Razorbacks softball coach Courtney Deifel previewed softball season and cold weather going on in Fayetteville right now while trying to get ready for coming season.
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00:00 I guess it's kind of fun that we're doing one of these again.
00:02 I know!
00:03 Hey, everybody!
00:04 So, I mean, obviously added a lot of new faces, you know, from since last season.
00:12 You spent a lot of time with them.
00:13 We haven't really gotten to, you know, see them a ton yet, but I guess what have you
00:16 learned from, you know, adding in all those new faces to the old ones so far about your
00:20 team?
00:21 Well, I've learned that they fit in really well here.
00:26 Our returners have done a really great job of getting them up to speed and welcoming
00:31 them and they worked their tail off and they just fit really well in our system and they've
00:36 made us a lot better.
00:38 So it's the combo of four transfers and four freshmen.
00:43 I think our freshmen are really athletic.
00:44 We have two catchers and we saw the same transition that we typically do with our freshmen of
00:52 coming in, maybe getting a little bit like a big-eyed and then settling in and they've
00:58 settled in and they've done a really great job and our four transfers are huge additions
01:05 as well.
01:06 So with Bree and Nia and Reese and Morgan, they're four impact players that we're going
01:11 to ask a lot of this season and they've had a great fall and just really glad they're
01:17 here.
01:18 Yeah, and I know the last time that we talked you said that the plan is maybe just a lot
01:22 of pitching by tandem just because you don't have your Shanice this year, your lockdown
01:27 ace.
01:28 Is that still the plan moving forward?
01:31 Yeah, very much so.
01:32 We've been working a lot in the break of just getting really comfortable with who pairs
01:37 well with the others and the type of offenses they might match up well with and just getting
01:42 really comfortable with that.
01:44 But yeah, I still expect us to pitch by committee.
01:47 And I think we have the deepest and the most arms that we have a really well-rounded staff.
01:54 But it is different.
01:55 We haven't had that lockdown number one since, you know, my or we have since my second year.
02:04 This is the first year that we are going to pitch by committee, but that's the way the
02:07 sport's going and we have the group to do it.
02:09 So I'm excited for the challenge.
02:12 And then last thing I'll ask is just I know you'll always play in some early season tournaments
02:17 before you come home.
02:19 What stood out to you about, you know, the one in Boca Raton and then going to play in
02:22 Tucson about maybe those fields that Drew, y'all don't want to go play there?
02:27 Well, it's warm and on the beach in Boca.
02:30 So that's one thing.
02:33 And just the teams are really particular about who we play and who we play early to challenge
02:38 us but to also, you know, project them to have great seasons too.
02:43 So you know, the lineup in Boca is really appealing and obviously the weather and then
02:49 the teams in Tucson too are going to be a great challenge.
02:53 The thing that Tucson brings to is the ball flies there.
02:57 So you know, just kind of the challenge of, you know, a potent offense and keeping them
03:03 in the park and when the ball flies out of there real quick.
03:07 So it's just different dynamics, different, you know, challenges and they'll be great.
03:12 And then Matt handpicks our home tournament.
03:16 So he filled all three of those and they're really great tournaments.
03:22 So it'll be great.
03:24 Dudley.
03:25 Hey, talk to me a little bit about, you know, you've got some returnees, obviously, you
03:31 played a lot of games and you've got some newcomers.
03:33 How does the leadership fit in all that with the veterans coming back and the newcomers?
03:40 Well I think it's good.
03:41 I think that's a good chunk of what you learn through the fall is every team has a different
03:46 leadership dynamic and this one's different than last year, which was different than the
03:49 year before.
03:51 And so it's just finding, you know, when you graduate who might be your leaders of who's
03:56 going to step up and become that voice and who's going to hold that standard and just,
04:01 you know, and so we've found that through the fall.
04:04 I think we've had, you know, probably four or so really emerge as leaders and it wouldn't
04:10 have been necessarily who I would have chosen at the start of the year, you know, but that's
04:15 how every year kind of surprises you.
04:19 But this team has done an incredible job.
04:22 They've answered every challenge.
04:24 We've held them to a higher standard and more consistently than ever.
04:28 And so it was a fall of growth and I really like the spot that we're in right now to go
04:34 into this January and see this preseason before we start.
04:38 We've talked about how the batting lineup could go one to 13 if you wanted to, but about
04:43 these early games, these early tournaments, playing a lot of games that give you an idea
04:48 of what's going to be able to fit in best.
04:51 Yeah, yeah, I do.
04:53 You know, we play a lot of games.
04:54 It's, you know, it's a good thing and the bad thing.
04:57 You have to, you have to, as a coach, hope you're playing well in those first four or
05:00 five weeks because you're playing half your schedule.
05:03 So you hope you're firing, you hope you're playing well, you hope you're meshing.
