Courtney Deifel recaps Arkansas' 2026 softball signing class
Arkansas Razorbacks softball coach Courtney Deifel met with the media on Thursday to highlight the 2026 singing class that ranks 14th per Softball America.
Deifel inked five new prospects in this cycle: C/IF Macie Dever Boaz, C/IF Ava Hodo, INF/UTL Mia Johnson, INF Katie King and UTL Skylar Sterritt.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be adding five outstanding individuals to our Razorback Softball family,” said Deifel. “Our 2026 class is extremely versatile and dynamic. Each signee represents exactly the kind of person that we want in our program. I have no doubt this class will continue to elevate Arkansas Softball while also serving as tremendous representatives for our program, athletic department and state.
“Our signees come from elite travel ball and high school programs and bring a winning pedigree to The Hill. We are ecstatic about their futures as Razorbacks.”
Macie Dever Boaz
High School: Hernando (Miss.)
Click here for full player profile
Publisher’s note: Per a family member, Dever Boaz will not play her senior season with Hernando in order to recover from offseason shoulder surgery.
As a junior, Dever Boaz helped Hernando to a 33-4 record and a state runner-up finish while batting .521 with 49 hits, including 10 doubles, seven triples, a single season school-record eight home runs and 38 runs batted in.
Over the course of her prep career that also included two seasons with Northpoint Christian (Miss.), Dever Boaz batted .534 with 32 home runs, scored 103 runs and registered 98 RBI as a three-time All-State and All-District selection. Additional honors include being named a Mississippi High School Activities Association All-Star and winning the MHSAA Home Run Derby.
Additionally, Dever Boaz is the daughter of Carie Dever Boaz, who became Arkansas’ first ever softball coach in 1997 and was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1999.
Both California natives, Deifel had previous connections to Carie Dever Boaz from long ago.
DEIFEL: “Macie is a competitor who knows how to win and makes everyone around her better. Her versatility really stands out. She can help us in a lot of different ways and brings a strong presence both behind the plate and in the box. Carrie started the program here and one of my good friends was on her staff so there are many connections. I could go on and on. It is just really cool to get to bring Macie home.”
Ava Hodo
Click here for player profile
High School: Orange Beach (Ala.)
Click here for full player profile
The top-ranked player in Alabama and 38th overall, Hodo has started for powerhouse Orange Beach since her seventh grade year and helped the Makos to five-consecutive state championships, including a national title in 2024.
In 2025, Hodo batted .571 on 80 hits with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 77 runs batted in and stole a base while helping Orange Beach to a 46-2 record and earning All-American honors from multiple outlets. She was also elected as the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
“Ava has a gun behind the behind the plate and a powerful bat, been ranked No. 1 in her class. She is a three-time national champion and four-time state champ, which speaks volumes about her competitive fire and elite skill set. With her leadership behind the plate and offensive power, we believe Ava will make an immediate impact on and off the field, driving the standard for excellence in the program.”
Mia Johnson
High School: Archer (Ga.)
Click here for full player profile
The 15th-ranked player in the Peach State, Johnson should fit in nicely with the “Bogle Bombers” as she is the home run record leader for Archer. She was selected First-Team All-Region, as well as All-County nominee three times and batted over .600 the past two seasons.
Johnson has helped the Tigers to two GHSA Sweet 16 appearances and one in the Elight Eight. As a junior, she was also named the 4-AAAAAA Region Player of the Year, Gwinnett Offensive Player of the Year and 6A State Player of the Year by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.
DEIFEL: “Mia Johnson is kind of like a quiet assassin. She’s just so even keel. She’s very soft spoken, and she swings a powerful bat. She plays for Georgia Impact (travel ball team) and she hits right in the middle of the order. They are a really, really strong travel ball team so we’re excited to get her here.”
Katie King
High School: Orange Beach (Ala.)
Click here for full player profile.
Alongside fellow Hog signee Ava Hodo and a star-studded Orange Beach roster, King has helped the Makos win two of their five consecutive state championships that includes the national title run in 2024.
As a junior, King earned MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year and All-American honors after batting .586 with 85 hits, 77 runs scored, 22 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs and 27 stolen bases while posting a .627 on-base percentage.
King began her varsity career as a seventh grade starter at Wayne Christian (N.C.) where she helped the Eagles to state championships in 2022 and 2023, as well as a runner-up finish in 2021 while earning All-State honors all three years.
DEIFEL: “Katie is a competitor with a great game sense and smooth presence in the middle infield. She is the kind of shortstop who makes everything look easy. She has a dynamic bat that consistently finds ways to create offense and pressure defenses. Katie brings toughness, leadership, and a winning mindset that’s going to fit perfectly with the Razorback standard.”
Skylar Sterritt
High School: Sheridan (Ark.)
Click here for full player profile.
The reigning Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Female Athlete of the Year is possibly the state’s top multi-sport athlete with 11 varsity letters across three sports.
Sterritt led Sheridan to a state runner-up finish last spring after helping the Yellowjackets win it all in 2024. The speedy 12-time track and field state champion has set multiple state records while competing in the 100 and 200-meter dashes, in addition to the high and long jump.
She comes into her senior season with 151 career steals on the diamond, which is 36 shy of the state record. As a junior, Sterritt slashed .518/.571/.1.133 with 43 hits, 52 runs scored, eight triples, nine home runs, 43 runs batted in and 65 stolen bases.
DEIFEL: “She is really fast, kind of a raw athlete. Anytime we get to keep someone from Arkansas, it is exciting for us and just our fans embracing them. We definitely have mentioned wanting to see Skyler run it down in the outfield because she’s so quick, but she is also really great in the infield. It is going to be a fun problem to solve, I will tell you that, but we are going to look at everything for her.”
Subscribe to HawgBeat now for just $1 for your first week that also includes complete access to On3 and Rivals national content, plus a year’s subscription to The Athletic. Visit our homepage for more in-depth Razorback coverage and tap into the Trough premium message board for daily intel and discussion.
