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2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Fayetteville Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

By Ethan Lee

DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - FEBRUARY 29: An NCAA softball during a game between Notre Dame and Duke at Duke Softball Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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The Arkansas Razorbacks are hosting the Fayetteville Regional as the No. 6 overall seed in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

As one of the best teams in the country, the Arkansas Razorbacks earned the No. 6 overall seed in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament and the chance to host the Fayetteville Regional. In the regional, the Razorbacks will be joined by the Stanford Cardinal, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, and the Manhattan Jaspers.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas has gone through an incredible rebuild over the past few seasons. The Razorbacks have become an absolute powerhouse and went 40-9 this season, thriving in the Southeastern Conference. Now, as the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament is set to begin, the Razorbacks must prove that they can continue at a high level.

Best wins

  • April 10 vs. Alabama – 4-0
  • May 3 at LSU – 4-1
  • May 1 at LSU – 1-0

Worst losses

  • February 20 at McNeese State – 4-7
  • April 25 vs. Missouri – 1-10
  • April 24 vs. Missouri – 3-6

Players to watch

  • Braxton Burnside – Burnside has a .347 batting average and 24 home runs.
  • Mary Haff – Haff has a 1.58 ERA, a 23-6 record, and 180 strikeouts this season.
  • Linnie Malkin – Malkin has a .265 batting average, 16 home runs, and 38 RBI.

Final thoughts

Arkansas is the best team in the regional and has a roster that could help the Razorbacks make a run to the Women’s College World Series. There’s a very real chance that Arkansas won’t be really challenged in the Fayetteville Regional.

Stanford Cardinal

Stanford started the season out strong, but the Cardinal ran into some trouble when they started facing Pac-12 foes. Stanford entered into the NCAA Softball Tournament with a 31-20 record, which is fine, but the Cardinal went 9-12 in conference play, which is less than ideal.

Best wins

  • April 9 at Arizona State – 6-2
  • April 25 at Oregon – 5-0
  • May 14 vs. Washington – 8-0 in five innings

Worst losses

  • April 1 vs. Arizona – 0-9 in five innings
  • April 10 at Arizona State – 6-10
  • May 8 at UCLA – 0-9 in five innings

Players to watch

  • Alana Vawter – Vawter has a 21-9 win-loss record, a 1.21 ERA and 141 strikeouts through 179 innings pitched.
  • Teaghan Cowles – Cowles is a constant threat to steal bases for Stanford. This year she has stolen 16 bases on 17 attempts.
  • Regan Krause – Krause has a 2.64 ERA and 74 strikeouts through 90 innings pitched.

Final thoughts

Stanford could be a really good team. The Cardinal have proven that with solid wins over some of the best teams in the country. Unfortunately for Stanford, this team has also been run over by some of those same teams.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits

There are several three seeds in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament who have won an absurd amount of games. South Dakota State is one of them. So far, South Dakota State has a 42-6 record

Best wins

  • March 5 vs. Oregon State – 7-0
  • March 10 at Kansas -15-11 in 10 innings
  • April 30 vs. Creighton – 11-0 in five innings

Worst losses

  • March 9 at Wichita State – 3-5
  • March 13 vs. Northern Iowa- 1-4
  • April 24 vs. South Dakota -1-3

Players to watch

  • Grace Glanzer – Glanzer has a 1.72 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 155 innings pitched.
  • Cylie Halvorson – Halvorson has a .351 batting average and leads her team with 17 home runs so far.
  • Toir Kniesche – Kniesche has a 1.58 ERA and 178 strikeouts so far through 124 innings pitched.

Final thoughts

The Jackrabbits might be able to make things interesting in this regional. South Dakota State has proven that it can win, and the Jackrabbits win quite frequently. All they need to do now at this point is shock some more well-known schools.

Manhattan Jaspers

The Manhattan Jaspers have not looked all that great this season and as such, they’ve managed to put together a 22-14 record this year. But, the bulk of the Jaspers’ wins have come away from home. Between away games and neutral locations, Manhattan has a 16-8 record. The Jaspers have to be hoping that this sort of success carries over to the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

Best wins

  • March 30 vs. Quinnipiac – 10-1 in six innings
  • April 28 at Iona – 8-0 in six innings
  • May 3 vs. Iona – 11-5

Worst losses

  • March 20 at Fairfield – 0-8 in five innings
  • April 2 vs. Canisius – 0-10 in five innings
  • April 3 vs. Canisius – 1-8

Players to watch

  • Gabriella Mazzotta – Mazzotta is someone opponents will want to keep an eye on whenever she gets on base. So far, Mazzotta has 11 stolen bases on 12 attempts.
  • Nicole Williams – Williams has been putting up noteworthy stats and has a 2.02 ERA and 110 strikeouts through 107.2 innings pitched.
  • Annie Moore – Moore leads her team with a .361 batting average and 20 RBIs.

Final thoughts

There’s a very good chance that Manhattan finds this regional to be rather difficult. There’s also a pretty good chance that the Jaspers find themselves presented with an early exit in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

Next. 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament bracket revealed: Predictions, schedule, top storylines to watch. dark

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