05:07 I do think that we're going to see a couple positions kind of trade out.
05:13 I don't think that we have a clear starter.
05:16 I think we have a lot that we want to see what they do.
05:18 And then we have some that may not trade out.
05:21 You know, we have, which you could guess with a, you know, when you have a bat like Kylie
05:25 Halverson's or Bri Ellis or Hannah Gamble, they're, you know, they're, they're going
05:29 to be playing.
05:30 And so we have some positions up for grabs.
05:33 I don't think that whoever starts game one is going to be necessarily the starter in
05:38 game 30 or game 50.
05:42 But we have some really great depth.
05:44 We have some really great athletes.
05:46 And so you're going to see, you're going to see 13 or so get some solid at bats.
05:53 One last question.
05:54 Obviously Bri is, one last question.
05:57 Obviously Bri is so shy.
05:59 And sarcastic, obviously, but talk about how her infectious personalities probably fit
06:04 in well with your team.
06:06 You know, you know, the funny thing is I think when she came here, some people are like,
06:11 whoa, that's not who they thought she would gravitate towards or who she would choose.
06:17 And I'm telling you that she's, she's fit in beautifully and seamlessly.
06:22 I think she's outspoken, but I think she's incredibly confident and her confidence, it
06:28 spills out onto others.
06:31 So she builds up her teammates really well, but it's also this confidence of like, she
06:36 doesn't think anyone's going to get her out.
06:38 She really does think she's going to get a hit every time.
06:41 And when you have a player like that, that just kind of lives that way, a teammate like
06:45 that lives that way, you can't help but start to take on some of those, some of those traits.
06:49 So it has been a great fit and I'm really, really happy that she's here.
06:56 Appreciate it.
06:58 Eric.
06:59 Coach, as you start practice, I'm always curious, cause you get the players back from the holidays.
07:06 Are there specific things you as a staff look at coming back for the players coming back
07:11 from the holidays that you looked forward to see early on in the first couple of practices?
07:17 A little bit, a little bit.
07:19 We like to kind of test to see where they're at.
07:21 Cause we don't want to necessarily just dive in and think that they did everything over
07:27 the break, you know?
07:29 So just being really mindful of, of it being a little bit more of a marathon, not a sprint
07:33 to get ready.
07:34 Like we have time to get ready.
07:36 I think we have a different perspective than a lot of other programs that I was seeing
07:40 on social last week starting and we, today's our first day back.
07:45 And so I think we feel like we have the time.
07:48 And so just making sure that we're really mindful about their bodies and where they're
07:52 at and then more so for us, it's just figuring out the weather piece.
07:57 We were in the fifties last week and this week we're, you know, today it's snowing a
08:02 little bit and icing.
08:03 So just trying to map that out and seeing what we need, have the checklist of what we
08:07 need to get through.
08:08 And so yes and no.
08:13 You mentioned, obviously you got a lot of position battles and defense.
08:16 I know it's a big, important part of it.
08:18 How long, do you have a timetable when you go through these practices of, okay, we need
08:23 to be at this point by X amount of practice, especially when it comes to defense.
08:27 Cause I've had a lot of coaches mentioned, they always, the thing that keeps them up
08:31 and more times than not is the defensive fundamental.
08:34 Cause you only have so many hours, you can't cover everything.
08:37 So what, how do you kind of balance all that out from that standpoint?
08:42 Well, I think it's a little different for each team.
08:45 I think that we have that checklist of making sure that we've covered everything and that
08:50 we're comfortable with all our coverages and all the different situational things that
08:55 we need.
08:56 But also at the end of the day, it's still just the game and they know how to play the
09:00 game.
09:01 And so, so yeah, we have that checklist and we move through it as the team's ready and
09:07 just making sure that we have those very fundamental, those core things locked down.
09:14 And that's the nice thing is, you know, as you kind of change infield and outfield and
09:19 all those things and making sure you have your anchor, like Kylie Halverson's our anchor
09:22 in the infield.
09:24 We've moved her from first to second.
09:26 And that's the thing that like, she keeps everybody on that same page.
09:31 And she, and so it's just making sure that she's comfortable with all the moving pieces.
09:35 We run our defense really through our second basement.
09:37 And so it's just making sure that she's comfortable with all those coverages and then they just
09:42 kind of take care of each other, which is nice.
09:45 But yeah, we move through it as the team's ready and you know, Matt, so when he's working
09:51 our defense, we're going to make sure we do the things that hit us the most, the best.
09:56 And you know, when it comes down to it, it's still the game, so they'll do fine.
10:01 Obviously, yeah, you mentioned the young pitchers.
10:05 Obviously this year in the off season, there's the pitch clock, 20 seconds.
10:08 They had modified a little bit, the illegal pitches.
