Softball Looks to Secure SEC Title this Weekend
5/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2010
| Games 52-54 | No. 4/3 Alabama (42-9, 20-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (26-26, 7-17 SEC) | |
| Date | Saturday, May 8 1:00 p.m. CDT (DH) Sunday, May 2 1:00 p.m. CDT |
| Location | Starkville, Miss. | Mississippi State Softball Field (750) |
| Tickets | Free Admission |
| Television | None |
| Radio | WVUA-FM 90.7 (Allen Faul) | |
| Live Stats | | | |
| Internet | Live Game Blog (Sat.) | Live Game Blog (Sun.) |
| Game Notes | Alabama Notes  | Mississippi State Notes |
| All-Time Series | Alabama leads, 38-7 |
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 4/3 ranked Alabama softball team (42-9, 20-4 SEC) will look to secure its second Southeastern Conference title in program history when it heads to Starkville, Miss., to close out the regular season against Mississippi State. The two teams will square off on Saturday, May 8 with a doubleheader that will begin at 1:00 p.m. The series finale is slated for Sunday, May 9 with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Alabama softball team continued its winning ways by sweeping a rain-shortened series from No. 16 Tennessee this past weekend. Alabama won the first game 4-2 and then held off a Lady Vols rally to earn a 7-6 win in the nightcap. Sunday's contest was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Tide continued to hit home runs at an alarming pace as it cranked out five homers in the two games, including back-to-back jacks by Courtney Conley and Kendall Dawson. Jazlyn Lunceford batted .667 in the series with a solo homer while Dawson followed with a .600 average and two RBI. Conley paced Alabama with four RBI on the strength of a three-run homer. Charlotte Morgan and Kelsi Dunne each earned a win in the circle. Dunne struck out 12 in her win to start the series.
WHO TO WATCH
Over the last two weeks freshman Kayla Braud has paced Alabama at the plate with a .542 (13 for 24) average. The rookie has also swiped seven bags in as many attempts while tying for the team lead with nine runs scored. Whitney Larsen and Amanda Locke have provided the punch with a team-best four homers each. Larsen has hit .474 (9 for 19) over that span, adding 10 RBI. Locke hit .471 (8 for 17), scored nine runs and has driven in nine. Taking full advantage of her playing time, freshman Keima Davis hit .444 (8 for 18) with seven runs scored. In the circle Charlotte Morgan was 2-0 with a 2.47 ERA while Kelsi Dunne was also 2-0, adding a 2.69 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 13 innings. In her two starts she posted a 1.17 ERA.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
Mississippi State enters the weekend with a 26-26 overall record and a 7-17 mark in SEC play. The Bulldogs are coming off a weekend in which they were swept by the Florida Gators in a rain-shortened SEC series. Florida earned the sweep by taking game one, 8-0 and game two by the score of 9-1, with both wins coming by the way of the five-inning mercy rule. At the plate MSU is batting .290 and has out-scored its opponents 252-250 while hitting 31 home runs. Leading the way offensively is All-American Chelsea Bramlett and her .529 average. Bramlett has tallied six triples, scored 54 runs and driven in 22 runs. Kaili Smith and Brittany Bell are the only other members of the Bulldogs attack to hit above .300. Smith enters the weekend with a .329 average and leads the team with 10 home runs and 49 RBI. Bell follows with a .307 clip and has added four homers and 26 RBI. In the circle the Bulldogs post a 4.39 ERA and have allowed opponents to hit at a .275 clip. Misty Flesher leads the team with a 12-9 record and a 3.96 ERA. She has struck out 64 in 123 2/3 innings pitched.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The two programs have met 45 times with Alabama holding a 38-7 advantage. The two teams met last season in a three-game series in Tuscaloosa. The Tide swept the Bulldogs in that series (4-0, 7-1 and 3-2) on the weekend of March 14. Alabama has beaten MSU 16 straight times with its last loss coming in 2004 (10-5) at Starkville. Senior Charlotte Morgan holds a career batting average of .440 (11 for 25) with two home runs and 10 RBI against the Bulldogs and sports a 2-0 record with a 1.11 ERA. Junior Kelsi Dunne is a perfect 4-0 with an unblemished 0.00 ERA against MSU.
THE TITLE RACE
The Alabama softball team is in control of its own destiny as it looks to capture its second regular season SEC title in school history. The Crimson Tide currently leads the SEC with a 20-4 conference record. While Florida also only has four losses in conference play, the Gators have been rained out four times in conference play, while Alabama has been rained out just once. If both teams were to win out this weekend the Tide would finish 23-4 (.852) while the Gators would finish 20-4 (.833), giving Alabama the regular season title and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
BRAUD RECORD WATCH
Alabama freshman Kayla Braud has instantly jumped on the scene to lead the Crimson Tide vaunted offensive attack. Braud enters the weekend with a .490 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 has set the single season walk record by posting her 53rd free pass this past weekend 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 sports a 53/20 BB/K ratio and is second on the team with a .525 on base percentage. Her 53 walks also leads the SEC and is second all-time in the conference single season annals, trailing only the 62 walks by Tonya Callahan, set in 2008.
TIDE SETS SEC HOME RUN RECORD
The Alabama softball team has been hitting home runs at an alarming rate this season. Already the Crimson Tide has smashed the program's single season home run record before hitting May on the calendar. Alabama enters the weekend with 88 home runs, which betters the mark of 79 set in 2007. The Tide also broke the SEC single-season record by passing the 86 hit by Florida last season. Thirteen different members of the team have hit a home run with Charlotte Morgan (15), Amanda Locke (13) and Whitney Larsen (11) all posting double-digits in the long-ball category.
