No. 2/3 Softball Opens Season at South Alabama Invitational
2/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 6, 2009
ALABAMA (0-0)
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Radio: 90.7 (Play by Play - Brent Magnuson)
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 2/3 ranked Alabama softball team opens its 2009 campaign at the South Alabama Invitational. The Tide will play a total of four games over the course of the weekend. UA opens play against Northwestern State on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10:00 a.m. at Jaguar Field. The Tide will then finish off opening day against Memphis at 2:00 p.m. On Sunday Alabama will face Jacksonville State at 10:00 a.m. and then finish off the weekend against host South Alabama at 2:00 p.m.
Who to Watch
Coming off a sophomore campaign where she was named a finalist for the ASA Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, Charlotte Morgan looks to compile another stellar season for the Crimson Tide. Morgan led the NCAA with 79 RBI which was a SEC and school record. Morgan added a .417 batting average and a team-leading 19 home runs. The lefty was also 18-2 with a 1.27 ERA in the circle.
Scouting the Competition
Northwestern State: The demons enter the 2009 season coming off a 10-45 overall record in 2008. As a team NSU batted .225 while opponents hit at a .369 clip. In the circle the Demons posted a 6.98 ERA while opponents sported a 2.12 ERA. NSU does return its two leading hitters in Cary Bruno and Randi Stuard. Bruno paced the Demons with a .302 average and 18 stolen bases. Stuard batted .282 and hit three home runs and drove in 13 runs. Bruno was named to the 2009 Preseason All-Southland Conference Softball Team and was a second-team selection in 2008.
Memphis: The Tigers enter 2009 looking to improve on its 25-30 record from last season and 4-18 mark in Conference USA. The Tigers batted .254 and held opponents to that .254 batting average as well. In the circle Memphis recorded a 4.05 ERA while opponents posted a 3.35 mark. Memphis returns seven position starters and three pitchers from last season. Tori Gross is the top returning hitter for the Tigers. Gross was second on the team with a .298 average. She added four home runs and 19 RBI. Leila Dolfo returns some punch for Memphis. Dolfo batted .288 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 34 RBI. Memphis returns its two top pitchers in Janelle Valle and Kimber Bossom. Valle posted a 3.00 ERA and a 9-6 record while Bossom followed with a 3.61 ERA and an 11-16 record.
Jacksonville State: The Gamecocks are coming off of the most storied season in school history, one that saw them post a 40-16 record and a 22-4 mark in OVC play to win the league's regular season race by more than five games. They swept through the OVC Tournament to earn a berth in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Sophomore pitcher Ashley Eliasson, the 2008 OVC Freshman of the Year, senior catcher Allie Barker, junior first baseman Nikki Prier, junior outfielder Chrissy O'Neal and senior pitcher Melissa Dowling all return after having all-conference seasons a year ago. JSU received votes in both major preseason polls, marking the first time in program history the Gamecocks have been in the picture for the preseason Top 25. The Gamecocks were picked to repeat as Ohio Valley Conference Champions in 2009.
South Alabama: The Jaguars are coming off a 22-30 overall record and a 6-17 mark in Sun Belt play in 2008. USA returns two of its top three hitters in Tara and Kelsy Donaldson. Tara batted .301 with two home runs and 15 RBI while Kelsy batted .276 with seven RBI. The Jaguars batted .245 as a team and held opponents to that same mark as well. In the circle USA returns its top two hurlers in Shannon Smith and Beth Pilgrim. Smith led the team with a 2.43 ERA and posted a 4-4 mark in 21 appearances. Pilgrim led the team with a 10-14 record and recorded a 2.67 ERA.
Series History
Alabama will play a total of four games to open the season. Of the four teams, Alabama has played against three of them and sports an overall record of 14-0 against the field. UA holds a 3-0 record against Northwestern State, with the last meeting coming on April 3, 2005 in a 13-7 win. Alabama has never faced Memphis. The Tide is 10-0 against Jacksonville State. The two squads last met on May 17, 2008 in a 4-1 win in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional. Alabama has faced host South Alabama just once in the regular season, posting an 8-1 win to open the 2008 campaign on Feb. 8.
Another Tough Schedule
Alabama will play 19 games in 2009 against teams that are ranked or are receiving votes in the polls. The Crimson Tide played an impressive 19 teams in 2008 that qualified for the NCAA Tournament (including the NCAA Regional, Super Regional and WCWS). Alabama played 40 games against those NCAA Tournament teams and posted a 32-8 (.800) record. The 40 games against NCAA teams represented 60.6 percent of Alabama's 2008 schedule. The Crimson Tide also faced seven of the 16 No. 1 regional seeds with an 11-6 mark in those games. UA also played four super regional teams with an 8-5 record.
2009 Strength of Schedule
Here is a look at some of the top teams around the country:
Alabama 19
Oklahoma 18
Kansas 17
Washington 17
Oregon State 16
Arizona 16
Florida State 16
Tennessee 15
Jacksonville State 15
Kentucky 15
Fresno State 15
Based on 2009 Preseason Rankings including teams RV
Preseason Awards
Alabama enters the 2009 season with numerous players up for awards. Seniors Brittany Rogers and Kelley Montalvo along with junior Charlotte Morgan were named to the ASA Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Rogers, Montalvo, Morgan and Dunne were named to the Preseason All-SEC Team. Rogers was one of two players selected unanimously.
