Alabama Softball Team Earns High Marks in Class Room
1/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ?? With a little more than a month remaining until the opening of the 2008 season, the University of Alabama softball team already has reason to celebrate, as the team put together one of its best academic semesters under head coach Patrick Murphy. The Tide, who went 55-10 in 2007 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, accumulated a team GPA of 3.41 for the fall semester.
“We had a great academic semester this fall,” said Murphy. “Of the 16 young ladies on the roster, 12 were above a 3.2 grade point average. That might be a program history-high mark. (Associate Head Coach) Alyson Habetz, (Assistant Coach) Vann Stuedeman and I could not be happier with our academic progress this fall. A huge part of the credit also goes to our academic advisor, Heather Anders.”
In addition, two Tide players earned perfect 4.0 grade-points last fall. Brittany Rogers, the SEC leader in runs scored and stolen bases last season, and teammate Charlotte Morgan, who tied for the team lead in home runs with 11 in 2007, each earned perfect marks for their efforts in the class room in the fall semester.
Alabama, in its 10th season under Murphy, had another record-breaking year on the diamond last spring. The Tide earned another 50-win season and climbed to the No. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history early in the season. The team returns 13 letterwinners and nine starters in 2008, including National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans Lauren Parker, Chrissy Owens and Brittany Rogers.
The Tide opens its regular season on Feb. 8 on its home field when the team plays host to the Hampton Inn Bama Bash. Purdue, Jacksonville State and South Alabama are scheduled to make appearances at the event, the first of two home tournaments for the Tide this season.
Season tickets have been sold at a record pace already this year and remain available at the UA ticket office.
