Arkansas outfielder Dakota Kennedy became the latest college star to receive an Athletes Unlimited Softball League Golden Ticket on Monday, April 6, following the Razorbacks’ series-closing matchup versus Auburn at Bogle Park.
AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng presented the Golden Ticket, marking Kennedy’s selection in the league’s 2026 College Draft.
Kennedy has made an immediate impact in her first season with Arkansas after transferring from Arizona for her senior year.
Through 37 games of the Razorbacks’ schedule, she is hitting .351 with 40 hits, 12 home runs, and 37 RBIs while drawing 16 walks. She has started every game and is a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts, while posting a .949 fielding percentage in the outfield.
She also turned in one of the top performances of the season on March 1, hitting three home runs in a single game versus Kansas.
Kennedy built a consistent offensive resume over three seasons at Arizona before her transfer.
In 2025, she hit .444 with a 1.228 OPS, earning NFCA Third Team All-American honors for the second straight year while also being named First Team All-Big 12 and a member of the conference’s All-Defensive Team. She recorded 60 hits, 28 walks, and held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in left field.
She followed a breakout 2024 season where she hit .400 with 13 home runs and earned an NFCA/Rawlings Gold Glove after finishing the year without committing an error.
Over the next few weeks, AUSL Golden Tickets will be presented to college softball players at programs across the country. The AUSL College Draft Show will air on Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 to reveal which teams Kennedy and the other draftees were selected by.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.
