Tide Softball Finishes Regular Season at Georgia
5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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#1 Alabama at Georgia Saturday, May 3, 2008 (12 p.m. CT) [DH]
Sunday, May 4, 2008 (1 p.m. CT) - Fox Sports
Georgia Softball Stadium (1,400) • Athens, Ga.
Radio: WVUA 90.7 FM • Internet: www.RollTide.com
Leading Off: Alabama, ranked No.1 and No. 3 in national rankings, is coming off its first loss in seven weeks at DePaul on Tuesday, April 29. It snapped the Tide's 26-game winning streak, the second longest in school history. Alabama gets back to the business of winning the SEC Championship this weekend at Georgia (42-19, 13-12 SEC). The Crimson Tide (47-4, 23-2 SEC) has clinched the SEC Western Division and is one game back in the loss column of Florida for the overall SEC Championship. Fox Sports will televise the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT with Bernie Guenther (play-by-play) and Cheri Kempf (color).
Opponent Summary: Georgia is just outside the top 25 in both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 42-19 overall record and a 13-12 mark in the Southeastern Conference. UGA is in third place in the SEC East and currently fifth in the overall SEC standings. The streaky Bulldogs have won as many as 16 straight games and lost as many as eight in a row and are in the middle of a current five-game winning streak. Georgia is hitting .280 as a team with 71 doubles and 19 home runs while the pitching staff has a 2.58 ERA with a .212 opponent batting average.
Series History: Alabama owns 21-10 lead in the series and has won three straight after dropping the series opener in 2007 in Tuscaloosa. The Tide defeated UGA, 3-2, in nine innings in last year's SEC Tournament in Auburn. It will be UA's first visit to Athens since 2005, where they are 8-5 all time.
On Deck: The Crimson Tide begins its postseason journey the following week with the SEC Tournament on May 8-10 at LSU's Tiger Park. Alabama goes in search of its fourth SEC Tournament Championship before beginning NCAA Regional action at a site to be determined on May 16-18.
All-Star Candidates
Alabama's roster is filled with outstanding talent up and down the lineup, but a few names have stepped to the forefront in 2008.
• Sophomore first baseman/pitcher Charlotte Morgan is a strong candidate for SEC Player of the Year Honors. The native of Moreno Valley, Calif., is hitting .421 with 14 home runs, 17 doubles and 61 RBI, which ranks third nationally. She is also 13-1 in the circle with a 1.22 ERA, while boasting a 9-0 record in SEC play with a 0.88 ERA that ranks second in the league.
• Freshman hurler Kelsi Dunne has made a strong case for SEC Pitcher of the Year with a 20-3 overall record and a 1.27 ERA that ranks third in the SEC. She is second in the league with 105 Ks in conference games and has 205 in 29 total appearances this season.
• Center fielder Brittany Rogers leads the country in stolen bases with 52, including a SEC-best 24 in league play while hitting .448 and leading the nation in runs scored (63).
• Kelley Montalvo is one of the best defensive players in the country with a staggering .993 fielding percentage at third base in 139 chances at the hot corner. She is fielding a perfect 1.000 in SEC games while hitting .409 with four home runs and 20 RBI.
• Catcher Ashley Holcombe has been amazing behind the dish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in league play while throwing out two base runners and picking one off. She is also hitting .338 in SEC play with four home runs.
Streak Halted at 26 Games
Alabama had won 26 straight games before dropping a 1-0 decision in eight innings to DePaul in Chicago on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide had not lost since March 12 when they split a doubleheader with No. 3 Florida. The 26-game winning streak was the second longest in school history behind a 27-game streak in 2001. The Crimson Tide beat No. 11 Northwestern 6-5 in eight innings earlier Tuesday to break a tie with the 2007 that won 25 consecutive games.
Rogers Breaks Stolen Base Record
Brittany Rogers set an impressive school record just midway through her junior season at the Capstone. Rogers swiped her 134 career base on Sunday, April 20, against South Carolina. In the process, she passed Kelly Kretschman's school record of 133. Kretschman had held every Alabama career offensive record in her four-year career that spanned from 1998-2001. Rogers now has 138 steals in 158 career attempts. Rogers also has the top two single season stolen base marks in school history with 48 in 2007 and 52 and counting in 2008.
Five Straight Shutouts
The Crimson Tide racked up their fifth straight SEC shutout with a 6-0 win over South Carolina on Sunday, April 20. The five consecutive shutouts were the most against SEC competition and the second longest in school history. The Tide strung together six straight shutouts in 2004. Alabama went 38 innings during the stretch without allowing a run.
