Softball Set to Host Tuscaloosa Regional
5/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 20, 2010
| Tuscaloosa Regional | No. 1 Alabama (48-9) vs. Alcorn State (24-24) | |
| Date | Friday, May 21 6:00 p.m. CDT Saturday, May 22 Time TBD Sunday, May 23 Time TBD |
| Location | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Alabama Softball Complex (3,395) |
| Tickets | Click Here to Purchase All-Session Pass Single Day: UA Students $3, Youth $6, Adults $10 |
| Television | None |
| Radio | WVUA-FM 90.7 - Tuscaloosa (Lake Koelling) |
| Internet | See Tuscaloosa Regional Central for all links. |
| All-Time Series | First meeting |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 3-ranked and No. 1 seeded Alabama softball team (48-9, 23-4 SEC), fresh off winning the Southeastern Conference tournament championship, will host the Tuscaloosa Regional. The Crimson Tide welcomes UAB, Lipscomb and Alcorn State to the Alabama Softball Complex. The regional will open on Friday, May 21 with the Blazers (36-20) facing the Lady Bisons (48-11) at 3:30 p.m. and the Crimson Tide and Lady Braves (24-24) meeting on the diamond at 6:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Alabama softball team claimed its fourth Southeastern Conference tournament championship by defeating LSU, 5-4 Saturday at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Ark. After taking a 4-0 lead the Tigers rallied to even the score but sophomore Jazlyn Lunceford hit the eventual game-winner with a sixth inning solo shot to hand the Crimson Tide the clean sweep in conference championship hardware this season. Kelsi Dunne was named the tournament MVP by earning her third straight win of the weekend. Dunne fanned nine and went the distance for the third straight game to lead the Tide to the tournament title. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton also went deep while freshman Kayla Braud batted 3 for 4 with a run scored. Dunne, Braud, Fenton and Whitney Larsen were named to the all-tournament team.
WHO TO WATCH
Alabama junior shortstop Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) provided the punch and the heroics for the Crimson Tide this past weekend at the SEC tournament. The junior ended two games via the long ball, including a seventh inning walk-off homer against Tennessee in the semifinals to send the Tide to the championship game. Larsen hit .400 (4 for 10) on the week and a tallied a team-best four runs and five RBI. The shortstop collected a hit and scored a run in each contest. Into the early hours of Friday morning Larsen got her tournament off on the right foot as she clubbed a grand slam to supplant the run-rule on Arkansas. That very same day she hit her walk-off against Tennessee to give the Tide a thrilling 4-3 win, adding two hits and two runs scored. In the championship game she collected a hit and scored a run. Overall the cleanup hitter slugged 1.100 and sported a .455 on base percentage. On top of her offensive prowess Larsen fielded a perfect 1.000 for the tournament. For her efforts she was named to the all-tournament team.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Alcorn State: The Lady Braves enter the postseason for the first time in the history of its softball program and sport a 24-24 record. After losing its first game in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, Alcorn had to reel off five straight wins -- including the title clincher against Mississippi Valley State (6-3) -- to earn an automatic bid. Leading the way offensively for the Lady Braves is Jasmine Hubbard and her .346 batting average. Hubbard has belted six home runs, drove in 29 runs and stole 29 bases. In just 32 games Shawna Bruton leads the team with a .395 batting average. Jasmine Hall is hitting .286 with four home runs and 31 RBI. In the circle Jennie Hatch leads the team with a 10-13 record and a 3.42 ERA. She has added 103 Ks in 165 2 /3 innings pitched.
Lipscomb: The Lady Bisons (48-11) are also making their first trip to NCAA postseason play as they earned an automatic bid by winning the A-Sun Tournament Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bisons are also the A-Sun regular season champions. Lipscomb enters postseason play with one of the most dominate pitchers in the country. Whitney Kiihnl leads the country with a 0.73 ERA to help lead as staff that paces the country with a 1.27 ERA. Kiihnl sports a 31-3 record and has struck out 319 in 212 1/3 innings pitched. At the plate the team is hitting .322 and out-scored its opponents 319-85. Courtney Billington leads the Lady Bisons with a .366 average and has added five home runs and 29 RBI. Kellie Sirus has provided the punch by belting 17 home runs and driving in 55 while adding a .358 average. Abby Keese has added 14 home runs, 38 RBI and is hitting .347.
