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From Beebe High to Bogle Park, Hannah Gammill is an Arkansas Champion

Growing up in McRae, Arkansas – a town so small, residents attend high school in nearby Beebe – Hannah Gammill remembers doing the Woo Pig Sooie chant as early as five years old. There are no professional sports teams in the state, so for many Arkansans, the Hogs are the main – and, often, only – rooting interest.

The Gammill household and young Hannah were no exception.

That Razorback love never faded, even as young Hannah excelled on the softball diamond. Gammill’s skills blossomed in high school and travel ball; she began playing travel ball with a small organization from her region before moving on and ultimately finishing her travel ball days as part of the Texas Glory. As she reached the recruiting age and colleges were expressing interest, one thought stuck in the back of Gammill’s mind.

When you’re a kid and you’ve grown up in Arkansas, you want to stay in Arkansas,” she said. “You want to play for your home state. I remember thinking, when I was going to go on a visit, ‘if I get an offer from Arkansas, I’m gonna go’. It’s not that someone coming from out of state to play for [Arkansas] doesn’t have the same pride, but it’s different when you grow up doing Woo Pig Sooie and cheering for the Razorbacks your entire life. You love the Hogs with everything that you have in you.”

If getting an offer to play at Arkansas was a monumental event for Gammill, putting on the Razorback jersey for the first time as a Hog was a moment three times greater – and it came with its own mini-journey along the way.

“Oh my gosh, I will never, ever forget,” Gammill explained. “It’s really a funny story. Getting to Arkansas, getting to practice is awesome but there’s nothing like playing the first game. So then I ended up being out because of COVID for our first game of my freshman year. And I just think about that, this is what I waited for my entire life, then to have to stay at home while the rest of the team travels… it sounds kind of crazy, but it’s such a joy to even just put my socks on. Putting on my jersey, it’s still kind of mesmerizing to me that I get to be that person that wears ‘SEC’ on their shoulder. My name on the back of the jersey… it’s such an honor to represent my home state.”

Keep an eye on Gammill during a game and a few things will stand out. The intensity when she’s manning the hot corner on defense. The bear hugs for teammates before an inning begins. The wide smile on her face at seemingly every turn, regardless of the circumstance or situation. On that latter point, Gammill didn’t hesitate to credit her faith when asked from where that constant smile emanates.

“That is definitely the Lord working through me,” Gammill said. “There are definitely times when I am usually happy, usually joyful, but I think there’s a difference between being happy and being joyful. When it comes to being joyful, I look around and see what an awesome opportunity it is to both play at Arkansas and to play the sport you love at the highest level. And I’m getting to love my team, my teammates, and to show who the Lord is in my life. I’m not here to play softball; my calling is to bring people closer to Christ.

“If I’m carrying that in my head instead of how I perform and instead of finding my identity just in the sport, my true joy comes from that and not from how I play. Yeah, it’s fun to be good and to hit home runs and all, but I always go back to remembering that my joy comes from the Lord and not from softball itself.”

When the Razorbacks take the field in 2023, the roster will look very different from the SEC championship squad a season ago. The departure of a talent-filled, voluminous senior class means that Gammill is now one of the team’s veteran players, as well as a leader at the core of the Hogs’ offensive attack.

“During my freshman year, I remember thinking ‘oh no, I’m not ever going to be a leader’,” Gammill said. “I was so dead set on that, just on not having any more pressure than I have to. Now, I’ve grown as a person, I’ve grown spiritually, emotionally, physically, and in so many ways through college softball and I am so ready [for a leadership role]. I feel so prepared and I feel like my coaching staff has just really pushed me in so many good ways to help me see that I’m prepared for this, that I’m ready to be a leader.

“You know, I thought I would feel pressure [in this role]. But I don’t feel pressure; I have such an opportunity, and I feel super grateful to be able to help lead this team.”

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