Arkansas Softball Loses Starting Shortstop to Transfer Portal

The starter became the eighth Razorback to enter the trasnfer portal after a historic 2026 season.

Arkansas' Atalyia Rijo (26) fields a ground ball in the second inning during a Women's College World Series softball game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, May 28, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series (WCWS) appearance, an eighth Arkansas player has entered the transfer portal. 

Standout shortstop Atalyia Rijo entered her name on Monday, the first official day the portal opened to undergraduate students. The senior has one extra year of eligibility remaining due to redshirting in 2024 when an injury sidelined her after just nine games.

Arkansas shortstop Atalyia Rijo has entered the transfer portal.https://t.co/c0Utne9wAJ pic.twitter.com/0vtEF0MxdI

— Brady (@BradyVernon) June 8, 2026

In 2026, Rijo started all 60 games at shortstop, earning NFCA Third-Team All-Central Region honors with a .945 fielding percentage, with a team-high 112 assists and 61 putouts. She hit .342 with 50 hits, 13 doubles, seven home runs, 42 RBIs, 28 walks and 35 runs scored. 

The Rijo Show 📺

Atalyia Rijo has a hand in all three outs during Payton Burnham's 1-2-3 top of the first inning.

M1 | Arkansas 0, UCLA 0 pic.twitter.com/tnnUeLepe0

— Arkansas Softball (@RazorbackSB) May 30, 2026

Her junior season in 2025 saw NFCA All-Central Region Second Team honors after she batted .318 with 50 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 38 RBIs with 28 runs scored. 

She posted a .522 slugging percentage and a .389 on-base percentage, with 13 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games, and even set the Arkansas program record for hits in an NCAA Tournament game with four in a 6-5 win over Oklahoma State.  Her fielding percentage was also a high .966 with 70 putouts and 73 assists in 148 chances. 

Rijo is now a major loss both in the infield and in the lineup for the Razorbacks, and a decision that head coach Courtney Deifel might not have seen coming. After Arkansas dropped two straight games at the WCWS, Deifel joined the Chuck & Bo Show to talk about the financial realities of softball and mentioned keeping Rijo around. 

“When you look at a team like Texas Tech, they have a payroll of like $3 million,” Deifel said duing the interview “So, that's what we're up against. For us, it's like we need people who want to support softball, because it is about keeping our players, keeping the players that you've fallen in love with: Ella McDowell, Payton Burnham, Atalyia Rijo.” 

"When you look at a team like Texas Tech, they have a payroll of like $3 million. That's what we're up against."

Courtney Deifel on the financial realities of college softball: pic.twitter.com/QIJuCOQF2D

— The Chuck & Bo Show (@chuckandboshow) June 3, 2026

The New York native was a 2019 state champion at Corning-Painted Post High School, where she earned a top 10 overall ranking in Extra Inning Softball’s 2022 Extra Elite 100 Ranking. During her junior year, she hit .556 with 20 hits, six doubles, two trip;es, four home runs, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs scored. 

Deifel now has her work cut out for her this offseason. Rijo joins catcher Kennedy Miller, infielder Jayden Ramos, utility Kasey Wood, outfielder Ashtyn Reichardt, pitchers Cam Harrison and Lexi King, and outfielder Ava Carter. Plus, esteemed hitting coach DJ Gasso fled to take over the head coaching position at Tulsa.