Over the last four seasons, Arkansas has had one of the most successful softball runs in the program’s history.
A monster 158-59 record, a pair of Southeastern Conference titles and four straight years of hosting a regional certainly show that.
While the program’s recent success played a part in her choice, Katie King has a loftier reason for picking the Arkansas jersey as the next one she’ll wear.
“They want to get to the next step to be in the World Series,” the Orange Beach infielder said. “They really thought the class of 2026 needed to be a better class to get there. They told me as soon as I came in that they needed me to make an impact on the program.
“They really thought I could.”
King announced her commitment to play softball with the Razorbacks on social media Monday, adding to the program’s growing group of 2026 graduates.
When she took her official visit to Fayetteville, the program’s goals and connections with head coach Courtney Deifel and her staff were some of the things that left an impact.
“They made me feel like I was part of their family,” King said. “One thing that stood out with me about them is that they treat you amazingly; not only as a player, as a person also. They truly care about you.”
King was a key part of helping Orange Beach earn its fourth straight state softball title last season, earning all-state honors after posting a .482 average and 1.319 OPS with 46 RBIs and 67 runs; she also stole 24 bases on 25 attempts.
Along with her offer from Arkansas, the infielder also had offers from Texas Tech and Clemson, along with planning official visits with Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Oregon.
“I went on one visit to Clemson last weekend, and of course, it was a great visit,” King said. “I loved the coaches, but my heart was just set on Arkansas.”
The coaching staff with Arkansas has had a strong run of recruiting and adding from the portal amidst a strong run of success, with the team being one of four programs to have three or more players on the all-SEC first team last season.
King said a big part of why the connections with the coaches formed so quickly was how they want players to be their best “in every aspect.”
“The coaches are building a great program there,” King said. “It’s definitely going to be something special, and the coaches definitely push you to be the best you can be, but not only as a player. Of course, they want what’s best for you as a player, but also as a person.”
While her trip to the actual city was filled with questions, King said she has a peace about heading to Fayetteville and living that far away from Orange Beach.
“I was thinking, ‘What in the world is in Arkansas,’” she laughed.
“I got to Fayetteville, and I was just like, ‘This is amazing.’ The town is gorgeous, I felt safe there, and that was definitely very important. The coaches just made me feel like home to Fayetteville, and I definitely felt it.”
She now adds another official SEC commitment to an already-loaded roster that Orange Beach will return this season in hopes of a fifth straight state title; South Carolina commit KG Favors and Auburn commit Daigle Wilson are the other SEC commits on the Makos’ returning roster.
King said getting her recruitment out of the way early will help her focus on her last years with Orange Beach.
“It’s definitely incredible, but it makes me want to work harder,” King said. “The SEC is definitely no joke and the players there work extremely hard. It’s hit me that I need to work even harder in the gym, on the field and in the classroom.”
