Alabama Softball Heads to Arizona for Hillenbrand Invitational

Friday, February 15

Tucson, Ariz.

12:15 p.m. CT

Alabama

USF

Alabama Softball Heads to Arizona for Hillenbrand Invitational

2/14/2019 8:53:00 AM | Softball

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THIS WEEKEND: HILLENBRAND INVITATIONAL
Tucson, Ariz. – Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium

Friday, Feb. 15
- vs. USF (1-4) – 12:15 p.m. CT
- vs. New Mexico (2-1) – 2:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 16
- vs. Cal State Fullerton (4-1) – 2:30 p.m. CT
- at No. 9/9 Arizona (3-2) – 4:45 p.m. CT
Sunday, Feb. 17
- vs. UIC (2-3) – 12:15 p.m. CT

SCOUTING ALABAMA (5-0)

Alabama is undefeated to start the 2019 season after going 5-0 at last weekend's Trojan Classic in Troy, Ala.
The 53 runs scored and 10.6 runs-per-game average are both the highest totals on opening weekend in Alabama history
The Tide moved up in the national rankings, coming in at No. 7 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 8 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll
Sophomore Kaylee Tow was named the SEC Player of the Week after hitting .692 with nine hits and nine runs scored over five starts
This weekend's game against tournament host Arizona marks Alabama's first ranked opponent of the season, with the Wildcats at No. 9 in both polls. The Tide is 265-229 (.536) all-time against ranked opponents and 96-141 (.405) against top-10 foes

ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENTS
Overall vs. USF: 4th Meeting (USF leads 2-1)

In Tuscaloosa: 0-1 | In Tampa: 1-0 | At Neutral Sites: 0-1
Current Streak: Alabama +1
Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2011 - Tampa, Fla. - W, 12-1 (5)

Overall vs. New Mexico: 5th Meeting (Alabama leads 4-0)

In Tuscaloosa: 1-0 | In Albuquerque: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 3-0
Current Streak: Alabama +4
Last Meeting: March 18, 2016 - Fullerton, Calif. - W, 6-1

Overall vs. Cal State Fullerton: 4th Meeting (Alabama leads 2-1)

In Tuscaloosa: 0-0 | In Fullerton: 1-0 | At Neutral Sites: 1-1
Current Streak: Alabama +2
Last Meeting: March 17, 2016 - Fullerton, Calif. - W, 2-1

Overall vs. Arizona: 17th Meeting (Arizona leads 12-4)

In Tuscaloosa: 2-1 | In Tucson: 0-5 | At Neutral Sites: 2-6
Current Streak: Alabama +2
Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2016 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 9-1 (6)
Last Meeting in Tucson: Feb. 16, 2014 - L, 0-8 (5)

Overall vs. Illinois-Chicago: 4th Meeting (UIC leads 2-1)

In Tuscaloosa: 1-0 | In Chicago: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 0-2
Current Streak: Alabama +1
Last Meeting: May 17, 2011 (NCAA Regionals) - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - W, 8-2

LAST TIME OUT: TROJAN CLASSIC

Alabama went 5-0 at last weekend's Trojan Classic, earning a win over Maryland and a pair of victories against both Murray State and Troy
Three of the five wins came in less than seven innings, needing just five to dispatch Murray State (Feb. 8) and Maryland (Feb. 9) and six in the weekend finale against Troy (Feb. 10)
The 53 runs scored and 10.6 runs-per-game average are both the highest totals on opening weekend in Alabama history. Coincidentally, the previous record (48 runs, 9.6 runs-per-game) came during the 2014 season when the Tide also opened its season in Troy, Ala.
Alabama's comeback win over Murray State on Feb. 9 came thanks to a nine-run outburst in the sixth inning. It marked the 17th time the Tide had scored nine or more runs in an inning, most recently doing so on opening weekend last season against Lamar

KAYLEE TOW NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

The Madisonville, Ky., native posted stellar numbers at last weekend's season-opening Trojan Classic, leading the team with a .692 batting average which included nine hits, nine runs scored, three doubles and six walks. She earned at least one hit, one run and one walk in all five games and had an RBI in four of the five contests
Her best performance came in the Feb. 9 win against Murray State, going 4-for-4 from the plate with four runs scored, two doubles, two RBIs and a walk. The run, hit and double totals are all career highs, and the four runs scored is tied for the UA single-game record
The award marks the second weekly conference honor of her career, previously winning SEC Freshman of the Week on April 3, 2018
Alabama has earned 47 SEC Player of the Week awards in program history, with Demi Turner as the most-recent recipient on May 7, 2018

FAMILIAR FOES: ARIZONA

Alabama will be making its second trip to the Hillenbrand Invitational, previously traveling there in 2014. The Tide went 3-0 before falling in a pair of games to then-No. 24 Arizona to close out the weekend
Prior to that, Alabama traveled to Tucson for a three-game series against the Wildcats to open the 2002 season. Arizona, the preseason No. 1 and defending national champions, swept the series
The Tide is 4-12 all-time against the Wildcats, losing the first 10 meetings before claiming back-to-back victories in the 2008 and 2009 Women's College World Series
Alabama has won the two most-recent meetings between the teams, both coming at the 2016 Easton Bama Bash. The Tide won game one in walk-off fashion after a fielding error before posting a run-rule victory in game two

RACING TO 100
Junior Bailey Hemphill drove in her 100th career RBI in the Feb. 10 win over Troy, a fourth-inning double that sparked a big seven-run inning for the Tide. It was Hemphill's 117th career game, making her the fourth-fastest to reach 100 RBIs in program history

Fewest Games to Reach 100 RBIs

Charlotte Morgan (2007-10) - 99 games
Marisa Runyon (2014-17) - 99 games
Kaila Hunt (2011-14) - 114 games
Bailey Hemphill (2017-pres.) - 117 games
Jackie McClain (2001-04) - 125 games

MAJOR NUMBERS OVER MURRAY

The Tide's 16-10 outburst over Murray State on Feb. 9 provided some of the biggest offensive numbers in program history
KB Sides and Kaylee Tow both scored four runs, which is just the second time two players scored four runs in a game. Carrie Moreman and Kelly Kretschman were the last to do so against Samford on March 10, 1998
Bailey Hemphill and Kaylee Tow each had four hits, marking the first time since 2012 and fourth time overall that two players tallied at least four hits in the same game

ALABAMA RANKED IN TOP 10 IN BOTH NATIONAL POLLS

After a 5-0 start to the 2019 season, Alabama softball has moved up in the national rankings, coming in at No. 7 in this week's USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 8 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll
The Crimson Tide moved up two spots from its position in the preseason NFCA poll and three spots in the USA Softball poll
Alabama is one of five SEC teams ranked in the top-10, the third-highest behind Florida (4/4) and Tennessee (6/7). LSU is behind Alabama in the NFCA poll but ahead in the USA Softball poll

UP NEXT
Alabama makes its 2019 home debut at the Easton Bama Bash Feb. 22-24. The Tide opens play at Rhoads Stadium on Friday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. CT against Missouri State and continues at 6 p.m. CT against Minnesota. Alabama faces the Bears (1:30 p.m.) and Golden Gophers (4 p.m.) again on Saturday, Feb. 23 before wrapping up the weekend against ULM on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 1:30 p.m.