Arkansas set for Top 5 road clash with Oklahoma
The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (35-6, 10-5 SEC) hit the road for the second consecutive week to take on the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners (40-5, 13-2 SEC) at Love’s Field in Norman (Okla.) for one of the most highly-anticipated series of the weekend.
Despite all of the outside noise, it is another chapter in the gauntlet that is the SEC slate both of these teams regularly face.
“Going into the weekend it is another SEC matchup where it is going to demand out best and, obviously, they are Oklahoma and they do a lot of things really well and so do we,” Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel said. “It is going to test us just like every weekend in the SEC so we are looking forward to it.”
Both squads are coming off of key series victories as Arkansas’ offense exploded in the final two games against Mississippi State after dropping Game 1 and the Sooners conquered arch rival Texas. However, Oklahoma is on a rare two-game skid after dropping Game 3 to the Longhorns and then falling in a midweek neutral showdown at Devon Park in Oklahoma City against in-state foe Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
Oklahoma is led by 8-time national champion Patty Gasso, well-known by now as the mother of Arkansas hitting coach DJ Gasso and also Deifel’s former boss. Deifel was a graduate assistant under Patty Gasso from 2008-2009.
“Getting to work closely with Patty and Melyssa Lombardi, who has had a tremendous run as the head coach at Oregon, and getting to see behind the curtain, it is different as a player than when you see the inner workings and day-to-day,” Deifel said. “It is what made me to decide to get into coaching when that necessarily was not the path I was going to choose for myself.
“I am really fortunate for that time and their trust in letting me see, because they are very secretive and protective of what they do, so in that short amount of time getting to see a glimpse behind the curtain and knowing what that looks like to compete at a high level, run a high-level program. It has changed so much since then and I have been fortunate to have that base of what it looks like to coach at a high level.”
HawgBeat has you covered on the statistical comparison, weekend schedule and opposing players to watch between the Razorbacks and Sooners.
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Statistical comparison
| 2026 Stats | Arkansas | Oklahoma |
| Batting average | .365 | .412 |
| OPS | 1.091 | 1.349 |
| Runs per game | 8.6 | 11.2 |
| Home runs | 63 | 151 |
| Stolen bases (success rate) | 30 (94%) | 58 (87%) |
| ERA | 2.30 | 2.88 |
| Opponent batting average | .211 | .233 |
| Fielding percentage | .981 | .983 |
Things To Know About The Weekend
Friday – 7 p.m. CT, ESPN2
Saturday – 7 p.m. CT, SEC Network+
Sunday – 1 p.m. CT, SEC Network+
Click here for information on live stats and more.
OKLAHOMA OPPOSING PLAYERS TO WATCH
LHP Audrey Lowry: 2.10 ERA, 24 GP, 90 IP, 71 H, 27 ER, 15 BB, 64 K, .212 BA
C Kendall Wells: .378/.478/1.111, 44 GP, 135 AB, 51 H, 2 2B, 32 HR, 71 RBI, 26 BB, 20 K
IF Gabbie Garcia: .399/.450/.855, 44 GP, 138 AB, 55 H, 9 2B, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 12 BB, 14 K
OF Kasidi Pickering: .419/.540/.876, 44 GP, 129 AB, 54 H, 11 2B, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 32 BB, 25 K
UTL Ella Parker: .444/.561/.991, 43 GP, 117 AB, 52 H,10 2B, 18 HR, 53 RBI, 30 BB, 16 K
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