Tuesday, March 28
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6 P.M. CT
Alabama
vs
Kent State
Alabama Softball Hosts Kent State Tuesday at Rhoads Stadium
3/27/2017 2:35:00 PM | Softball
THIS WEEK
No. 9/9 Alabama (30-4) vs. Kent State (10-15)
Tuesday, March 28 – 6 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
FOLLOWING THE TIDE
Video: SEC Network+ (Online Only)
Radio: 93.3 FM (praise933.com)
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB
SCOUTING NO. 9/9 ALABAMA (30-4, 7-2 SEC)
- Alabama took two of its three games last weekend vs. South Carolina to improve its overall record to 30-4 and 7-2 in conference play.
- The Tide leads the SEC in strikeouts (321) and wins (30) and is second in opposing batting average (.160) and hits allowed (125). In conference-only games, Alabama is ranked first in hits (63) and wins (7), second in batting average (.290), on base percentage (.391), walks (34) stolen bases (10) and strikeouts (62) and third in runs scored (44).
- Tuesday's contest against Kent State ends a quick four-game home stand before the Tide plays its next four games away from Rhoads Stadium. Alabama is just two wins shy of its 500th at Rhoads Stadium, the Tide's home field since 2000.
- The Crimson Tide dropped from No. 2 to No. 7 in the latest Rating Percentage Index (RPI) ranking, released Monday. The ranking, which factors in win-loss record as well as strength of schedule, plays a large role in the eventual NCAA Tournament seeding.
LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA WINS SERIES OVER SOUTH CAROLINA
- Alabama 7, South Carolina 3: Alabama softball fell behind early but quickly rallied to defeat South Carolina, 7-3, in Friday's series opener at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama was down in the first inning after a leadoff home run by South Carolina but the Crimson Tide tied it up in the bottom half and then moved in front in the second, holding the lead the rest of the way. Demi Turner set the tone at the leadoff spot, going 3-4 with three runs scored. Bailey Hemphill drove in a pair of runs on a first-inning double and a third-inning single and Mari Cranek also tallied a pair of hits, plating a run on a bases-loaded walk. Starter Sydney Littlejohn (10-1) earned the win with 6.2 innings pitched with Madi Moore entering in the seventh to secure the final out.
- South Carolina 14, Alabama 0: Alabama struggled in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader, mustering just two hits while South Carolina scored 14 runs in the shutout victory, the most runs scored by an opponent at Rhoads Stadium in program history. Alexis Osorio took the loss in the circle, exiting after 4.1 innings pitched with four runs allowed, three earned, while Gamecock starter Nickie Blue won behind the complete-game shutout.
- Alabama 5, South Carolina 2: With the weekend series on the line in game three, Alabama overcame an early two-run deficit to win, 5-2. Cranek and Callaway combined to earn five of the team's nine hits and scored one run each. Sydney Littlejohn earned her second win of the weekend, holding the Gamecocks to two runs on six hits with no walks.
THE OPPONENT
Kent State Golden Flashes
- Conference: Mid American
- 2017 Record: 10-15
- Head Coach: Eric Oakley (First Season)
Kent State Stat Leaders:
- Batting Avg. - Bailey Brownfield - .358
- Hits - Bailey Brownfield - 24
- Home Runs - Maddy Grimm - 7
- Wins - Janel Hayes - 6
- ERA - Ronnie Ladines - 2.14
- Strikeouts - Ronnie Ladines - 62
ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENT
0-0 vs. Kent State (First Meeting)
PATRICK MURPHY ONE AWAY FROM CAREER WIN 1,000
- Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy is just one win shy of his 1,000th career victory, owning a career record of 999-279 (.782). This includes a 28-20 record as the interim head coach at Northwest Missouri State in 1995 and a 971-259 (.789) mark as the skipper of the Crimson Tide, a position he has held since 1999.
- There are 22 1,000-win coaches all-time at the Division-I level, 15 of which are still active coaches.
- In the SEC, five active coaches have already surpassed the 1,000-win plateau: Ralph and Karen Weekly (Tennessee), Jo Evans (Texas A&M), Clint Meyers (Auburn) and Lu Harris-Champer (Georgia). Former South Carolina coach Joyce Compton (1987-2010) also surpassed 1,000 career wins.
ALABAMA IN THE RPI
- Alabama was ranked No. 2 in the first RPI of the 2017 season, its highest mark in the first RPI rankings since 2014 when it also debuted at No. 2. Alabama came in at No. 1 during the first rankings in 2012 and has opened in the top 10 ever since.
- After this weekend, the Tide is now ranked No. 7 in the latest RPI, released March 27.
- Alabama has finished the season with a top-10 RPI every year since 2005, including a No. 1 mark in 2010 and 2012. The Tide has finished No. 2 in 2008, 2009 and 2014 and No. 3 in 2011.
TIDE TRENDS
- Alabama is 26-0 this season when scoring first and when out-hitting its opponent. The Tide is also 17-0 when it scores in the first inning.
- Rhoads Stadium has proven a big home-field advantage for Alabama, as the Tide is 21-1 at home this season. All-time, Alabama is 498-77 (.866) at Rhoads Stadium since it opened in 2000.
- When the offense hits at least one home run, Alabama is 17-0.
- Alabama has proven it can win close games this season, owning an 8-1 record in one-run and two-run games.
- Alabama has played well under the lights this year, owning an 8-0 record in night games.
- 33 of the 34 starting pitchers the Tide have faced off against have been right-handed, with UAB's Claire Blount as the only lefty.
CAREER RECORD WATCH
- A number of Crimson Tide players are moving up the career school records so far in the 2017 season.
- Junior Alexis Osorio moved into first place with a career 10.15 strikeouts-per-game average, surpassing previous record-holder Kelsi Dunne (2008-11) at 9.82. Osorio's 686 career strikeouts rank fifth all-time with fourth-place Jaclyn Traina's (2001-14) 976 career strikeouts as the next milestone.
- Senior Sydney Littlejohn is fifth all-time with a 1.74 career ERA and seventh with a .209 opposing batting average. Osorio is right behind Littlejohn in ERA at seventh (1.83) and is second in opposing batting average (.168).
- Junior Demi Turner is ranked fifth all-time with a .411 career batting average. She has 160 hits in 389 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 (.885), just six points behind fifth-place Whitney Larsen (2008-11) at .891. Dare is 9-10 in stolen bases so far this season.
- Senior Marisa Runyon is eighth all-time with a .597 career slugging percentage and is ninth with 35 home runs. Her 153 career RBIs put her nine shy of cracking the career top 10.
UP NEXT
This weekend, Alabama continues SEC play on the road with a three-game series in Columbia, Mo., against the Missouri Tigers (18-13, 1-4 SEC).
- Friday, March 31 at Missouri - 6:30 p.m. CT - Columbia, Mo.
- Saturday, April 1 at Missouri - 5 p.m. CT - Columbia, Mo. (SEC Network)
- Sunday, April 2 at Missouri - 12 p.m. CT - Columbia, Mo.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
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