Softball Hosts Missouri in NCAA Super Regional
5/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 21, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama hosts Missouri in the 2008 NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional that begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Alabama Softball Complex. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the 2008 Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The super regional continues at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24, with game two. If needed, the third game of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional would take place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Crimson Tide swept through the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional last weekend with a win over Chattanooga and two wins over Jacksonville State, outscoring their opponents 22-2. The Tide is 54-6 on the season and won the SEC Western Division title with a 25-3 league record.
UA is in search of its third NCAA Super Regional Championship and its fifth trip to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. It is the second time Alabama will host super regional action as they advanced to the WCWS out of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional in 2006.
Missouri visits Tuscaloosa this weekend after capturing the NCAA Iowa City Regional as the No. 2 seed with two wins over host Iowa and the region's top-seed No. 14 Long Beach State. The Tigers are making their first super regional appearance. Missouri has advanced to the Women's College World Series on three occasions, capturing regional titles in 1983, 1991 and 1994. Missouri posted a 47-15 overall record and finished Big 12 play with an 11-6 mark.
Alabama is making its 10th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and boast a 30-11 record in NCAA Regional and Super Regional play. The Tide have won six regional titles, two super regional championships (2005 and 2006) and advanced to the College World Series on four occasions (2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006). The Crimson Tide is hosting a super regional for the second time (2006). Alabama has a 4-2 record in super regional action and a 2-0 mark at the Alabama Softball Complex.
2008 NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional
Alabama (54-6) vs. Missouri (47-15)
Friday-Saturday, May 23-24, 2008 • Tide TV on RollTide.com
Alabama Softball Complex (1,595) • Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Radio: WVUA 90.7 FM • Internet: www.RollTide.com
Scouting the Tigers
Missouri enters the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional after winning the NCAA Iowa City Regional last weekend as the No. 2 seed. The Tigers posted two wins over the host Hawkeyes and also defeated the region's top-seed Long Beach State. Head coach Ehren Earleywine's Tigers are 47-15 on the season and finished the Big 12 campaign in third place with an 11-6 mark.
MU is hitting .289 on the season with 65 home runs and is aggressive on the base paths with 139 stolen bases. Rhea Taylor led the Tigers with a .406 batting average. She actually overtook Brittany Rogers (55) this past weekend for the NCAA stolen base lead with 57. MU also has a cluster of power in the middle of its lineup with Amanda Renth's 20 home runs, Lindsey Ubrun's 16 long balls and Jen Bruck's 14 home runs.
In the circle, the Tigers boast a 2.26-team ERA with ace Stacy Delaney anchoring the staff. Delaney is 20-3 on the year with a 1.85 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 174.1 innings. Bruck has served as Missouri's No. 2 starter with a 17-9 record and a 2.71 ERA.
Alabama in the NCAA Tournament
Alabama earned its 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid in 2008 and has a 54-6 overall record. In just its 12th year of existence, the Crimson Tide program has garnered 10 appearances in NCAA Regional play. The Tide have a 30-11 record in NCAA Regional and Super Regional action (not including the College World Series) and have won six NCAA Regional titles (2000, `03, `05, `06, `07 & `08). UA is hosting its second NCAA Super Regional (2006) and appearing in its fourth straight super regional. The Tide is 23-3 in regional and super regional games played at the Alabama Softball Complex.
Crimson Tide Garner No. 3 National Seed
Alabama was awarded the No. 3 national seed for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide was second in the most recent RPI released by the NCAA on May 4. The Crimson Tide is 11-5 against top-25 competition, including non-conference games away from home against Northwestern, DePaul and Washington.
Tide against the 2008 NCAA Tournament Field
The Crimson Tide played an impressive 15 teams in 2008 that qualified for the NCAA Tournament (including last weekend's NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional). Alabama played 34 games against those NCAA Tournament teams and posted a 28-6 (.824) record. The 34 games against NCAA teams represented 56.7 percent of Alabama's 2008 schedule. The Crimson Tide also faced five of the 16 No. 1 regional seeds with a 10-4 mark in those games. UA also played four super regional teams with a 4-3 record.
Tide TV on RollTide.com
The NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional will be available free to everyone on Tide TV through RollTide.com. Just go to RollTide.com and fill out a simple registration form for all of the 2008 NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional action.
