Softball to Face Mississippi State in SEC Tournament
5/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama enters the 2008 SEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed after winning the SEC Western Division Championship with a 25-3 SEC record. The Crimson Tide will play seventh-seed Mississippi State in the first round at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La., at 5 p.m.
UA boasts a 49-5 overall record and is ranked tied for third in the latest USA Today/NFCA poll and fourth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Alabama will be looking for its fourth SEC Tournament Championship after capturing titles in 1998, 2003 and 2005.
#3 Alabama at SEC Tournament
Thursday, May 8, 2008 (5 p.m. CT)
Tiger Park (1,000) • Baton Rouge, La.
Radio: WVUA 90.7 FM • Internet: www.RollTide.com
Bracket Summary: No. 2-seed Alabama is joined by No. 7 Mississippi State, No. 3 LSU and No. 6 Auburn in one side of the 2008 SEC Tournament bracket. The top-seeded Florida Gators are on the other side of the bracket. State is 40-19 on the season with a 13-14 record in SEC play. The Bulldogs are receiving votes in both polls. MSU is hitting .308 as a team with a 1.99 ERA.
Series History: Alabama opens SEC Tournament action against Mississippi State. The Tide owns a commanding 34-7 lead in the all-time series, including a three-game sweep in Starkville earlier this season and 12 consecutive wins in the series. UA is also 3-1 against the Bulldogs in SEC Tournament play.
On Deck: The Crimson Tide awaits word on an opportunity to host a NCAA Regional from May 16-18. The Tide has hosted a regional in each of the last three years and is expected to host again in 2008.
Alabama at the SEC Tournament Alabama owns three SEC Tournament Championships, including two under head coach Patrick Murphy. The Crimson Tide won their first title in 1998 and followed that with championships in 2003 and 2005. UA owns a 21-16 all-time record in the tournament, including a 3-1 mark against opening-round opponent Mississippi State.
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 139 steals in 159 career attempts. Rogers also has the top two single season stolen base marks in school history with 48 in 2007 and 53 and counting in 2008.
Alabama Rising High in RPI Alabama is No. 2 in the most recent RPI released by the NCAA on April 30. The Crimson Tide is 10-4 against top-25 competition, including non-conference games away from home against Northwestern, DePaul and Washington.
Crimson Tide Slips in National Polls Alabama is tied with UCLA for third in the USA Today/NFCA poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings after dropping games to DePaul and Georgia last week. Florida took over as the nation's consensus No. 1 team with Arizona State second.
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 .443 and leading the nation with 53 stolen bases. Morgan, a sophomore from Moreno Valley, Calif., is a dual threat for the Tide with a .435 batting average and a SEC-best 66 RBI that ranks third nationally. She also boasts a 14-2 record in the circle with a 1.28 ERA and a .205 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 16 in seven categories in the NCAA's seventh rankings of the season that were released on May 6. The Crimson Tide leads the nation in stolen bases with 2.78 per game (150 of 170) and scoring (7.24). UA is second slugging percentage (.566) while ranking third in batting average (.338) and winning percentage (.907). Alabama is fourth in doubles (1.92 or 104) while ranking 11th in home runs (1.19) and 16th in fielding percentage (.975).
Individually, Brittany Rogers is far and away the top base stealer in the country, averaging .98 per game (53 for 58), and the top run scorer at 1.24 per game. She also ranks 12th in batting average (.443). Charlotte Morgan ranks third in RBI (1.23 per game for a total of 63) and 24th in home runs (.28) per game, 20th in doubles (.34). Chrissy Owens is tied for 10th nationally in saves with five while Dani Woods ranks 13th in walks per game with .75. Kelsi Dunne is 23rd nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (9.3) while placing 30th in wins (21) and 36th in ERA (1.28).
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 .975 fielding percentage in 54 games this season. UA has not made an error in 28 of 54 games this season. The Tide's fielding numbers get even better in SEC play with a .984 fielding percentage over 28 games this season. UA has made just 12 errors in 730 chances during conference action, including 18 error-free games.
