FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas freshman pitcher Mary Haff remembers one of her first encounters with Razorbacks softball coach Courtney Deifel.
Playing with the Rhode Island Thunder in a premier tournament in Colorado, Haff caught a glimpse of her soon-to-be coach. Deifel was pregnant with her first child, Trip, now 2 1/2 years old. Word of mouth brought Deifel to the park to see Haff in action.
Haff dazzled throughout her prep career at Lake Region (Fla.) High School, where she finished with a 49-9 record, 0.72 ERA and 619 strikeouts. Haff saw Deifel's commitment that summer day in Colorado and knew she meant business.