Softball Host Hawai'i in Tuscaloosa Super Regional
5/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 27, 2010
| Tuscaloosa Super Regional | No. 1 Alabama (51-9) vs. No. 16 Hawai'i (47-13) | |
| Date | Friday, May 28 5:30 p.m. CDT (ESPNU) Saturday, May 29 4:00 p.m. CDT (ESPN) |
| Location | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Alabama Softball Complex (3,395) |
| Tickets | Reserved Seating SOLD OUT Single Day General Admission: UA Students $5, Youth $8, Adults $12 |
| Television | ESPNU (Fri.) - ESPN (Sat.) | Cara Capuano and Michele Smith Watch Saturday's game online at ESPN3.com |
| Game Blogs | Friday | Saturday |
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| All-Time Series | Alabama leads, 3-0 |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 3-ranked and No. 1 seeded Alabama softball team (51-9, 23-4 SEC), fresh off winning the Tuscaloosa Regional championship, will now host the Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (47-13, 19-1 WAC) in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional. The two teams will meet in the best-of-three series beginning on Friday, May 28 with first pitch slated for 5:30 p.m. The series opener will be broadcast on ESPNU. Saturday will start at 4:00 p.m. with the if necessary game scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN. Cara Capuano and Michele Smith will call the weekend's action from the Alabama Softball Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
The Alabama softball team claimed its sixth straight regional title and eighth overall by sweeping its way through the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. The Crimson Tide opened the postseason with a 9-0 run-rule win over Alcorn State and then defeated Lipscomb twice, by the scores of 5-2 and 6-0, respectively. The three wins extended the Tide's winning streak to 27, which ties the school record set in the beginning of the 2001 season. Freshman Kayla Braud continued to set the tone atop the lineup and was not fazed by the postseason as the rookie hit .667 (6 for 9) on the weekend. Braud added a home run, scored four times and drove in four while stealing three bases. In the circle Kelsi Dunne earned two victories on the strength of allowing only one earned run on seven hits in 14 innings. The junior struck out 24 and has now earned a victory in 16 straight starts.
WHO TO WATCH
Alabama freshman Kayla Braud has stepped up her game as the regular season concluded. Through the six postseason games thus far the rookie is batting .611 (11 for 18) with a home run, six runs scored and four RBI while stealing seven bases. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton has returned to form after her ankle injury by batting .462 (6 for 13) with five runs scored, a home run, four RBI and two stolen bases. Junior Whitney Larsen has provided a punch as she has smacked two home runs, drove in seven runs and adds a .313 average (5 for 16). In the circle junior Kelsi Dunne continues to baffle opposing hitters by posting a 5-0 record over the last six games. The right-hander has struck out 54 in 33 innings pitched and sports a 1.27 ERA over that span.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Hawai'i enters Tuscaloosa with the most potent lineup in NCAA history. The Rainbow Wahine has slugged more home runs (149) this season than any other squad in a single season. Hawai'i enters the Tuscaloosa Super Regional with a .330 batting average and has out-scored its opponents 469-185 on the year. Leading the way offensively is Melissa Gonzalez and her .411 batting average. Gonzalez has drilled 25 home runs and driven in a team-best 60 runs. Kelly Majam follows with a .403 average and is tied for the NCAA lead with 29 homers and closely follows her teammate with 59 RBI. Eight hitters in the UH lineup have belted 10 or more home runs while five have driven in 50 or more runs. In the circle the team sports a 2.66 ERA and has held opposing hitters to a meager .239 average. Stephanie Ricketts leads the team with a 27-7 record and a 2.35 ERA. Ricketts has struck out 148 in 220 innings and has held opponents to a .227 batting clip. Kaia Parnaby follows with a 2.89 ERA and a 19-6 record. Parnaby has struck out 179 in 152 1/3 innings and has held opponents to a .246 average.
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams have met three times with Alabama earning the win in each contest. The two teams met early last season at the Cathedral City Classic near Palm Springs, Calif. The Crimson Tide earned a 1-0 win in eight innings in that contest on Feb. 21, 2009. Charlotte Morgan tossed seven innings and struck out 10 in the no decision. Kelsi Dunne earned the win by fanning two in one inning of relief. Stephanie Ricketts went the distance for Hawaii, allowing four hits while striking out 11. Amanda Locke collected the only RBI in the game. The other two matchups came at the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament in 2005 where Alabama earned 3-1 and 4-3 victories.
ALABAMA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT REGIONALS
The Crimson Tide earned their 12th consecutive NCAA tournament bid in 2010 with a 51-9 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 40-11 record in NCAA Regional action (including regional (32-9) and super regional (8-2)) and have won eight NCAA Regional titles (2000, `03, `05, `06, `07, '08, '09 & `10). UA will be hosting its fourth NCAA Super 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 25-3 in regional games played at the Alabama Softball Complex and has posted a 6-0 super regional mark at the friendly confines.