10:10 What's your reaction to those moves?
10:12 And does that affect you at all in how you teach your pitchers moving forward?
10:17 No, I mean, I like to think that we were a team that kept the game moving anyway.
10:23 We don't dilly dally very much.
10:25 We don't do a lot of timeouts.
10:26 We like to keep the pace of the game.
10:29 That's something I love about the game.
10:30 So we try to just do that.
10:33 So I don't know that the pitch clock's going to change a lot for us.
10:36 I do think the illegal pitches with like the foot, I think that helps a little bit.
10:43 There's just some that just don't have the mobility.
10:45 And those are the ones that are getting called.
10:47 They're getting literally zero advantage from leaving the ground.
10:51 So that's kind of freed us up to just focus on other things, which is really nice.
10:57 But I'm looking forward to these changes.
10:59 I think it's something that doesn't change our game a ton, especially the pitch clock.
11:03 It doesn't change our game a ton, but it's going to trim it down a little bit.
11:08 I mean, I know that my family went to a couple MLB games this summer, and the pace of game
11:14 was so different.
11:16 And obviously, it's a different game, and they had a lot more to trim.
11:19 But when you're going with a six and an eight-year-old, and you can see a baseball game in a lot less
11:26 time than you used to, it's really nice for parents.
11:30 So I hope that it just trims it enough to where we don't have to make any major changes
11:34 when we're looking at TV windows and those type of things.
11:36 So I'm really curious to see how it plays out.
11:38 I think it's going to be really positive.
11:42 Daniel?
11:43 Hi, Coach.
11:46 I was just wondering, second year with the Kamins and sisters kind of within your system,
11:54 just how have you seen them develop over the fall and then grow together?
11:59 Oh, well, they are workers.
12:03 They're two of the hardest workers we've ever had.
12:05 They're also two of the most mature level.
12:10 They don't have drama in them.
12:11 They just want to work.
12:12 They just want the best for everybody, and they just want to win.
12:16 And I love their dynamic, but what we've seen them this fall is just really found their
12:21 voice as leaders and just not being necessarily afraid to speak up in those hard times.
12:28 And I think that I've really enjoyed seeing them come out of that shell a little bit and
12:35 use their voice because they're players that you'd want to do that.
12:38 And it's not necessarily comfortable for them, although they're not players that you have
12:44 to worry about.
12:45 Like other leaders don't have to ask them to work harder or compete harder.
12:49 For them to hold their teammates to that same standard is something that this team needed.
12:54 And so I've really seen them step up this fall, and I love that.
12:59 But they're just so great.
13:02 They're so great.
13:03 And their dynamic is so fun to watch.
13:05 But it's just been really, really fun seeing them continue to grow in this program.
13:09 I guess you touched on it earlier, but it's going to get even colder up there.
13:16 Just kind of how are you, you know, I guess navigating?
13:20 I hate the cold.
13:21 So I hate the cold.
13:24 And we have a couple weeks stretch of it.
13:27 And the nice thing is we have, I believe, the best indoor in the country.
13:32 So we can do a full infield in there.
13:34 We don't skip a beat to train in there, which is really nice.
13:38 And it's ours.
13:39 So we can get in there whenever we want.
13:41 So the thing that we may have to do, we'll have to figure out some outfield balls.
13:45 But besides that, we can do everything that we need inside.
13:48 And then we'll just find those windows to get out.
13:51 But this is a stretch that's pretty rough.
13:53 Usually our weather changes pretty quick.
13:55 And like I said, it was like 50s last week.
13:57 And so now you're looking at the team showing up and it's snowing.
14:00 And you're like, doesn't that just figure?
14:03 But you know, we'll make the most of it.
14:05 And we can get everything that we need to done inside.
14:08 And we'll get out when we can.
14:12 Chip or Christina?
14:15 Hey, Courtney.
14:17 Hi.
14:19 How did you like Les Mis the other night?
14:20 I saw you were there.
14:21 I didn't get a chance to speak to you.
14:22 But how was that?
14:23 It was incredible.
14:25 It was incredible.
14:26 It was awesome.
14:27 So I know my husband and I left going, holy crap, that was so good.
14:32 It was our favorite.
14:34 We have season tickets to the Broadway shows that come through.
14:38 And that's probably been, if not our favorite, one of our top three
14:43 that we've gone to in Fayetteville, for sure.
14:45 It'd be hard to top it.
14:47 I'm always interested in how our local girls are fitting in and meshing
14:51 in with the program.
14:53 I'm asking about like Casey Wood and Ali Saki.
14:57 Do you see them having roles for you this year?
14:59 Or what do you see for someone like Casey, who
15:02 was kind of did a little bit of everything in high school,
15:04 pitched and did some other things?