Tide Tabbed Nation's Top Team
Alabama remained at the top of the USA Today/NFCA poll with 15 first-place votes on Tuesday, April 29. Arizona State remained at No. 2. The Crimson Tide also held steady at No. 3 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings with ASU in first and Florida No. 2. It is the Tide's second stint atop the rankings this season and the third in the history of the program.
Rogers, Morgan Finalists for USA Softball POY
Brittany Rogers and Charlotte Morgan were among 25 finalists for the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award presented by the Amateur Softball Association. A junior from Dacula, Ga., Rogers patrols center field for the Crimson Tide while hitting .448 and leading the nation with 52 stolen bases. Morgan, a sophomore from Moreno Valley, Calif., is a dual threat for the Tide with a .421 batting average and a SEC-best 61 RBI that ranked third nationally last week. She also boasts a 13-1 record in the circle with a 1.22 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average. UA is one of six schools, and the only SEC program, to have multiple finalists.
Tide in the Rankings
Alabama's top-two ranking is backed up by its numbers in 2008. The Crimson Tide rank in the top eight in seven categories in the NCAA's sixth rankings of the season that were released on April 29. The Tide lead the nation in stolen bases with 2.88 per game (144 of 162) and rank second nationally in scoring (7.37), slugging percentage (.579) and batting average (.347). Alabama is third in doubles (1.98 or 98) and winning percentage (.922) while ranking eighth in fielding percentage (.977) and 11th in home runs (1.2 or 60).
Individually, Brittany Rogers is far and away the top base stealer in the country, averaging 1.02 per game (52 for 57), and the top run scorer at 1.27 per game. She also ranks 10th in batting average (.448). Charlotte Morgan ranks third in RBI (1.25 per game for a total of 60) and 24th in home runs (.29) per game and 20th in total home runs (14). Chrissy Owens is tied for seventh nationally in saves with five while Dani Woods ranks 11th in walks per game with .78. Kelsi Dunne is 21st nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (9.5) while placing 35th in wins (20) and 41st in ERA (1.27).
Slick-Fielding Tide
Good defense is many times the key component to winning softball and the Crimson Tide is among the best defensive teams in the country in 2008. Alabama is currently ranked eighth nationally in team fielding with a .976 fielding percentage. UA has not made an error in 27 of 51 games this season. The Tide's fielding numbers get even better in SEC play with a .986 fielding percentage over 25 games this season. UA has made just nine errors in 663 chances during conference action, including 17 error-free games.
Clutch Hittin' Kellie
Alabama shortstop Kellie Eubanks seems to be coming up big in tight situations for the Tide as of late. The junior's last three home runs - she now has seven on the season - have come late in games when Alabama has needed her most. Eubanks first big home run came in the first game of the LSU series with the Tide trailing 4-0 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. She tagged a three-run home run vs. the Tigers as UA went on for a 9-8 win in 10 innings. Eubanks then hammered a two-out solo shot in extra innings at Auburn that proved to be the difference in a 5-4 win. She finally gave Alabama a little breathing room in the top of the seventh inning at Arkansas Thursday night with a three-run shot to put the Razorbacks away in a 4-0 Tide win. Eubanks is hitting .283 on the season with 36 RBI and a .418 on-base percentage. Eubanks is leading the team with 23 two-out RBI this season.
DePaul Softball Invitational Recap
The Crimson Tide split a pair of extra-inning games with a win over No. 11 Northwestern, 6-5, and a 1-0 loss to the host Blue Demons at the DePaul Softball Invitational on Tuesday in Chicago. The Tide rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to tie and two runs in the eighth inning to win. Charlotte Morgan won the game with a RBI single up the middle. DePaul's Becca Heteniak shut down the UA bats in the second game, allowing just two hits. She got the win after holding Alabama scoreless in the eighth inning as her teammates won on an error in the bottom half of the inning.
Keys to Winning
The Crimson Tide have been clutch at the plate this season and no statistics better illustrate that point than their .358 average with runners in scoring position and their .326 average and 130 RBI with two outs.
Lauren Parker and Brittany Rogers are leading the Tide at the plate with runners in scoring position. Parker is hitting .500 (21 for 42) and Rogers is hitting .519 (28 for 54) while Charlotte Morgan (.459) and Dani Woods (.393) are close behind.
With two outs in an inning the Tide have produced 39.4 percent of their RBI this season (130 of 327). Morgan has paced the Tide with a .491 (26 for 53) average with 20 two-out RBI. Parker is second with a .444 (11 RBI) average and nine RBI, while Rogers is hitting .442 and Dani Woods is hitting .356 with 16 two-out RBI. Kellie Eubanks has the most two-out RBI with 23 and a .359 average.
