Razorback freshmen receive league honors

FAYETTEVILLE — On the eve of Arkansas’ postseason opener, freshmen Mary Haff and Hannah McEwen have been recognized by the league’s head coaches with a pair of All-SEC accolades as announced Tuesday by the conference office.

Both Haff and McEwen have earned spots on the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team.

With Tuesday’s release, Haff and McEwen are the 16th and 17th all-conference performers in program history, and the third and fourth for coach Courtney Deifel, now in her third season in Fayetteville.

Haff becomes the fifth Arkansas pitcher to collect All-SEC honors while McEwen is the first outfield selection for the program since Jessica Bachkora in 2010.

Arkansas (37-14, 12-12 SEC) is the No. 7 seed in this week’s SEC Tournament which begins Wednesday in Columbia, Missouri.

The Razorbacks face Kentucky in the opening round at 1:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

This marks Arkansas’ 11th appearance in the conference tournament and second straight under Deifel. The team’s 12 SEC wins are the program’s most since the 2013 season.

Multiple All-SEC Honors in One Season

Jessica Bachkora (2010) – All-SEC Second Team, Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Devon Wallace (2012) – All-SEC First Team, SEC All-Freshman Team, Freshman of the Year
Mary Haff (2018) – All-SEC Second Team, SEC All-Freshman Team
Hannah McEwen (2018) – All-SEC Second Team, SEC All-Freshman Team

In 19 appearances during SEC play, Haff posted a 10-5 record with 87 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 88.0 innings of work.

She registered three complete-game shutouts in wins over No. 12 South Carolina, No. 15 Alabama and Ole Miss and held conference opponents to a .191 batting average.

After picking up two wins against the Crimson Tide in the program’s first-ever series win over Alabama, Haff was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Her ranked second in the league with 10 wins during SEC play.

McEwen tallied a .293 batting average with three home runs, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored in 24 SEC games. She had seven multi-hit performances including a 3-for-3 performance in Arkansas’ series-opening win over Ole Miss.

During the weekend against the Rebels, McEwen powered the offense with a .636 batting average, two home runs and seven RB and went on to earn SEC Freshman of the Week for her efforts.

She also totaled 22 hits and drew 13 walks in league play. Her 16 runs scored tied for the eighth-highest total in the SEC.