ALABAMA AGAINST THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
Alabama enters NCAA postseason play with a 29-9 record against the tournament field. The Crimson Tide has won its last 13 against teams in the tournament. As a team Alabama is batting .284 and has out-scored its opponents 227-118. Freshman Kayla Braud leads all Tide hitters with a .482 average (54 for 112), 39 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton follows with a .302 average and has added 22 runs, five home runs, 17 RBI and 18 stolen bases. Sophomore Amanda Locke leads all Tide players with nine home runs against the field. Senior Charlotte Morgan paces the team with 31 RBI and adds seven home runs and a .287 average. In the circle the Tide sports a 2.67 ERA and has held opponents to a .210 hitting clip. Junior Kelsi Dunne leads the staff with a 2.24 ERA and a 20-4 record. The right-hander has struck out 240 in 146 2/3 innings pitched.
ALABAMA EARNS No. 1 NATIONAL SEED
The Alabama softball team earned the No. 1 national seed in the NCAA tournament as announced by the NCAA on its selection show 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 that Kelsi Dunne as 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 .506 batting average, 90 hits, 72 runs, a .565 on base percentage and 43 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.
FOUR PLAYERS NAMED TO NFCA/LOUISVILLE SLUGGER ALL-REGION TEAM
The Alabama softball team had four players named to the NFCA/Louisville slugger All-Region team, the organization announced. Three members of the Crimson Tide earned first-team honors while another was tabbed to the second team. Senior Charlotte Morgan, junior Kelsi Dunne and freshman Kayla Braud were all named to the first team. The honor is the fourth for Morgan and the third for Dunne. Sophomore Cassie Reilly-Boccia was named to the second team. It is the second consecutive season that the outfielder was named to the all-region squad.
OVER THE 27 GAME WINNING STREAK
The Alabama softball team is currently on a 27-game winning streak as it enters super regional play. The win streak spanned over all of April and now has spanned nearly the entire month of May. It is tied for the longest winning streak in the program's history and it equaled the school record of 27 straight wins, set in the beginning of the 2001 season. Over the 27 games the Crimson Tide is batting .340 and sports a 1.54 ERA while opponents are hitting at a .178 clip and have been pounded for a 8.49 ERA. Alabama has out-scored its opponents 213-54 and have smashed 47 home runs. Freshman Kayla Braud leads the charge with a .506 (42 for 83) average, adding a team-best 35 runs, 42 hits and 27 stolen bases. Sophomore Jennifer Fenton follows with a .444 (16 for 36) average, scoring 14 runs and swiping seven bases. Senior Charlotte Morgan has drilled eight home runs, driven in 32 runs while adding a .359 (23 for 64) average. Amanda Locke leads the team with nine home runs and chips in 26 RBI and sports a .323 average. Whitney Larsen has tallied eight home runs as well and adds 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. In the circle Kelsi Dunne is a perfect 17-0 with a 1.19 ERA. The junior has struck out 167 in 99 2/3 innings and allowed just 54 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 super regional with a .506 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 64/22 BB/K ratio and is third on the team with a .521 on base percentage. Her 64 walks also set the SEC single season record as she broke the record of Tonya Callahan of Tennessee this past weekend in the Tuscaloosa Regional. The sophomore has tallied a walk in 21 of the last 22 games, including a streak of 17 in a row over that span. Senior Charlotte Morgan closely follows with 56 walks and posts a .533 on base percentage.
DUNNE ON PACE FOR STRIKEOUT RECORD
Alabama junior pitcher Kelsi Dunne is on pace to break the single season strikeout record at UA. Dunne enters the weekend with 332 punchouts which checks in at third all-time in the Alabama annals. Stephanie VanBrakle holds the number one (345, 2006) and two (341, 2005) spots in the record books. The right-hander has struck out 10 or more on 15 different occasions this season and sports 11.64 Ks per seven innings which currently leads the record books. Dunne is coming off a performance that set an Alabama regional record by fanning 14 against Lipscomb on Sunday.
RECENT SUPER REGIONAL HISTORY
The Alabama softball team has swept its last four home super regional contests. The Crimson Tide downed Missouri by the scores of 6-1 and 7-1 in 2008 and then ran past Jacksonville State by identical scores of 9-0 in 2009. The Tide has out-scored its opponents 31-2 over that span. Kelsi Dunne pitched back-to-back no-hitters against the Gamecocks last season and has earned the win in three of the last four super regional games. Charlotte Morgan enters this weekend with a .455 (5 for 11) average in super regional play the last two seasons, adding a grand slam and three runs scored.