UA's Kretschman Named to USA Olympic Team
Alabama great Kelly Kretschman (1998-2001) was named to the 2008 USA Olympic Softball Team the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) announced on Friday, March 28. Kretschman was a four-time All-American for Tide and owns every career offensive record at Alabama. She helped Team USA capture the Gold Medal in dominating fashion in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and was an alternate on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.
SEC Chart Toppers
The University of Alabama has played outstanding softball thus far and it has shown in the SEC team statistics. The Tide pace the league in 11 offensive categories in conference games only, including; average (.333), slugging percentage (.598), on-base percentage (.432), runs (171), hits (215), home runs (39), doubles (48), stolen bases (62), total bases (386), walks (93), and RBI (159).
The Natural
Despite battling a slew of injuries in the second half of her sophomore season and the first month of her junior campaign, All-American Lauren Parker has still managed to have a significant impact on the Tide's offense. Despite missing 14 of Alabama's 51 games this season, Parker is third on the team with seven home runs while ranking fourth on the team in batting average (.384) and third RBI (34). She also boasts a .709 slugging percentage, which ranks third on the squad. Parker is currently out of the lineup with a bad shoulder. Her return is day to day.
Terror from the Leadoff Spot
Crimson Tide All-American Brittany Rogers has proven that she belongs in not only any discussion of the best leadoff hitters in the nation, but best players period. Rogers, a second-team All-American in 2007, is having one of the best seasons of any player across the country. Rogers is hitting .448 (74-of-165) through 51 games, leading the team and the SEC. She averages 1.45 hits per game and also leads the Tide and the country with 63 runs scored and 52 stolen bases. Rogers earned SEC Player of the Week accolades and was named Hampton Inn Crimson Classic MVP after hitting .696 and stealing 10 bases.
Shutout Trio
Kelsi Dunne, Chrissy Owens and Charlotte Morgan have been shutting down opponents this season. In seven of her last 10 SEC starts, Dunne has held the opponent scoreless. That streak includes wins over No. 3 Tennessee. No. 4 Florida, No. 15 Mississippi State, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Arkansas and South Carolina. Owens came within a strike of recording the second perfect-game in school history on April 2 at Samford and then shut down South Carolina for the 24th complete-game shutout of her career. Morgan has four shutouts over the last three weeks, blanking Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina. The trio has combined for 17 shutouts this season.
Two No-Nos for Rookie Dunne
It only took five starts, but Tide true freshman pitcher Kelsi Dunne etched her name in the UA record books with a breakout pitching performance against Illinois on Feb. 22. The Port Orange, Fla., native returned to her home state and threw the 12th no-hitter in Crimson Tide history in a 6-0 win over the Illini. The performance was truly dominating, as Dunne allowed only two base runners in the historic win. Dunne followed that up with her second no-hitter of the season in a five-inning effort against Ole Miss on March 30. She struck out 11 and allowed just two base runners on a walk and a hit by pitch.
K Machine
True freshman pitcher Kelsi Dunne has demonstrated her ability to baffle hitters in her first 23 career starts. Dunne leads the team with 205 strikeouts in 154.0 innings pitched, an average of 9.32 K's per seven innings. She struck out 11 in her collegiate debut and has nine shutouts and 12 complete games included in her 18-3 pitching record. Dunne owns a 1.27 ERA and has made 28 appearances this season. She fanned a season-high 15 in eight innings at Auburn on April 12 and has eight double-digit strikeout games.
Top of the Lineup
One of the keys to Alabama's explosive offense throughout the past two seasons has been the production at the top of the lineup. That trend has continued in the 2008 season. In the Tide's 51 games, the first five batters in the UA lineup have been nothing short of phenomenal. In that span, the top five hitters have gone 287-for-756 (.380), scored 230 of the team's 367 runs and have driven in 217.
Morgan Named National POW
Alabama sophomore 1B/P Charlotte Morgan added to her list of accolades last week when she was named both the Louisville Slugger/NFCA and the ASA/USA Softball National Player of the Week after an impressive weekend showing against then-No. 10 LSU. Morgan helped the Tide post their first sweep of LSU in Tuscaloosa by earning wins in the circle in the final two games. She also clinched the series opener at the plate with a three-run 10th-inning walk-off home run that erased a two-run deficit and gave Alabama a dramatic 9-8 win. Morgan allowed just one run in the circle (0.58 ERA) in two complete-game wins - one shutout - that spanned a total of 12 innings. At the plate, Morgan posted a .538 batting average for the week with two home runs, three doubles, three runs scored and six RBI.
