Honors and Awards: 2016 Academic All-Big Ten ... 2018 Big Ten Sportsmanship
2018: Played in 44 games, starting 19 … primarily saw time as the designated player or a pinch hitter … recorded a season-high three RBI against Western Michigan (3/3) … recorded two home runs on March 3rd to help the Badgers beat College of Charleston and Western Michigan … had five multiple hit games … hit a two-RBI single in UW’s 8-0 win over Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament (5/10) … was recognized as the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree
2017: Arents played in 27 games, primarily as a pinch hitter, and started eight as the designated player … went 3-for-3 against Princeton (3/4), scoring a season-high two runs while pulling off a pinch-hit homer in the third inning for back-to-back UW dingers … had eight RBI and two doubles on the season, recording two sacrifice hits.
2016: Played in 52 games, starting in 49 … held the longest hitting streak on the team with an 11-game hitting streak from March 22 to April 8 … led the team with 13 doubles, the sixth-most in the program’s single-season records … carried a .235 batting average and a .403 slugging percentage … tallied a career-best two doubles twice vs. Santa Clara (3/11) and Purdue (4/8) … logged a career-high two runs vs. Michigan State (3/25) … posted a season-high two hits on seven different occasions … had a season-best four home runs with homers against UC Riverside (2/14), Fresno State (3/5), Michigan State (3/25) and a grand slam vs. Nebraska (5/6) … was the team’s RBI leader in five games
2015: Played in 48 games, starting 39 ... recorded a team season-best 15 putouts vs. Portland State (3/6) ... tallied a career-best two doubles vs. New Mexico State (2/28) ... earned a career-high three hits vs. Memphis (3/14) ... notched three RBI vs. TAMUCC (2/12) ... finished third on the team with eight doubles
High School: Named team captain her senior year ... earned first-team honors ... honored as the Female Academic Athlete of the Year ... as a junior, received second-team All-Trinity League honors ... named the Michelle Carew Classic MVP ... high school coach was Steve Miklos ... involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes ... National Honors Society inductee ... California Scholarship Federation member ... earned High Honor Roll from 2011-2013 ... also played for the California Cruisers club team coached by Lyn Christensen and Phil Harman.
Personal: Parents are David Arents and Alicia Yeamans ... has two siblings Zachary (6) and Isabella (3) ... intends to double major in communications arts and business marketing.
Coach Healy on Arents: ""We are thrilled to welcome Samantha to the Badger softball family. Sam is a clean-up hitter for Lyn Christensen's Cal Cruisers. She brings a lot of power, leadership and character to the program. Samantha has the versatility to play a corner or the outfield. Her commitment to academic excellence coupled with her desire to compete in the Women's College World Series makes her an ideal fit with the Badgers."
Why Wisconsin?
"The high academics and the atmosphere of campus. Everyone expects excellence whether it be in athletics, academics, or even just everyday life, and they live it out."
Off the Field with Samantha:
My favorite thing about Wisconsin Softball is: The family atmosphere that the coaches have created. The girls are all so close and the coaches truly care for us like one of their own.
Before each game, I: I always listen to music.
A non-athletic talent I have is: I really love to write and blog.
One thing I absolutely have to do before I turn 40: Travel the world
Favorite Coach quote: "If you don't know, you don't care to know"
This is powerful to me because it opened my eyes and made me realize that no matter what the outcome is, if it is not to my liking I need to look to myself and ask myself if I have done everything in my power to succeed and to be where I want to be, and if I can't say that I did then I obviously did not care enough to accomplish it.
Favorite quote: "It's not about the size of the dog in the fight it's about the size of the fight in the dog"
Most memorable softball achievement or favorite softball moment: My favorite softball memory has to be any game winning, walk-off homerun I ever had… that feeling is like no other.
If I could change one softball rule, it would be: No one ever strikes out!
Best UW memory: Coming back in the Iowa game this last year after Taylor's homerun… the feeling in the dugout was so electric and we all just knew we were going to win.
If you were stranded on an island, which two teammates would you bring with you and why? Mariah Watts (because she is hilarious and if we ever saw pirates she could challenge them in a dance off and win) and Taylor Berry because she would always know how to make me laugh when I needed it.
Greatest fear: Sharks
What song would you put on the soundtrack to your life? "This is Gonna be the best day of my life"
If you could be a member of any TV-sitcom family, which would it be? I would want to be a member of the Full house crew
What is your favorite movie line or scene? In "It's a Wonderful Life" when George Bailey asks Mary if she wants the moon and continues on to tell her he would throw a lasso around it and pull it out for her
What is your favorite book? Any romance novel
Favorite UW athlete? Chloe Miller
Favorite athlete? Tim Tebow
Best UW road trip? Rutgers
Favorite team to play? Iowa
What does it mean to be a Badger?
"Being a Badger means you are a part of a family. It means that through thick and thin you have a fan base that is always there cheering you on. It means little boys and girls that wait anxiously for game day so they can go see their favorite players. It means so much more than the Bucky on your uniform, it means you represent your family."
