network every week because it catches you up on what all happened when you weren't able to watch. Because, yeah, I'm chasing something right now, but I agree with you.
[00:46:01] Speaker B: The point being that, that if they would put more out there on their linear networks, it would actually grow the game. It would grow the interest in certain teams. And then if you're espn, hey, you get more people that are paying for your app because they're going to come over here and see the games that you're not putting on the tv. It just seems like it would benefit everybody if they would do that more. Maybe they can have that 2:30 game of the week, get Kirk Herbstreet to come out to Baum and call a baseball game or something.
[00:46:24] Speaker D: Yeah, that'd be cool. I do think that they do a great job. Women's college World Series. I think they do put some, they have put some games on ABC for that, which is cool.
And I'm just like, college baseball is just always espn, right?
[00:46:37] Speaker B: I believe so.
[00:46:37] Speaker D: I don't know.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: Used to be CBS when I was a kid.
[00:46:40] Speaker D: Wow, you're really aging yourself.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: Yeah, there were lots of teams.
I've never heard of these teams.
[00:46:45] Speaker D: Arkansas baseball, whenever I was a kid was MP3 player. For me personally, I would listen. I remember listening like it was my, you know, guilty pleasure. Every year on the playground, it felt like Arkansas would be playing an SEC tournament game at like 1pm or something and I would just have my MP3 player out there listening to the call.
[00:47:03] Speaker B: It's amazing how much all that's changed in technology too. You know, there was a point when I was covering the team that not every game was on the radio. I mean, like, there would be some games that like, okay, we're not going to carry this on the radio. And then, you know, there were years where it's like, okay, you might get eight games that are televised and those are the only ones you can watch because there's nothing streaming. On that note, why does Arkansas not have a softball radio network?
I feel like that's one of the things that.
And I guess they're not going to add any more expenses right now because they're trying to tighten the belt until it pops. But that would be a great addition. I feel like I found myself when they were at the SEC tournament, driving around picking up my kids and they're playing these mid afternoon games. I'm like, man, I'd like to know what's going on there. I'd like to listen to a radio call of it. But that's something they, and a lot.
[00:47:50] Speaker D: Of SEC teams do have the nest like LSU brought theirs just a few weeks ago. Oklahoma, of course as well.
[00:47:55] Speaker B: You guys are robust.
[00:47:57] Speaker D: Oh my goodness. Oh, you covers softball like the way that Arkansas covers baseball. And I learned that firsthand experience this year at Bogle. I mean, they had to pull out the tables that they normally have for postseason on the concourse for media outlets. So pretty crazy stuff. But it's, yeah, it's. There's some sort of charm to listen to a radio broadcast. I mean, I listened to whenever Arkansas beat Florida State.
You'll know better. What World Series was this? It was like a wall.
[00:48:20] Speaker B: It wasn't, it wasn't the word it was the.09 super regional. Andrew Darr hit a RBI double, a two run double to beat Florida State on their home field.
[00:48:28] Speaker D: I listened to that on the radio and I was imagining it in my head. I.
And the Eibner one as well. Yeah, I listened to that on the radio. Like we were not a big ESPN fan. Like we did not have the, the cool channels we were stuck with. Like we got to see the news. So I was left imagining all these games. And let me tell you, radio carried me through a lot of Razorback sports.
[00:48:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, you talked to Chuck Barrett and he'll tell you that's one of the reasons that Razorback baseball grew was because they took the network and they put them on 100,000 watt radio stations in Fort Smith and in Little Rock. And then all of a sudden people start, not only are they able to listen to the games, but because those are sports talk radio stations, then it starts to become part of the conversation on the sports radio shows as they're leading into or coming out of a game. And. And again it all just kind of.
There's a snowball effect here.
So that was a nice little rabbit that we chased right there at the end. We were going to keep it tight and then we got going.
[00:49:27] Speaker D: Well, what's new?
[00:49:29] Speaker B: Yeah, that's how we do. We appreciate you being with us. You can read all of Ethan's coverage on Razorback softball at our website, wholehogsports.com he and Anthony Christensen are going to be out there this weekend covering the regional. Promise you you're not going to find the level of coverage they're going to. They're going to give you anywhere
[email protected]. be back with another podcast tomorrow. Hope to see you then. Have a great day everybody.