Grand Slams
The Alabama offense has demonstrated its ability to put up runs in bunches thus far this season, and nothing puts runs on the board faster than a grand slam. So far this season, Tide hitters have blasted four home runs with the bases loaded. The school record for grand slams was set in 2006, when Alabama hit five as a team. Dani Woods, Charlotte Morgan, Kellie Eubanks and Whitney Larsen have each hit one grand slam in 2008. Morgan and Eubanks both hit theirs against McNeese State on February 13, becoming the first two players to hit a grand slam in the same game in UA history. Both have two grand slams in their careers, tying for second place all-time behind Christy Kyle (1997-2000), who hit four over her career with the Tide.
Run Production
Last year's Crimson Tide team was an offensive juggernaut, setting a variety of all-time Alabama and SEC offensive records. The 2008 team has beeneven more impressive through 47 games, lighting up scoreboards regularly. Alabama is averaging 7.20 runs per game in 2008 and has scored more than 10 runs in nine games. The Tide set the school and SEC record last season by averaging 7.12 runs per contest.
500 K's
Senior Chrissy Owens joined an elite club at Alabama when she recorded her 500th career strikeout in the win over New Mexico. Entering the game with 499 career punch outs, Owens wasted no time getting No. 500 out of the way. She struck out the first batter she faced, New Mexico's Samantha Hughes, to become the fourth UA pitcher in history to eclipse the 500 mark, joining Stephanie VanBrakle, Shelley Laird and Erin Wright as the only Tide pitchers to make up the exclusive 500 K club. Owens now has 574 career strikeouts in 530.2 innings over her four-year career. Praytor is Lowe's Senior CLASS Finalist Alabama's senior Jordan Praytor is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The award is given to the nation's best college softball player who also excels in the classroom and makes an impact in their community. The award, presented to NCAA Division I student-athletes each year in eight sports, focuses on the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition. Go to www.seniorclassaward.com to vote for Praytor.
Praytor Selected in NPF Draft
University of Alabama senior utility player Jordan Praytor was recently selected by the New England Riptide of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Softball League in its annual Senior Draft. Praytor, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection (2006-07) and a 2008 Preseason All-American by ESPN.com, was taken with the 22nd selection overall in the fourth round of the draft.
Non-Conference Recap
Alabama wrapped up its non-conference play with a near-perfect record. The Tide came out of the gate with 17-straight victories. The lone blemish on the record came against No. 25 ranked Washington in the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash. Alabama is a combined 57-3 in its last three seasons against its preseason opponents. Alabama went a perfect 21-0 last year before SEC play.
Sold Out
The success of the UA softball program under head coach Patrick Murphy can be seen by simply looking around the Alabama Softball Facility. As the wins have, the Crimson Tide fan base has grown steadily. From a handful of supporters in the early days of the Murphy era, Alabama has come to be among the nation's leaders in attendance on a perennial basis. On January 28, the UA ticket office sold its 1,595th and final season ticket for the 2008 season, giving the Tide an unprecedented season-long sellout in Tuscaloosa. It is unknown whether this feat has been equaled at any other softball program nationally.
In 2008, Alabama is once again setting attendance records. The Tide is average a school-record 2,069 per game and have sold 51,734 tickets this season. The Tide has seen 15 crowds of 2,000 or more in 2008 with a new school record of 2,461 coming in at doubleheader vs. LSU on April 5. In 2007, the Tide ranked third in the nation in average attendance, bringing in an average of 1,436 fans per game at home.
Strength of Schedule
After a disappointing seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, Murphy and his staff have assembled one of the most challenging schedules in Alabama softball history. The Tide will square off against no fewer than nine teams ranked in the two national softball preseason polls. Alabama faces Northwestern (7/6), DePaul (10/8), Washington (11/14) and Georgia Tech (17/18) in non-conference action. The Tide meets Tennessee (6/11), LSU (9/7) and Florida (13/13) in SEC action this season. Alabama went 11-9 against ranked teams in 2007.
All-Americans
Alongside the team accomplishments the Crimson Tide earned a season ago, three players added to the already long list of individual standouts in UA softball history. Lauren Parker, Brittany Rogers and Chrissy Owens each earned All-American distinction following the 2007 season, bringing the number of All-Americans in Alabama softball history to 44.
Parker earned first team honors from the NFCA and Easton All-American teams after one of the best offensive seasons in school history. Rogers earned NFCA second team accolades and Owens was a third team selection. In the 2008 preseason, three Tide players were selected by ESPN.com. Parker was a first team honoree, while Rogers and Jordan Praytor made second team.
