Steady Haff comes back strong from knee injury

FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas softball Coach Courtney Deifel said there's no moment too big for Mary Haff.

The right-handed pitcher from Winter Haven, Fla., has proven that over and over in her UA career. She will be in the circle for the Razorbacks this weekend when they host an NCAA regional for just the second time in school history.

This isn't new to Haff, though. She earned all three Arkansas wins the last time the regional was in Bogle Park in 2018 when the Razorbacks advanced to their first super regional ever.

Deifel said Haff's approach is the same whether it's facing DePaul in that regional in 2018 or North Dakota State in late February. And it's a key to her success.

"What makes Mary so good, I think, is she's just so steady," Deifel said. "That regional was a huge weekend for our program, obviously. But you could watch Mary and you couldn't tell it was a bigger weekend.

"It doesn't matter the stage. It doesn't matter the stakes."

Haff shared SEC pitcher of the year honors with Alabama's Montana Fouts and was named to the All-SEC first team. She ranks among the national leaders in wins (23), innings pitched (177) and appearances (36) and was recently named a top 10 finalist for the USA Softball player of the year award.

She said there's plenty of similarities from this year's team and the one three years ago.

"I just know we wanted to win so bad back then," Haff said. "There were so many girls on the team at that time that were part of the program when they won only one SEC game. And I think it came like full circle for them.

"And now the freshmen at that time are now seniors or redshirt juniors. It's kinda the same situation now, wanting to win so badly, especially when you're on your home field."

Haff, a redshirt junior, has endured a roller coaster of emotions at Arkansas.

She enjoyed a banner freshman season, setting a single-season school record with 29 wins and throwing 18 2/3 scoreless innings in the the first-ever Fayetteville Regional.

She could only watch a year later as Arkansas went two-and-out in the Stillwater Regional in 2019.

The day before the NCAA Tournament selection show that year, Haff was getting out of her Jeep on a rainy day when she slipped and fell. The result was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She had surgery the next week and stayed in Fayetteville all summer rehabbing with the goal of pitching in 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic cut that season short, which turned out to be a good thing for Haff. It gave her time to get stronger, both physically and mentally.

"I wouldn't wish those circumstances on anybody, but with regard to my injury, it was a blessing in disguise," she said. "I couldn't pitch for six months, and going into 2020 I was very unprepared really for the season.

"This year I've done way better than I would have in 2020. I had more time to practice. Taking six months off anything, it's hard to get back but especially in the SEC."

Haff has put injury issues in the rear-view mirror this season, becoming the all-time leader in wins at the school with 74. She's also established herself as one of the top pitchers in the country while leading the program to its first SEC regular-season title.

Haff admitted the mental hurdle was bigger than the physical one.

"I think it being my plant leg, a lot of force goes into it," Haff said. "It takes time to be comfortable and being able to pitch and not think about it. The biggest part of that 2020 season was getting over that mental aspect of it."

She credits Deifel with instilling confidence in her to utilize her secondary pitches that compliment an outstanding rise ball and change-up.

"Going back to my freshman year, I kinda lived off my rise and change," Haff said. "Coach Deifel's ability to pitch call and help me get more comfortable throwing those other pitches has been big."

Catcher Kayla Green has been impressed with the way Haff has handled adversity. The two came into the program together and were dorm roommates at the start.

"Her freshman year, she came out here and was a stud," Green said. "But it's awesome to see what she's overcome the past couple of years."

Haff battled a sore shoulder for a time in the middle of the season, but that's also in the past.

What's in the future is the Razorbacks' quest to reach the program's first College World Series, with Haff a likely anchor in the circle.