UAB: The Blazers are the third team in the Tuscaloosa regional that are making their first ever trip to NCAA postseason play. UAB is very familiar with two of the teams in the regional as it has faced both Lipscomb and Alabama on two different occasions. The Blazers enter the regional with a.269 batting average and have out-scored their opponents 239-148. Leading the way with the bat is Martina Landrum and her .376 average, four home runs and 22 RBI. Landrum scored 45 times and swiped 35 bases in 41 attempts. Providing the pop for UAB is Mandy Lowman and her nine home runs and 40 RBI while adding a .341 average. Kayla Orr has hit eight home runs and also driven in 40 runs while chipping in a .349 average. In the circle the Blazers sport a 2.05 ERA and are holding opponents to a .232 batting clip. The duo of Lauren Webster and Alisha Smith has shared the duties in the circle. Webster in 17-5 with a 1.77 ERA and struck out 168 in 150 2/3 innings while Smith is 13-12 with a 1.99 ERA and has added 157 Ks in 168 2/3 innings.
SERIES HISTORY
Alcorn State: The Lady Braves and Crimson Tide have never met on the diamond. Alabama is 12-0 all-time against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents and 4-0 when facing SWAC teams in NCAA Regional play.
Lipscomb: If Alabama and Lipscomb face off this weekend it will be the first time the two teams will have squared off in over five years. Lipscomb won the last matchup, 4-2 when the Tide traveled to Nashville to take on the Lady Bisons on May 5, 2005. Alabama holds a 2-0 advantage over Lipscomb in games played at the Alabama Softball Complex. The Tide holds the all-time advantage at 2-1.
UAB: The Crimson Tide have dominated the softball series over UAB since the two teams first met in 2000 with Alabama owning an all-time record of 9-0. While UAB has never beaten Alabama, the series has had some significant games including being the opening game at both the Alabama Softball Complex in 2000 and the new UAB Softball Field this year. In the two meetings this year Alabama won by scores of 7-3 in Birmingham and 6-2 in Tuscaloosa. Kelsi Dunne picked up her career high in strikeouts in a single game with 17 in the 7-3 victory of UAB in Birmingham earlier this year.
ALABAMA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT REGIONALS
The Crimson Tide earned their 12th consecutive NCAA tournament bid in 2010 with a 48-9 overall record and a SEC regular season and tournament championship. In just 14 years of existence, the Alabama softball program will be playing in its 13th NCAA Regional this weekend. The Tide has advanced to an NCAA Regional in every season under head coach Patrick Murphy. The Crimson Tide have a 29-9 record in NCAA Regional action (not including super regionals and the College World Series) and have won seven NCAA Regional titles (2000, '03, '05, '06, '07, '08 & `09). UA will be hosting its eighth NCAA Regional at the Alabama Softball Complex this weekend. It is the sixth consecutive year Alabama has been selected to host an NCAA Regional. The Tide is 22-3 in regional games played at the Alabama Softball Complex.
ALABAMA AGAINST THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
Alabama enters NCAA postseason play with a 26-9 record against the tournament field. The Crimson Tide has won its last 10 against teams in the tournament. As a team Alabama is batting .281 and has out-scored its opponents 207-116. Freshman Kayla Braud leads all Tide hitters with a .466 average (48 for 103), 35 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton follows with a .309 average and has added 20 runs, five home runs, 16 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Sophomore Amanda Locke leads all Tide players with eight home runs against the field. Senior Charlotte Morgan paces the team with 31 RBI and adds seven home runs and a .292 average. In the circle, the Tide sports a 2.85 ERA and has held opponents to a .215 hitting clip. Junior Kelsi Dunne leads the staff with a 2.43 ERA and a 18-4 record. The right-hander has struck out 216 in 132 2/3 innings pitched.
ALABAMA EARNS No. 1 NATIONAL SEED
The Alabama softball earned the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA tournament as announced by the NCAA on its selection show Sunday on ESPNU. The No. 1 national seed is a program first for the Crimson Tide. Alabama earned a No. 3 national seed in 2008 and made it to the semifinal round at the Women's College World Series. The Tide was a No. 4 seed last season and equaled its longest stay at the WCWS by bowing out in the semifinals.
SEC CHAMPIONS
The Alabama softball team earned its second Southeastern Conference regular season title and its fourth SEC tournament title. It is the first time in program history that the Crimson Tide has won both titles in the same season. Alabama swept its way through the SEC tournament, defeating Arkansas, 9-0, Tennessee, 4-3 and LSU, 5-4. UA claimed the regular season title by finishing with a 23-4 ledger in league play. Alabama out-distanced Florida (20-4) by earning the league title based on percentage points. The Tide sported a winning percentage of .852 while the Gators finished with a .833 clip. The regular season title is the second in program history for Alabama as it finished first in 2006 with a 25-4 record.