All-Americans Abound
The Alabama softball team had four players earn 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Crimson Tide led the nation with three first-team selections as Brittany Rogers, Charlotte Morgan and Kelley Montalvo were honored. Kelsi Dunne also garnered third-team honors. It marked the most first-team All-America selections in school history and tied the 2001 team with four total All-Americans. Rogers becomes a three-time All-American, while Morgan, Montalvo and Dunne all garnered their first honor.
Alabama in the NCAA Tournament
Alabama earned its 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid in 2008 and finished with a 58-8 overall record. In just its 12th year of existence, the Crimson Tide program has garnered 10 appearances in NCAA Regional play. The Tide has a 36-21 record in the NCAA Tournament (including regionals, super regionals and the WCWS). Alabama has won six NCAA Regional titles (2000, `03, `05, `06, `07 & `08) and three NCAA Super Regional championships (2005, `06 & `08). UA made its fifth appearance in the Women's College World Series last season, including its third trip in the past four years.
Rogers Red Hot
Alabama center fielder Brittany Rogers finished the 2008 season with an amazing NCAA Tournament. She is hit .567 (17 for 30) in three NCAA Regional games, two NCAA Super Regional games and the WCWS. During that time Rogers has collected five doubles, a inside-the-park home run and swiped seven bases. She posted a .833 slugging percentage and a .606 on-base percentage. Rogers also passed Missouri's Rhea Taylor for the NCAA stolen base lead with No. 58 in the super regional against Taylor's Tigers. For the year, Rogers hit .452 with 98 hits, 79 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple, home run, 22 RBI. She reached base at a .502 clip while still slugging .535.
RBI Machine
Alabama's first baseman and pitcher Charlotte Morgan was an RBI machine in her sophomore campaign. Her 79 runs batted in is an Alabama and Southeastern Conference single-season record. She surpassed Tennessee's Kristi Durant, who had 77 in 2005. Morgan's 79 RBI also led the NCAA in total RBI.
All-Americans
Alabama's roster was filled with outstanding talent from 1-9 in the lineup, but a few names stepped to the forefront and earned All-America honors in 2008.
•First baseman/pitcher Charlotte Morgan was one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The native of Moreno Valley, Calif., hit .417 with 19 home runs, 19 doubles and a school- and SEC-record 79 RBI, which led the nation in total RBI. A first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American, she was also 18-2 in the circle with a 1.27 ERA, while boasting a 10-1 record in SEC play with a 1.00 ERA that ranked second in the league.
• Pitcher Kelsi Dunne was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-South Region honors. She also garnered honorable mention All-America honors from the NFCA. Dunne had a 26-6 overall record and a 1.44 ERA. She was second in the league with 114 Ks in conference games and has 275 in 41 total appearances this season that ranked fifth all time at Alabama. Her 26 wins is a UA freshman record and ranked fifth all time.
• Center fielder Brittany Rogers led the nation in stolen bases with 60, including a SEC-best 25 in league play. A first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American, she hit .452 and was second in the nation in runs scored with 79. Rogers on-base percentage was .502 while slugging .535. She finished the season with a 19-game hitting streak.
• Kelley Montalvo is one of the best defensive players in the country with a staggering .983 fielding percentage at third base in 175 chances at the hot corner. Montalvo was a first-team All-American by the NFCA. She hit .373 with 15 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs while driving in 54 runs. Montalvo reached base at an astounding .511 clip with a .663 slugging percentage.
• Catcher Ashley Holcombe didn't make All-American, but she did garner second-team NFCA All-South Region honors after an outstanding amazing behind the dish. She recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in SEC play and ... She is also hitting .297 overall with seven home runs and 25 RBI. There have been just 20 stolen base attempts on the strong-armed backstop last season while throwing out six and picking off a school record seven. Missouri, who ranked second nationally in stolen bases entering the super regional, didn't even attempt a stolen base on Holcombe.
Tide in the Rankings
The Crimson Tide ranked in the top 10 in eight categories in the NCAA's final rankings last season. The Crimson Tide ranked second nationally in stolen bases with 2.47 per game (163 of 186) and scoring (6.74). UA was third slugging percentage (.544) while also ranking third in winning percentage (.879). Alabama was fifth in doubles (1.79 or 118) and batting average (.324) while ranking 10th in home runs (1.17 or 77) and seventh in fielding percentage (.977).
Individually, Brittany Rogers led the nation in stolen bases, averaging .91 per game (60 for 66). Rogers was second in runs scored at 1.20 per game. She also ranked seventh in batting average (.452). Charlotte Morgan led the nation in total RBI with 79 while ranking second in RBI per game (1.22). She was 10th in home runs in total home runs with 19 and 15th in home runs per game (.29). Chrissy Owens was tied for 10th nationally in saves with five while Dani Woods ranked 24th in walks per game with .68.
SEC Chart Toppers
The University of Alabama played outstanding softball last 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).
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. UA sold out for an NCAA record second straight season for season ticket sales. Last season UA set its single game attendance record on 10 different occasions.
Next Time Out
The Alabama softball team will return to Tuscaloosa to open its home slate at the UA Softball Complex. Alabama will host four games at the Bama Bash. The Crimson Tide will face Notre Dame, Wisconsin and East Carolina with play beginning on Friday, Feb. 13.
