Softball Maintains Top Five National Ranking
3/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A top 10 series win on the road helped Alabama maintain its top five ranking in the week six national polls, sliding up to a fourth-place tie in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and holding steady at No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
Alabama moved up one spot into a fourth place tie with Michigan in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and is holding steady at No. 5 for the second straight week in the USA Today/NFCA poll. A big weekend series win for LSU over Florida helped the Tigers earn a No. 1 spot in both polls for the first time in program history. The Gators and the Oregon Ducks are each ranked second in one poll while the other is ranked third. Despite losing two out of three to the Tide last weekend, Georgia remains at No. 8 for a second straight week in both polls. Auburn is making its first top 10 appearance of the season in the coaches' poll, moving into ninth place after sweeping Ole Miss.
The SEC now has 10 ranked teams in both polls, as Mississippi State is making its first top 25 appearance of the season. Five SEC teams are ranked in the top 10, including three in the top five: LSU (1/1), Florida (3/2), Alabama (5/T4), Georgia (8/8), Auburn (9/11), Kentucky (13/12), Tennessee (14/19), Missouri (19/18), Texas A&M (23/23) and Mississippi State (24/24). South Carolina is also among the leading teams receiving votes outside the top 25.
Last weekend, Alabama won its weekend series on the road at eighth-ranked Georgia, taking two out of three games from the Bulldogs. The two teams split a Saturday doubleheader, each completing comeback victories, and the Tide won the Sunday rubber match courtesy of a great start in the circle by Alexis Osorio and a two-run homer by Kallie Case that put Alabama up 4-2, which ultimately proved final. For her stellar performance over the weekend, Demi Turner was also named the SEC Freshman of the Week.
Up next, Alabama begins a 10-game home stand with a midweek contest against Georgia State on Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. Following that, the Tide will host Florida for a three-game series at Rhoads Stadium starting on Saturday, March 21. Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday's (4:30 p.m.) games will be aired on ESPNU while Monday's contest (6 p.m.) will be aired on the SEC Network.