Similar Styles
Missouri and Alabama enter the 2008 Tuscaloosa Super Regional with similar styles - lots of speed and power. The Tide and Tigers both rank in the top five in stolen bases per game and top 16 in home runs per game. Alabama has stolen 155 bases this season to lead the country with 2.58 per game while Missouri ranks fourth with 139 swipes or 2.24 per game. The Tide is eighth nationally in home runs with 1.23 per game (74 total) while the Tigers are 16th with 1.05 long balls per game (65 total). Those stats have translated to runs on the field as Alabama leads the country in runs per game at 7.03 and Missouri is 14th with 5.80.
Winning Characteristics
Patience and selectiveness at the plate has been a winning combination for Alabama in 2008. The Crimson Tide has drawn 244 walks as a team while striking out just 241 times. The Tide's top three home run hitters have proven to be the most patient on the team. Charlotte Morgan, Kelley Montalvo and Dani Woods all have at least eight more walks than strikeouts. Montalvo leads the way with 23 more walks than Ks with 33 base on balls and just 10 strikeouts. Woods has a team-high 40 walks and 22 strikeouts for a plus-18 ratio. Morgan has 35 extra-base hits on the season and has eight more walks (22) than strikeouts (14).
On-Base Plus Slugging a Telling Stat
OPS or on-base percentage plus slugging percentage has become a popular way of better using statistics to identify a players true productivity at the plate. The following is a quick look at Alabama's top hitters according to OPS among players with at least 100 at bats.
Player OB% Slug% OPS
Charlotte Morgan .498 .826 1.324
Kelley Montalvo .528 .708 1.236
Dani Woods .489 .607 1.096
Lauren Parker .402 .663 1.065
Brittany Rogers .502 .538 1.040
Kellie Eubanks .420 .525 .945
Ashley Holcombe .411 .533 .944
Jordan Praytor .413 .497 .910
Whitney Larsen .367 .534 .901
All-Star Candidates
Alabama's roster is filled with outstanding talent up and down the line up, but a few names have stepped to the forefront for All-America honors in 2008.
• Sophomore first baseman/pitcher Charlotte Morgan is one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The native of Moreno Valley, Calif., is hitting .424 with 17 home runs, 18 doubles and a school-record 71 RBI, which ranks third nationally. She is also 16-2 in the circle with a 1.35 ERA, while boasting a 10-1 record in SEC play with a 1.00 ERA that ranked second in the league.
• Freshman hurler Kelsi Dunne was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-South Region honors. She has a 24-4 overall record and a 1.39 ERA. She was second in the league with 114 Ks in conference games and has 247 in 35 total appearances this season that ranks fifth all time at Alabama. Her 24 wins tie the UA freshman record.
• Center fielder Brittany Rogers is among the leaders nationally in stolen bases with 55, including a SEC-best 25 in league play. She is hitting .452 and leading the nation in runs scored with 74. Rogers on-base percentage is .502 while slugging .538.
• Kelley Montalvo is one of the best defensive players in the country with a staggering .988 fielding percentage at third base in 160 chances at the hot corner. She is hitting .396 with 14 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs while driving in 53 runs. Montalvo is reaching base at an astounding .528 clip with a .708 slugging percentage.
• Catcher Ashley Holcombe has been amazing behind the dish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in league play. She is also hitting .307 overall in with seven home runs 25 RBI. There have been just 20 stolen base attempts on the strong-armed backstop this season while throwing out six and picking off a school record five.
Keys to Winning
The Crimson Tide have been clutch at the plate this season and no statistics better illustrate that point than their .359 average with runners in scoring position and their two-out 148 RBI
Lauren Parker and Brittany Rogers are leading the Tide at the plate with runners in scoring position. Parker is hitting .467 (21 for 45) and Rogers is hitting .517 (31 for 60) while Charlotte Morgan (.462), Dani Woods (.409) and Kelley Montalvo (.377) and are close behind.
With two outs in an inning the Tide have produced 39.5 percent of their RBI this season (148 of 375). Morgan has paced the Tide with a .484 (30 for 62) average with 25 two-out RBI. Rogers is hitting .490 (24 for 49) while Kellie Eubanks has an impressive 24 two-out RBI.
Morgan 1 of 10 Finalists for USA Softball POY
Charlotte Morgan is among 10 finalists for the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award presented by the Amateur Softball Association. Morgan, a sophomore from Moreno Valley, Calif., is a dual threat for the Tide with a .424 batting average and a SEC-best 71 RBI that ranks third nationally and is the most in school history. She also boasts a 16-2 record in the circle with a 1.35 ERA and a .218 opponent batting average. Brittany Rogers, a junior from Dacula, Ga., was among the 25 finalists before the list was trimmed prior to the conference tournament. Rogers is hitting .452 and is second in the nation with 55 stolen bases.
