SOFTBALL
Arkansas ranked No. 8 in D1 poll
Fresh off its best season in school history, the University of Arkansas softball team is ranked eighth in the D1Softball postseason poll released on Tuesday.
The Razorbacks, who finished 11th in the final poll last season, are one of eight SEC teams listed. That's the most of any league in the country. The Pac-12 is second with five. Alabama leads the group at No. 2, followed by Florida (5th), Arkansas (8th), Missouri (10th), LSU (17th), Tennessee (18th), Georgia (19th) and Kentucky (20th).
Last season completed a worst-to-first turnaround for the Arkansas softball program under coach Courtney Deifel. The Razorbacks finished 43-11 with the best winning percentage in school history to go with a 19-5 mark in the SEC. They were 17-39 record, including 1-23 in the SEC in 2016, Deifel's first season.
The Razorbacks open this season Feb. 10 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge against Rutgers. They are also slated to face Washington twice in the tournament. The Huskies are ranked one spot above Arkansas in the D1Softball poll at No. 7.
-- Paul Boyd
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Lonoke coach headed to Oklahoma
Lonoke football coach and Athletic Director Harry Wright has taken a similar post with a new school, he announced Tuesday on Twitter.
Wright has accepted the position of head football coach and assistant athletic director with Bartlesville (Okla.) Public Schools.
"This has been one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my career," Wright said. "During my career, I have sacrificed my family to move several times all over 2 different states, this time the change is to benefit my family. ... We will always consider Lonoke to be part of my family and hopefully, you will still have us."
In three seasons, Wright's Lonoke teams went 20-15, with three playoffs appearances. Wright's departure is the fifth for an Arkansas high school head coach this offseason.
-- Adam Cole
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Report: ASU to hire former Syracuse assistant
Arkansas State University is set to add Vince Reynolds to its coaching staff, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. Reynolds has been a defensive line coach at Syracuse since 2016, and though Thamel reported that he would be taking the same position with the Red Wolves, Walter Stewart was hired as the Red Wolves' defensive line/defensive run game coordinator earlier this month.
Prior to his time with the Orange, Reynolds spent three seasons as the defensive line coach at Western Michigan from 2013-15. Before that, he worked at Central Michigan under Dan Enos -- Butch Jones' successor and former Arkansas offensive coordinator -- in the same role.
-- Mitchell Gladstone
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UAPB's Peat gets national attention
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff center Maya Peat has recently be selected as the BOXTOROW National Player of the Week for her play during a pair of games last week.
The 6-6 sophomore averaged 13.5 points and 17.5 rebounds while shooting better than 53% from the field for UAPB, which is riding a four-game winning streak. The Arizona native scored 16 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in the Golden Lions' 73-63 victory at Prairie View on Jan. 10. She then followed that up with an 11-point, 14-rebound effort in the team's 76-53 rout of Florida A&M on Jan. 15.
Peat is averaging 7.3 points and 7.9 rebounds for the season.
– Erick Taylor
UCA men, women see schedule change
Both University of Central Arkansas men's and women's basketball teams have had their Jan. 27 matchups against North Florida change times.
The Sugar Bears, who were originally scheduled to play the Ospreys at 10 a.m. Central, will now tip off at 4 p.m. The Bears, who were supposed to play North Florida at 6 p.m. Central, will now tip off at 7 p.m.
Both games are still scheduled to be played in Jacksonville, Fla.
-- Adam Cole