Alabama
UCF
Alabama Softball Set to Host Easton Bama Bash at Rhoads Stadium
2/23/2017 2:19:00 PM | Softball
THIS WEEKEND
EASTON BAMA BASH
TUSCALOOSA, ALA. - RHOADS STADIUM
Friday, Feb. 24
- vs. UCF - 4 p.m. CT
- vs. Texas Tech - 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 25
- vs. Gardner-Webb - 1:30 p.m. CT
- vs. Texas Tech - 4 p.m. CT
Sunday, Feb. 26
- vs. UCFÂ - 1:30 p.m. CT
FOLLOWING THE TIDE
Video: SEC Network+ (Online Only)
Radio: 93.3 FM (praise933.com)
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB
SCOUTING ALABAMA (8-2)
- Alabama rebounded from a series loss on the road against No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette with a 2-0 win against North Florida on Wednesday in Tuscaloosa.
- Alabama will play 15 of its next 16 games at home, including a 10-game home stand starting next weekend. The 10-game home stand is the longest for Alabama since 2015 and the fifth time since 2008 Alabama has played at least 10 consecutive games at home.
- The Tide fell in the national polls but remain in the top 10, coming in at No. 10 in both the USA Today/NFCA poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
- This weekend's Easton Bama Bash is the 19th in program history, hosting one every year since 1998 except 2010.
THE OPPONENTS
UCF Knights
- Conference: American Athletic Conference
- 2017 Record: 3-4
- Head Coach: Renee Luers-Gillispie (16th Season)
- Starters Returning/Lost: 5/5
- Newcomers: 7
Stat Leaders
- Batting Avg. - Linnea Goodman - .263
- Hits - Goodman/Rotton - 5
- Home Runs - Courtney Rotton - 1
- Wins - Three Tied - 1
- ERA - Kamryn Toney - 0.78
- Strikeouts - Alea White – 21
Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Conference: Big 12
- 2017 Record: 6-4
- Head Coach: Adrian Gregory (Third Season)
- Starters Returning/Lost: 6/3
- Newcomers: 4
Stat Leaders
- Batting Avg. - Devon Thomey - .476
- Hits - Kierra Miles - 11
- Home Runs - Raina O'Neal - 4
- Wins - Kassidy Scott - 7
- ERA - Kassidy Scott - 1.37
- Strikeouts - Kassidy Scott – 12
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs
- Conference: Big South
- 2017 Record: 3-10
- Head Coach: Tom Cole (17th Season)
Stat Leaders:
- Batting Avg. - Alia Booth - .333
- Hits - Alia Booth - 12
- Home Runs - Annamarie Warley - 1
- Wins - Three Tied - 1
- ERA - Mackenzie Thompson - 3.27
- Strikeouts - Mackenzie Thompson – 12
ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENTS
3-2 vs. UCF
- Current Streak: UCF 1
- First Meeting: Feb. 28, 2010 - L, 2-3 - Columbus, Ga. (NFCA Leadoff Classic)
- Last Meeting: Feb. 12, 2016 - L, 1-8 - Orlando, Fla. (UCF Knights Invitational)
1-1 vs. Texas Tech
- Current Streak: Alabama 1
- First Meeting: Feb. 27, 1998 - L, 1-2 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Bama Bash)
- Last Meeting: Feb. 17, 2002 - W, 7-0 - Las Vegas, Nev. (UNLV Classic)
0-0 vs. Gardner Webb
LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA DEFEATS NORTH FLORIDA, 2-0
Alabama softball needed just two runs to dispatch North Florida Wednesday night at Rhoads Stadium, winning 2-0 in the low-scoring contest. Alabama was bolstered by a strong start from Sydney Littlejohn in the circle, shutting out North Florida over 5.1 innings while Alexis Osorio went a perfect five-up, five-down with five strikeouts in relief for her first save of the season. The Crimson Tide's two runs came courtesy of a solo home run by Caroline Hardy and an RBI triple by Bailey Hemphill. Osprey starter Logan Green took the loss, exiting after 4.1 innings with two runs allowed on three hits and seven walks.
BAMA BASH HISTORY
- Alabama holds an all-time record of 76-10 (.884) at the Bama Bash.
