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Arkansas softball earns No. 12 seed for NCAA Softball Tournament, will host regional for 4th consecutive year | Whole Hog Sports

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Arkansas softball earns No. 12 seed for NCAA Softball Tournament, will host regional for 4th consecutive year | Whole Hog Sports


FAYETTEVILLE — Bogle Park will once again be the site of postseason softball.

Arkansas (36-16) was announced Sunday night as the No. 12 national seed and will host Arizona, Villanova and Southeast Missouri State at the double-elimination NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

It is the fourth consecutive season Arkansas has been selected as a regional host. There will be no shortage of familiarity for the Razorbacks against their opposition.

Arkansas will open with a game against the regional’s fourth-seeded team Southeast Missouri State (28-24) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+. SEMO was champion of the Ohio Valley Conference. 

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The Razorbacks defeated SEMO twice — 5-0 and 6-5 (8 innings) — in the Wooo Pig Classic earlier this season.

Arizona (34-16-1), the regional’s second-seeded team, hosted the Razorbacks at the Bear Down Fiesta in February. The Razorbacks and Wildcats split a pair of games, both by a 3-2 score.

Arizona will play Villanova (31-22), the Big East Tournament champions, in the regional opener at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

The regional’s winner will be paired against the Stillwater Regional winner, which is hosted by No. 5 overall seed Oklahoma State and also includes Kentucky, Michigan and Northern Colorado. 

Should Oklahoma State (44-10) win its regional, the Cowgirls would host the Fayetteville Regional winner.

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It is the Razorbacks’ seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament berth under ninth-year coach Courtney Deifel, which exceeds the program’s six total appearance prior to her tenure.

Arkansas had not hosted a regional prior to Deifel taking over in 2015, but has hosted five since 2018.

The SEC led all conferences with 8 host teams, and all 13 teams in the conference made the 64 team-field. Vanderbilt does not sponsor softball. 

Arkansas was joined by No. 3 national seed Tennessee, No. 4 Florida, No. 7 Missouri, No. 9 LSU, No. 11 Georgia, No. 14 Alabama and No. 16 Texas A&M as regional hosts from the SEC.

Texas and Oklahoma, which will join the SEC next year, are the Nos. 1 and 2 national seeds. 

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Other national seeds are Oklahoma State, UCLA (6), Stanford (8), Duke (10), Louisiana-Lafayette (13) and Florida State (15).



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Arkansas prison fight to overshadow elections and legislative session in 2026

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Arkansas prison fight to overshadow elections and legislative session in 2026


Building a maximum-security, 3,000-bed prison was supposed to be a crowning achievement for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders as she touts her bonafides as a law-and-order Republican. Debate over the project is instead casting a shadow on this year’s primary elections and legislative session, with a special election this week in the Senate district where […]



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Acuff scores 29 points to lead No. 18 Arkansas to a 86-75 win over No. 19 Tennessee

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Acuff scores 29 points to lead No. 18 Arkansas to a 86-75 win over No. 19 Tennessee


FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including a key 3-pointer with just over two minutes left in the second half, to help No. 18 Arkansas to an 86-75 win over No. 19 Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

Arkansas (11-3) used a 18-5 run over a 6-minute, 37-second span midway through the second half to turn a five-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 5:40 left. Tennessee shot just 2 for 10 from the field during Arkansas’ run, missing eight shots in a row before finally scoring.

The Volunteers (10-4) took advantage of an Arkansas cold shooting spell — the Razorbacks picked up 12 of their 18 points during the run from the free-throw line — to close within two points with under four minutes to play. Acuff made a 3-pointer from the wing with 2:09 remaining to give the Razorbacks a 79-68 lead.

Tennessee shot 49% from the field and was outscored at the line, going 12 for 23 while Arkansas shot 29 for 33.

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Acuff was the only Arkansas player to shoot better than 50% from the floor, going 9 for 16. The Razorbacks shot 42% overall. Acuff was joined in double-digit scoring by Meleek Thomas, who scored 18 points. Malique Ewin added 12 points and Karter Knox 11.

Amari Evans’ 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting led three Tennessee players in double figures.

Arkansas won its opening SEC game for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The Razorbacks have reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in four of the five seasons since and made two Elite Eight appearances.

Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas (1) shoots over Tennessee defenders Ja’Kobi Gillespie, left, and Felix Okpara, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Fayetteville, Ark. Credit: AP/Michael Woods

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Arkansas: At Ole Miss on Wednesday.

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Tennessee: Hosts Texas on Tuesday.



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Washington County restaurant inspections | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Washington County restaurant inspections | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Violations marked as priority contribute directly to the elimination, prevention or reduction in the hazards associated with foodborne illness. Priority violations include prevention of contamination, cooking, reheating, cooling and handwashing.



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