Steve Womack: “I rise today to honor University of Arkansas softball sensation Bri Ellis, the Southeastern Conference and USA Softball…”

“I rise today to honor University of Arkansas softball sensation Bri Ellis, the Southeastern Conference and USA Softball Player of the Year in NCAA women's college softball in 2025. Mr. Speaker, before I speak to her personal credentials, I will say the Razorback softball team had another banner season, albeit short of qualifying for the Women's College Softball World Series. The Hogs advanced to its fourth super regional in program history. Under Coach Courtney Deifel, Razorback softball has steadily climbed in the rankings over the last several seasons. Much of that success over recent years is clearly due to attracting quality players like Bri Ellis. Bri is a native of Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of Memorial High School in Hedwig Village, Texas, and is the 20th ranked player in the Nation. She signed with Auburn and played two seasons with the Tigers before entering the transfer portal and coming to Arkansas. As a junior, she became a first-team All-SEC player, and it got better in her senior season. This year, Bri hit .440, with 59 hits, 9 doubles, 26 home runs, and 72 RBIs. She posted a nation-leading 1.142 slugging percentage and a .646 on-base percentage.”