- The first Bama Bash occurred in 1998 and the Tide has hosted one every year since except 2010 when Alabama's lone home tournament that year was the Easton Challenge.
- Over the first three years of the Bama Bash (1998-2000), Alabama went 10-6. In the 16 years after that, Alabama has gone 66-4, including an undefeated streak of 42-0 from 2004-13.
- Including this year's opponents, Alabama has welcomed 49 different teams to the Bama Bash. Two of this year's opponents, UCF and Texas Tech, have previously played in the Bama Bash. The Knights played in Tuscaloosa in 2014 and the Red Raiders way back in the inaugural 1998 Bama Bash.
- Other repeat visitors at the Bama Bash include Arizona (2016, 2000), Marshall (2016, 2006), Lipscomb (2015, 2004), McNeese (2014, 1999), Winthrop (2013, 2003), East Carolina (2012, 2009), Eastern Kentucky (2006, 2004), Evansville (2005, 2002, 1999), Samford (2002, 2001) and Drake (2000, 1999).
ALABAMA SOFTBALL MAINTAINS TOP-10 NATIONAL RANKING
- A series loss on the road last weekend dropped Alabama softball in the week two polls, but the Crimson Tide maintained a spot in the top 10, coming in at No. 10 in both the USA Today/NFCA poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, released Tuesday.
- Alabama dropped five spots in the USA Today/NFCA poll and six spots in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll after falling in two out of three games at Louisiana, who in turn rose to No. 16 in both of this week's polls.
- Previously top-ranked Florida suffered its first loss of the season last weekend, allowing in-state rival Florida State to jump into the top spot in both polls. Auburn holds steady at No. 2 while the Gators are at No. 3. Oklahoma and Oregon take the next two spots in the NFCA poll while it's UCLA and the Sooners in the USA Softball poll.
- Alabama is one of nine SEC schools ranked in this week's top 25, the most of any conference. Ranked SEC teams include Auburn (2/2), Florida (3/3), LSU (7/8), Alabama (10/10), Georgia (11/12), Tennessee (15/13), Texas A&M (18/18), Missouri (20/22) and Kentucky (22/24). South Carolina and Ole Miss are just outside the top 25 receiving votes in both polls while Arkansas is also receiving votes in the USA Softball poll.
RECORD WATCH
A number of Crimson Tide players are moving up the career school records so far in the 2017 season.
- Junior Demi Turner is ranked fifth all-time with a .411 career batting average. She has 131 hits in 319 at-bats, making her one of five on the list with a career average over .400. Former teammate Haylie McCleney (2013-16) holds the record at .447.
- Senior Chandler Dare is sixth in stolen base percentage (.870) and is just five points shy of sixth-place Kayla Braud at .875. Dare is 3-4 in stolen bases so far this season.
- Senior Marisa Runyon is seventh all-time with a .629 career slugging percentage and is tied for ninth with 35 home runs. Her 145 career RBIs put her 17 shy of cracking the top 10.
- Senior Sydney Littlejohn is fifth all-time with a 1.88 career ERA and seventh with a .214 opposing batting average. Littlejohn has yet to allow an earned run so far this season. Junior teammate Alexis Osorio is seventh (2.00) and second (.177), respectively, in both categories.
- Additionally, Osorio's 555 career strikeouts rank seventh all-time and her 9.58 strikeouts-per-game average is second, only trailing Kelsi Dunne (2008-11) at 9.82. Osorio is just the fourth pitcher in program history to earn at least 500 strikeouts in their first two seasons. Just three more strikeouts would tie Erin Wright's (2001-04) all-time mark and 21 more would tie Chrissy Owens (2005-08).
UP NEXT
Alabama takes a brief road trip to Birmingham, Ala., to face UAB on Tuesday, Feb. 28 before returning to Rhoads Stadium to host the Easton Crimson Classic on March 3-5. There, the Tide will face Jacksonville, Drake and Stanford.
Tuesday, Feb. 28 at UAB - Birmingham, Ala. - 6 p.m. CT
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Easton Crimson Classic - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- Friday, March 3 vs. Jacksonville - 4 p.m. CT
- Friday, March 3 vs. Drake - 6 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 4 vs. Stanford - 1:30 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 4 vs. Drake - 4 p.m. CT
- Sunday, March 5 vs. Jacksonville - 1:30 p.m. CT