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 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 .435 with 15 home runs, 18 doubles and 66 RBI, which ranks third nationally. She is also 14-2 in the circle with a 1.28 ERA, while boasting a 10-1 record in SEC play with a 1.00 ERA that ranks second in the league.
• Freshman hurler Kelsi Dunne has made strong case for SEC Pitcher of the Year with a 21-3 overall record and a 1.30 ERA that ranks third in the SEC. She is second in the league with 114 Ks in conference games and has 214 in 31 total appearances this season.
• Center fielder Brittany Rogers leads the country in stolen bases with 53, including a SEC-best 25 in league play while hitting .443 and leading the nation in runs scored (67).
• Kelley Montalvo is one of the best defensive players in the country with a staggering .986 fielding percentage at third base in 145 chances at the hot corner. She is fielding .985 in SEC games while hitting .419 in league play and .416 overall. She is reaching base at an astounding .550 clip overall and .547 in SEC play.
• Catcher Ashley Holcombe has been amazing behind the dish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while throwing out two base runners and picking one off. She is also hitting .315 in SEC play with four home runs.
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 .297 on the season with 40 RBI and a .426 on-base percentage. Eubanks is leading the team with 24 two-out RBI this season.
Keys to Winning
The Crimson Tide have been clutch at the plate this season and no statistics better illustrate that point than their .361 average with runners in scoring position and their .327 average and 140 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 .509 (29 for 57) while Charlotte Morgan (.474), Kelley Montalvo (.389) and Dani Woods (.393) are close behind. With two outs in an inning the Tide have produced 40.1 percent of their RBI this season (140 of 349). Morgan has paced the Tide with a .474 (27 for 57) average with 22 two-out RBI. Parker is second with a .444 (11 RBI) average and nine RBI, while Rogers is hitting .467 and Kellie Eubanks has the most two-out RBI with 24 and a .390 average.
Georgia Recap
Alabama finished the regular season at Georgia and captured two-of-three games to finish with a 25-3 conference record. The Crimson Tide are SEC Western Division Champions and will be the No. 2 seed at the SEC Tournament. UA smashed the Bulldogs in Saturday's doubleheader, winning the opener 12-3, before posting a 10-1 win in the second game. Jordan Praytor hit a grand slam in game one and Kelley Montalvo matched her in game two. The Bulldogs managed to steal the finale on Sunday, 4-2, as UGA's Christie Hamilton allowed only a two-run home run to Charlotte Morgan.
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 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).
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 .443 (78-of-176) through 54 games, leading the team and among the best in the SEC. She averages 1.44 hits per game and also leads the Tide and the country with 67 runs scored and 53 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 24 career starts. Dunne leads the team with 214 strikeouts in 161.0 innings pitched, an average of 9.30 K's per seven innings. She struck out 11 in her collegiate debut and has nine shutouts and 12 complete games included in her 21-3 pitching record. Dunne owns a 1.30 ERA and has made 31 appearances this season. She fanned a season-high 15 in eight innings at Auburn on April 12 and has eight double-digit strikeout games.
The Natural
Despite battling a slew of injuries in the second half of her sophomore season and not starting 27 games in her junior campaign, All-American Lauren Parker has still managed to have a significant impact on the Tide's offense. Despite missing 18 of Alabama's 54 games this season, Parker has seven home runs with a .379 batting average and 34 RBI. She also boasts a .701 slugging percentage, which ranks second on the squad. Parker is currently out of the lineup with a bad shoulder. Her return is day to day.
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 54 games, the first five batters in the UA lineup have been nothing short of phenomenal. In that span, the top five hitters have gone 305-for-800 (.381), scored 247 of the team's 391 runs and have driven in 231.
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 54 games, lighting up scoreboards regularly. Alabama is averaging 7.24 runs per game in 2008 and has scored more than 10 runs in 11 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 580 career strikeouts in 536.2 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.
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 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.
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 has 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.
