The coaching ranks around the country continue to swell with former Arizona softball greats. The latest is former second baseman and Pac-12 batting champion Reyna Carranco who was announced as the new volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas on Thursday.
Welcome to Arkansas, !
https://t.co/8a3e4HUNPv pic.twitter.com/fKFZxgOAet
— Arkansas Razorback Softball (@RazorbackSB) August 4, 2022
“We’re so excited about this addition to our staff,” Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel said in the university’s press release. “Reyna will bring a fresh perspective, and I’m looking forward to adding her energy into the mix. Her playing experience speaks for itself having played for the University of Arizona and its championship tradition. Reyna is a proven winner and competitor, and I cannot wait to welcome her insight into our coaching room. She will elevate our program in every possible way.”
Carranco played for Arizona from 2017 through 2021 and was part of the group that returned the Wildcats to the Women’s College World Series in 2019 after missing the previous eight final tournaments. The Wildcats made two trips to Oklahoma City in her five-year career, following up the 2019 trip with another in 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic.
She was on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, the All-Pac-12 team four times, and a second-team NFCA All-American once. In 2019, she led the Pac-12 in batting average at .443 overall and .448 in conference play. Despite missing parts of her sophomore, junior, and super senior seasons due to injury, Carranco was one of the most reliable hitters on the Arizona roster throughout her career.
Arkansas went 48-11 last season including 19-5 in SEC play, taking the SEC regular-season title. In the postseason, the Razorbacks won the SEC Tournament and advanced with a 3-0 record through their home regional. They were stopped by the eventual national runners-up Texas Longhorns in a home super regional. The previous year, they were kept out of the Women’s College World Series at a home super regional by none other than Carranco and the Arizona Wildcats.