Crimson Tide Softball Releases 2004 Schedule
10/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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As the first week of fall practice rolls around, the University of Alabama softball program has finalized its schedule for the 2004 season and as usual, several perennial powers can be found amongst the Tide opponents.
Among the Alabama opponents are nine teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the final Top 25 polls from the 2003 season. And while another opponent won't be found in any of the Top 25 collegiate polls, it's safe to say the Tide won't find any better competition when they square off against the United State Olympic team in an early season tournament in Palm Springs.
"The Palm Spring Classic is the newest high-quality tournament in the country and to have the opportunity to play the Olympic team in an Olympic year at the tournament is exciting," said Alabama Head Coach Patrick Murphy. "I think the chance to the play the them is two-fold; our girls get to face the best players in the world while at the same time we will have an opportunity to show the them the kind of team we are because a lot of our players have aspirations to be where the Olympians are."
However, before Bama plays in the Palm Springs tournament the Tide will open its season at the Stanford Spring Classic, marking the third straight year the team has opened with a Pac-10 school.
"Each year our season opening Pac-10 trip has served its purpose by getting the team ready for what lies ahead of us the rest of the season," said Murphy.
Alabama will play the same SEC schedule it did last season in the same order only this year the locations will be reversed so the Tide will host Tennessee, Florida, LSU, South Carolina and Georgia. The highlight of the SEC regular season schedule will be the final games in both the LSU and South Carolina series, with those games being televised on SEC-TV.
Post season will have a bit of a twist this year with the SEC Tournament being played in Tuscaloosa, marking the first time the post-season conference tournament has been held at a campus site.
"We're going to put on the best show any of the teams have ever seen at an SEC Tournament site," said Murphy.
Fans will have an opportunity to get an early look at this year's team when Alabama hosts the Bama-Hampton Inn Fall Brawl on Saturday, October 18. The Crimson Tide will take on Central Alabama, Jefferson State and Shelton State Community Colleges at 2, 4 and 6 p.m.