15:07 Well, we see her still doing that.
15:09 She's still kind of a jack of all trades where she's pitching.
15:12 She's playing defense.
15:13 She's hitting.
15:14 I think that their roles are still getting
15:17 defined as they move forward.
15:19 But I will say that they are incredibly hard workers.
15:22 I think Casey is one of the toughest kids we've ever had come through here
15:25 and just is a worker.
15:27 I don't think she even cares, too.
15:28 She'll come and spin the ball against the wall for an hour.
15:33 She is one of the most low-maintenance workers.
15:35 She just wants to get that work in.
15:38 And so I just see them continuing to grow.
15:41 Casey's someone that just wants to push everyone and get as good as she can
15:46 and get better.
15:46 And we're seeing that, the growth through the fall.
15:50 Same with Saki, coming off her injury, I
15:52 think she's still settling in and getting back to full strength.
15:56 And we see that in Jaden Wells.
15:58 We love our Arkansas kids because they're always hard workers.
16:05 And then they just have such a pride for the Razorbacks.
16:08 And it's something that is an absolute must on this team.
16:12 And so they bring so much.
16:15 You guys have been a team that's relied on the long ball a lot
16:18 in the last couple of years.
16:19 Is that something you think you'll do again?
16:21 Will you be that again?
16:23 Or will you be a team that plays more small ball?
16:25 How will you be, you think?
16:27 I think you'll see a more balanced offense.
16:30 But yeah, you're definitely going to see the long ball.
16:32 When you have Hannah Gamill, Kylie Halverson, Rylan Hedgecock, and Brie
16:36 Ellis in your lineup, you're going to see the long ball.
16:39 But we're going to have a more balanced offense.
16:42 We have a lot more tools.
16:45 I think we have just--
16:48 I think we're more complete from top to bottom.
16:51 And so yeah, I think it's going to be very explosive, very dynamic,
16:55 and very fun to watch.
16:58 Thank you.
16:58 Ethan?
17:04 Yeah, I was just going to ask one last thing
17:05 about how I know as much as it's the girls learning the two new coaches,
17:10 the DJ and Danielle, it's them also having to learn the team.
17:13 Just how has that gone with learning each other?
17:16 Oh, I think it's gone great.
17:18 I think that-- and it's us learning them, too.
17:24 I think that's the big thing is when you add two new staff members,
17:27 we all have to learn how to work together, and what each other needs,
17:30 and all of those things.
17:32 And so I think it's been a fall, a lot of learning.
17:36 I think the team has absolutely embraced both of them,
17:40 as they've embraced the team.
17:42 But I think they work really well together.
17:45 And I think that they've done a tremendous job with this team this fall.
17:51 And I just love watching the dynamic of them teaching,
17:55 and our players just hanging on every word, just wanting to know.
17:59 And I think sometimes they're like, OK, let me just get by with something.
18:03 But no, it's so consistent and such a high standard every day.
18:07 And it has been a really great fall, a really great fall.
18:14 Do we have any final questions for Coach Steifel?
18:18 I just got one question.
18:20 Obviously, you mentioned you're being Boca.
18:22 Jordan Clark was on your staff.
18:25 She's looking forward to hosting you, and then going back
18:28 as kind of a de facto home and home.
18:30 My question is, did you ever face a coach that you looked up to,
18:35 or you were a mentor that either came to your place, or you just played him,
18:39 and you're like, wow, that meant a lot that I got to face someone
18:42 that I look up to and kind of try to model myself after?
18:47 Well, that was nice.
18:48 She actually did us a favor, too.
18:52 They let us in the tournament late.
18:54 We were in another one, and we had to pivot.
18:57 And so she did us a favor, which is nice.
19:00 Yeah, I know that earlier-- we haven't for a while now,
19:05 but we had some really good matches with Oklahoma.
19:08 And so being a GA in Patty's system and then playing against them
19:13 is a very interesting dynamic, because it's the game,
19:19 but it's so much bigger than that of just kind of getting to share the field
19:23 and compete against them.
19:24 And then the good thing is that just knowing them and knowing Jordan,
19:30 I know we're going to have a great game.
19:32 And it's just going to be about the game.
19:34 And although we obviously really want to win,
19:37 you always like playing good people and just playing the game the right way.
19:43 And so she's done such an incredible job.
19:45 It's really fun to watch her blossom and do her thing.
19:50 And you knew right away when she was here
19:52 that she was such an incredible leader.
19:54 And so she was born for this.
19:56 And it'll be exciting.
19:59 It'll be exciting matchups to see them out there
20:01 and then to get them home and have--
20:03 I think she's kind of doing the whole tour of her old stomping grounds.
20:07 So it'll be exciting.
20:09 All right.
20:12 Thank you, coach.
20:13 Thanks, guys.