Top-ranked Oklahoma was perfect in its SEC season opener a week ago when hosting No. 10 South Carolina. This week, the scene shifts to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the Sooners meet up with the 15th-ranked Razorbacks.
The four-time defending national champions Sooners are 23-0 and the only unbeaten team remaining in NCAA Division-I softball. Arkansas enters the three-game weekend series with the Sooners with a 20-3 record. Two of their three losses came in the SEC season opener at No. 25 Ole Miss last weekend.
The Razorbacks rebounded from the back-to-back losses in the first two games of the Ole Miss series with a 20-3 blowout win in the series finale. Oklahoma's three wins over South Carolina were all by one run (10-9, 10-9 and 2-1). Those were the first one-run games for the Sooners out of 23 they've played thus far in 2025.
Arkansas began the 2025 season with 14 consecutive victories before running into No. 5 UCLA on Feb. 22 as part of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, where the Razorbacks suffered their first loss, 9-1.
The three-game weekend series at Bogle Park in Fayetteville -- recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as one of the best atmospheres in college softball -- will be the 28th, 29th and 30th games in the all-time series between OU and Arkansas. Oklahoma has won 25 of the 27 previous games.
What fans need to know
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma sophomore Ella Parker ranks third in the SEC in hitting (.525 batting average) and leads the SEC in doubles (12).
- Freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia has been on a long-ball terror the past couple of weeks. She homered in five consecutive games between March 1-9, and is currently on a nine-game hitting streak.
- OU pitchers have struck out 154 hitters this season and issued only 28 walks. The Sooners' four starting pitchers (Sam Landry, Kiersten Deal, Audrey Lowry and Isabella Smith) all have at least five wins and have ERAs under 2.19.
- There will be members of the Gasso family in both dugouts this weekend. OU head coach Patty Gasso's son DJ Gasso is an assistant coach for Arkansas. Her other son, JT Gasso, is associate head coach and hitting coach for the Sooners. In addition, Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 2008-09.
Arkansas
- Arkansas infielder Bri Ellis will be the best player on the field this weekend. The senior first baseman ranks second in the SEC with a batting average of .547 and leads the conference in home runs (13), on-base percentage (.683) and slugging percentage (1.396). Her 13 round-trippers are tied for the lead nationally.
- Utility player Courtney Day hits right behind Ellis in the Arkansas lineup and hits .400. Ellis (40) and Day (36) have combined for 76 RBI this season. That is more than 117 Division-I programs total this season.
- Arkansas starting pitcher Robyn Herron owns a 7-1 record this season with a 1.31 ERA and a team-best 56 strikeouts. The junior left-hander began this week ranked sixth nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (3.26). She has carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning in four of her last seven starts.
- Arkansas has 16 run-rule wins in its 20 wins this season and has run-ruled the opponent in seven of its last 10 games.