TIDE SITS ATOP NCAA RPI RANKING
Some, may have questioned head coach Patrick Murphy's tough scheduling leading into a year with seven new starters, the skipper's decision to schedule the nation's toughest schedule seems to be paying off as Alabama comes in at No. 1 in the first RPI ranking of the year. Alabama has eight wins against teams that are currently ranking in the top 15 of the RPI and claims victories over the number two, four and fifth ranked teams (Michigan, Florida and Georgia Tech) in the RPI. Twenty-five of Alabama's 42 wins this season come against teams ranked in the top 50 of the RPI. This weekend pits Alabama against the No. 47 ranked team in the RPI, Mississippi State.
OVER THE 18 GAME WINNING STREAK
The Alabama softball team is currently on an 18-game winning streak as it enters the weekend against Mississippi State. The win streak spanned over all of April and now has entered the month of May. Over the 18 games the Crimson Tide is batting .346 and sports a 1.89 ERA while opponents are hitting at a .183 clip and have been pounded for a 9.26 ERA. Alabama has out-scored its opponents 151-41 and have smashed 35 home runs. Freshman Kayla Braud leads the charge over the streak with a .464 (26 for 56) average, scoring a team-best 23 runs and swiping 18 bases. Senior Charlotte Morgan has drilled seven home runs, driven in 27 runs while adding a .356 (16 for 45) average. Amanda Locke has also added seven home runs, 18 RBI and sports a .375 average. In the circle Kelsi Dunne is a perfect 10-0 with a 1.43 ERA. The junior has struck out 91 in 53 2/3 innings and allowed just 28 hits for a .151 batting average against.
MILESTONE WINS
The Alabama softball program enters the weekend with 699 wins, one away from win number 700. The program also just earned victory number 300 in SEC games as it swept Tennessee to grab the milestone. Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy also met a milestone as the coach tallied win No. 650 with the doubleheader sweep over Tennessee last weekend.
MORGAN BREAKS SEC RBI RECORD
Alabama senior Charlotte Morgan moved into sole possession of the SEC career RBI record. The All-American earned the record-breaking 242nd RBI by taking a pitch in the knee with the bases loaded against Mississippi on April 18. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native enters the week with 252 career RBI. Morgan broke the record held previously by Tonya Callahan of Tennessee. Morgan is also in the hunt for the SEC home run record as she currently sits in third with 56 homers, trailing Francesca Enea (58) of Florida and former Alabama great Kelly Kretschman (60).
BRAUD NAMED TOP 25 FINALISTS FOR USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced that Alabama freshman Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) was named a Top 25 Finalists for the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which will be announced at the opening of the NCAA 2010 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Braud enters the weekend leading the team with a .485 average, 63 hits, 52 runs and ranks second on the squad with 25 stolen bases in 26 attempts.
MORGAN NAMED LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS FINALIST
Alabama All-American Charlotte Morgan was named one of 10 NCAA student-athletes who excel both on and off the field and were tabbed as finalists for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the softball division. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. The 10 finalists will be placed on the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award softball ballot for a nationwide vote beginning Monday and concluding May 17. Alabama has now had a finalist in three straight seasons as Ashley Holcombe and Brittany Rogers garnered the recognition last season and Jordan Praytor was a finalist in 2008. Rogers was also a finalist in her senior campaign.
WHERE ALABAMA STACKS UP NATIONALLY
The Alabama softball team ranks fifth in the country in home runs per game with 1.73 and third in scoring (7.25). The Tide also checks in at No. 5 in slugging percentage with a .590 mark while ranking ninth in stolen bases per game (2.24). Freshman Kayla Braud ranks fifth in the nation with her .490 batting average and in runs per game (1.18) while Cassie Reilly-Boccia checks in at No. 4 in walks per game (1.04). Senior Charlotte Morgan ranks sixth in RBI per game with 1.22, 15th in walks (0.86) and 19th in home runs (15). Junior pitcher Kelsi Dunne ranks fourth in the country with an 11.7 Ks per seven innings and her 256 strikeouts rank 21st in the country. (As of May 2)
ALABAMA IN THE SEC
In conference play the Alabama bats have come alive as it ranks atop the league in nine offensive categories including: batting average (.327), slugging percentage (.622), on base percentage (.458), runs (190), RBI (169), home runs (46), walks (132), total bases (379) and stolen bases (48). In the circle Alabama paces the conference in strikeouts (187), batter struck out looking (67) and opposing batting average (.211).
Individually, Kayla Braud ranks second in the league in batting average (.493) and leads the league in runs (32). Senior Charlotte Morgan paces the conference in RBI (33) slugging percentage (.860) and ranks second in walks (26), on base percentage (.568) and home runs (8). Cassie Reilly-Boccia leads the league with 29 walks. In the circle Kelsi Dunne leads the league with 122 strikeouts, 43 looking, and also leads the conference with a .170 opponent batting average.
MURPHY MOST FOLLOWED SOFTBALL COACH IN THE NATION
In today's high speed world of social networking college coaches try to keep up with technology and the latest fad. With this in mind Alabama skipper Patrick Murphy jumped right into the Twitter craze joining the instant information giant with a profile last June. Since the coach joined the site at last year's Women's College World Series his "tweeting" has gained popularity on a national level. This past week Murphy surpassed Florida's Tim Walton to become the nation's most followed softball coach on Twitter and his followership continues to grow each day, currently standing near the 1,125 mark. Murphy's twitter page can be found at www.twitter.com/UACoachMurphy.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Alabama softball team will now head back to Fayetteville, Ark., this time for the SEC Tournament. The tournament that will feature eight teams will begin on Thursday, May 13 and run through Saturday, May 15. All games will be played at the new Bogle Park.