Five Garner All-South Region Honors
Five members of the 2008 Alabama Softball team were named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region team last week. Sophomore Charlotte Morgan, junior Brittany Rogers and freshman Kelsi Dunne were selected to the first team. The trio is now eligible for first-team All-America honors, which will be announced May 28 prior to the start of the Women's College World Series. Junior Kelley Montalvo and junior Ashley Holcombe were named to the second-team.
Tide Earn Seven All-Conference Selections
A school-record seven Alabama players earned All-SEC recognition for their play in 2008. Pitcher Kelsi Dunne was named the SEC Freshman of the Year as well as a first-team all-conference pick. Charlotte Morgan, Brittany Rogers and Kelley Montalvo also joined Dunne on the first team. Senior outfielders Jordan Praytor and Dani Woods along with junior catcher Ashley Holcombe garnered second-team honors. Praytor was also selected as the SEC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Dunne SEC Pitcher of the Year; Praytor SEC Scholar-Athlete
Kelsi Dunne became the fifth Alabama player to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors. The Port Orange, Fla., native has a 24-4 record in her rookie campaign with a 1.39 ERA and 247 strikeouts, which ranks as the fifth-best single-season total in school history. Dunne owns wins over No. 1 Florida, then-No. 4 Tennessee, then-No. 10 LSU, No. 11 Northwestern and then-No. 15 Mississippi State.
Jordan Praytor, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., was named the SEC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Praytor boasts a 3.75 grade-point average while majoring in biology and Spanish. She is a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and named ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic All-District 4. Praytor was a second-team All-SEC performer on the diamond with a .290 average with five home runs, 18 extra-base hits and 34 RBI.
Tide Net Four ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Honors
Sophomore first baseman/pitcher Charlotte Morgan led a group of four Alabama softball players on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 4 team. Morgan garnered first team honors with a 3.75 grade-point average in exercise sports science. Jordan Praytor, Ashley Holcombe and Chrissy Owens were selected to the second team for their academic and athletic accomplishments. Praytor has a 3.75 gpa in biology and Spanish while Holcombe carries a 3.57 gpa in marketing and Owens has a 3.29 gpa in marketing.
Three Crimson Tide Earn SEC All-Defensive Recognition
Center fielder Brittany Rogers, catcher Ashley Holcombe and third baseman Kelley Montalvo were named to the SEC All-Defensive team in 2008. Montalvo has made just two errors in 160 chances at third base for a .988 fielding percentage. Holcombe did not make an error in SEC play and allowed just six stolen bases. Rogers made nearly every play possible in center field with just two errors while tracking down balls from gap-to-gap and going up and over the fence to bring back home runs.
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 141 steals in 161 career attempts. Rogers also has the top two single season stolen base marks in school history with 48 in 2007 and 55 and counting in 2008.
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 boasts a .976 fielding percentage in 60 games this season. UA has not made an error in 33 of 60 games this season, including an error-free NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional last weekend. The Tide's fielding numbers were even better in SEC play with a .984 fielding percentage over 28 games. UA made just 12 errors in 730 chances during conference action, including 18 error-free games.
NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Recap
Alabama rolled through the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional to claim its sixth NCAA Regional title last weekend. The Crimson Tide opened with a 8-0 mercy-rule win against Chattanooga on Thursday, May 15 and then posted back-to-back victories over Jacksonville State, 10-1 (5) and 4-1, to advance to their fourth straight NCAA Super Regional. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning of the championship game vs. Jacksonville State, the Tide used back-to-back-to-back home runs from the 7-8-9 hitters to earn the win. It was the first time in school history that Alabama hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. The Crimson Tide hit an impressive .392 in the regional with a .824 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. Brittany Rogers was everywhere for the Tide with an amazing .800 (8 for 10) batting average, five runs scored, an .818 on-base percentage, a 1.500 slugging percentage and an inside-the-park home run. In the circle Kelsi Dunne and Charlotte Morgan combined for a 0.78 ERA. Morgan was 1-0 and did not surrender a run in 5.1 innings vs. Chattanooga while Dunne captured two wins and struck out 16 in 11 innings vs. Jacksonville State.
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 .452 (89-of-197) through 60 games, leading the team and among the best in the SEC. She averages 1.48 hits per game and also leads the Tide and the country with 74 runs scored and is second in stolen bases with 55. Rogers hit .800 (8 for 10) in the regional with four doubles, a home run and a .818 on-base percentage. She has hit safely in a season-high 13 straight games.
Dunne Equals Rookie Record
Kelsi Dunne tied the Alabama record for victories by a freshman with her 24th win on Saturday in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Championship Game. She tied Penny Cope who posted a 24-10 record in 1998.