DUNNE NAMED ASA/USA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
In its final selection of the 2010 season, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced Tuesday that Kelsi Dunne is the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for the week of May 10-16. Dunne helped lead her team to an SEC Tournament Championship with an undefeated 3-0 record, which helped the Crimson Tide to clinch a No. 1 seed for the postseason tournament. The junior pitcher did what no Crimson Tide pitcher had done before in SEC Tournament play - take the ball in all three games and earn the win in each. Dunne posted a 3-0 record with a 1.84 ERA en route to earning SEC Tournament MVP honors. The right-hander struck out 30 in 19 innings and held opponents to just a .152 average. Dunne struck out eight or more in each contest and extended her winning streak to 14 straight starts.
ALABAMA SWEEPS CONFERENCE AWARDS
For the first time in SEC history a team swept the major athletic conference honors. Senior Charlotte Morgan was named the SEC Player of the Year for the second straight season - becoming just the second player in league history to do so. Junior Kelsi Dunne was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year, joining Stephanie VanBrakle (2006) as the only members of the Tide to do so. Kayla Braud was named the Freshman of the Year, the third time in as many seasons for an Alabama player. Head coach Patrick Murphy was named the Coach of the Year for the second time in his storied career (2006).
FIVE PLAYERS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Alabama had five players earn all-conference honors. Senior Charlotte Morgan, junior Kelsi Dunne and freshman Kayla Braud were named to the All-SEC first-team. Junior Whitney Larsen tallied All-SEC second-team honors while freshman Keima Davis joined fellow rookie Kayla Braud on the All-Freshman team. Dunne was also named to the All-Defensive team.
FOUR PLAYERS EARN SEC ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Alabama had four players earn SEC all-tournament team honors. Kelsi Dunne earned MVP honors after winning all three games in the circle for the Tide. She struck out 30 in 19 innings and held opponents to just a .152 average while posting a 1.84 ERA. Jennifer Fenton paced the Tide at the plate with a .625 average. The sophomore scored three runs, drove in three and hit a home run. Kayla Braud batted .556 and scored twice while stealing four bases. Whitney Larsen provided the dramatics by ending two games with home runs. The junior batted .400, hit two home runs and drove in five.
BRAUD NAMED ASA/USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Alabama freshman Kayla Braud was named one of the ASA/USA Softball Player of the Year top-10 finalists. Braud leads the Crimson Tide with a .497 batting average, 84 hits, 68 runs, a .561 on base percentage and 40 stolen bases. The newcomer was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year after leading the circuit in runs scored and ranking second in batting average and on base percentage. She was also named to the SEC all-tournament team.
OVER THE 24 GAME WINNING STREAK
The Alabama softball team is currently on a 24-game winning streak as it enters NCAA tournament play. The win streak spanned over all of April and now has entered the month of May. It is the fourth longest winning streak in the program's history and is only three wins away from the school record of 27 straight wins, set in the beginning of the 2001 season. Over the 24 games the Crimson Tide is batting .341 and sports a 1.68 ERA while opponents are hitting at a .182 clip and have been pounded for a 8.72 ERA. Alabama has out-scored its opponents 193-52 and have smashed 43 home runs. Freshman Kayla Braud leads the charge with a .486 (36 for 74) average, adding a team-best 31 runs, 36 hits and 24 stolen bases. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton follows with a .484 (15 for 31) average, scoring 12 runs and swiping six bases. Senior Charlotte Morgan has drilled eight home runs, driven in 32 runs while adding a .373 (22 for 59) average. Amanda Locke has also added eight home runs, 23 RBI and sports a .358 average. Whitney Larsen has tallied eight home runs as well and adds 27 RBI and 27 runs scored. In the circle Kelsi Dunne is a perfect 15-0 with a 1.31 ERA. The junior has struck out 143 in 85 2/3 innings and allowed just 47 hits for a .158 opponent batting average.
BRAUD RECORD WATCH
Alabama freshman Kayla Braud has instantly jumped on the scene to lead the Crimson Tide vaunted offensive attack. Braud enters the championship game of the SEC Tournament with a .497 average and is on pace to break the Alabama single-season record. The record is .467 held by All-American Kelly Kretschman, who set the mark as a freshman in 1998. Alabama has only had three players record a single season batting average of .450 or more with a minimum of 135 at bats.
REILLY-BOCCIA SETS WALKS RECORD
Alabama sophomore Cassie Reilly-Boccia set the single season walk record by posting her 53rd free pass against Tennessee. The sophomore passes former teammate Kelley Montalvo, who set the mark of 52 last season. Reilly-Boccia earned her Alabama record-breaking walk by taking two free passes in the 7-6 win in the nightcap against the Lady Vols. The Yorktown Heights, N.Y., native now sports a 60/22 BB/K ratio and is third on the team with a .520 on base percentage. Her 60 walks also lead the SEC and is second all-time in the conference single season annals, trailing only the 62 walks by Tonya Callahan, set in 2008. The sophomore has tallied a walk in 18 of the last 19 games, including a streak of 17 in a row over that span.