Shutout Trio
Kelsi Dunne, Chrissy Owens and Charlotte Morgan have been shutting down opponents this season. Dunne has held the opponent scoreless 10 times this season, which ranks as tied for the sixth-most shutouts in school history. That includes wins over No. 4 Tennessee. No. 4 Florida, No. 15 Mississippi State, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Arkansas, South Carolina and State again in the SEC Tournament. 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 on April 20. Morgan has four shutouts on the season, blanking Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas and South Carolina. The trio has combined for 18 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.
Rookie K Machine
Freshman pitcher Kelsi Dunne has demonstrated her ability to baffle hitters in her first 28 career starts. Dunne leads the team with 247 strikeouts in 186.1 innings pitched, an average of 9.28 K's per seven innings. She struck out 11 in her collegiate debut and has 10 shutouts and 16 complete games included in her 24-4 pitching record. Dunne owns a 1.39 ERA and has made 35 appearances this season. She fanned a season-high 15 in eight innings at Auburn on April 12 and has nine double-digit strikeout games.
Tide in the Rankings
Alabama's top-three ranking is backed up by its numbers in 2008. The Crimson Tide rank in the top eight in eight categories in the NCAA's ninth rankings of the season that were released on May 20. The Crimson Tide leads the nation in stolen bases with 2.58 per game (155 of 175) and scoring (7.03). UA is second slugging percentage (.565) while ranking third winning percentage (.900). Alabama is fourth in doubles (1.87 or 112) and batting average (.333) while ranking eighth th in home runs (1.23) and seventh in fielding percentage (.976).
Individually, Brittany Rogers is second nationally in stolen bases, averaging .92 per game (55 for 60) behind Missouri's Rhea Taylor. Rogers is the top run scorer nationally at 1.23 per game. She also ranks eighth in batting average (.452). Charlotte Morgan ranks third in RBI (1.19 per game for a total of 71) and 18th in home runs (.29) per game. Chrissy Owens is tied for 10th nationally in saves with five while Dani Woods ranks 15th in walks per game with .74. Kelsi Dunne is 22nd nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (9.28) while placing 30th in wins (24) and 37th in ERA (1.35).
The Natural
Despite battling a slew of injuries in the second half of her sophomore season and not starting 29 games in her junior campaign, All-American Lauren Parker has still managed to have a significant impact on the Tide's offense. She completely missed 19 of Alabama's 60 games this season, Parker has eight home runs with a .347 batting average and 36 RBI. She also boasts a .663 slugging percentage. Parker returned to the starting lineup in the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. She is expected to play in the NCAA Super Regional as well. Prior to her start vs. LSU on May 9, Parker had not started a game due to her shoulder injury since April 12 at Auburn.
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 60 games, the first five batters in the UA lineup have been nothing short of phenomenal. In that span, the top five hitters have gone 336-for-883 (.381), scored 267 of the team's 422 runs (63.3 percent) and have driven in 249.
Grand Slams
The Alabama offense has demonstrated its ability to put up runs in bunches this season, and nothing puts runs on the board faster than a grand slam. So far this season, Tide hitters have blasted six home runs with the bases loaded. The previous school record for grand slams was set in 2006, when Alabama hit five as a team. Dani Woods, Charlotte Morgan, Kellie Eubanks, Whitney Larsen, Jordan Praytor and Kelley Montalvo have each hit one grand slam in 2008. Praytor and Montalvo both connected for their grand slams yesterday vs. Georgia. Praytor went deep in game one, and it was her first grand slam at any level of her softball career. Montalvo hit her slam in game two and it was the second of her UA career (5/6/06 vs. Arkansas), tying her with Morgan and Eubanks 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 been even more impressive through 60 games, lighting up scoreboards regularly. Alabama is averaging 7.03 runs per game in 2008 and has scored more than 10 runs in 12 games. The Tide set the school and SEC record last season by averaging 7.12 runs per contest.
SEC Chart Toppers
The University of Alabama has played outstanding softball this season and it has shown in the SEC team statistics. The Tide paced the league in 12 offensive categories in conference games only, including; average (.332), slugging percentage (.598), on-base percentage (.433), runs (195), hits (238), home runs (43), doubles (54), stolen bases (68), total bases (429), walks (105), hit by pitches (27) and RBI (177).
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 581 career strikeouts in 538.1 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.
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.
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 April 29. 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 on April 29 to break a tie with the 2007 that won 25 consecutive games.
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 1,934 per game and has sold 56,089 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.
