Friday, March 6
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
Arkansas
Photo by: Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athleti
Softball Opens SEC Play at Home Against Arkansas
3/5/2020 10:24:00 AM | Softball
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The Crimson Tide and the Razorbacks begin the three-game series on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m. CT
This Weekend: No. 9/13 Alabama (12-7) vs. No. 20/20 Arkansas (16-4)
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
- Friday, March 6 – 6 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 7 – 2 p.m. CT
- Sunday, March 8 – 1:30 p.m. CT
Scouting Alabama
- Alabama heads into week five with a 12-7 record after going 3-2 at last weekend's Easton Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa
- Wednesday's previously scheduled game against Alcorn State was canceled due to inclement weather
- This weekend continues a stretch of 18 straight home games, with the Crimson Tide's next road game coming on March 20
- Alabama is ranked No. 9 in this week's NFCA poll, No. 10 in this week's D1Softball poll, No. 11 in the Softball America rankings and No. 13 in the USA Softball poll
- This year's roster consists of 13 returnees from last year's SEC Championship squad along with seven newcomers, including six freshmen and graduate transfer Alexis Mack from Oregon
- Head Coach Patrick Murphy, last year's SEC Coach of the Year, returns for his 22nd season at the helm of the Crimson Tide
All-Time vs. Arkansas
- Overall: Alabama leads 58-10
- In Tuscaloosa: 30-1 | In Fayetteville: 23-8 | At Neutral Sites: 5-1
- Current Streak: Arkansas +2
- Last Meeting: April 15, 2018 - Fayetteville, Ark. - L, 3-6
- Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: March 12, 2017 - W, 5-0
Last Time Out: Easton Crimson Classic
- Alabama went 3-2 at last weekend's Easton Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, defeating UT Arlington twice and McNeese while falling in a pair of one-run losses to seventh-ranked Arizona
- The Tide's 11-3 win over UT Arlington on Friday was its seventh run-rule victory of the year and the 4-0 shutout over McNeese was its fifth shutout
Crimson Classic Standouts
- Junior KB Sides led the offense with a .467 average, going 7-for-15 with six RBIs. She earned a hit and drove in a run in four of the weekend's five games, including a 3-for-3 performance with three RBIs on Friday against UT Arlington
- Senior Bailey Hemphill was just behind Sides with a .444 average last weekend, adding a team-leading six walks for a .688 on base percentage. Her 23 walks leads the NCAA
- After earning tournament MVP honors last weekend, sophomore Skylar Wallace followed with another strong performance at the Easton Crimson Classic with a team-leading seven hits and seven runs scored. Three of her seven hits went for extra bases, including two doubles and a triple
- Junior Maddie Morgan finished the weekend above .400, driving in a team-leading six RBIs including three on Friday against UT Arlington and two on Saturday against Arizona
- Senior Krystal Goodman threw 9.0 shutout innings across two appearances, earning a save Saturday against UT Arlington before tossing a complete-game shutout on her senior day Sunday against McNeese
Free Passes
- After setting the Alabama single-season home run record last season, it's no surprise teams are pitching cautiously to senior Bailey Hemphill this season, as she leads the NCAA with 23 walks
- Averaging 1.21 walks per game, she is on pace to finish the regular season with 65 walks, which is just one off the UA single-season record set by Cassie Reilly-Boccia in 2010 and matched by Kaylee Tow last season
- Hemphill's previous season high was 59 last season, which ranks fourth, just beating her 2017 total of 57 which ranks fifth
Hemphill Closing in on UA Career Home Run and Walks Records, 200 RBIS
- Senior Bailey Hemphill's 50 career home runs ranks fifth all-time and sits 10 behind Kelly Kretschman's (1998-2001) career record of 60
- She is the fifth player in program history to reach the 50 home run mark, the first since Kaila Hunt (2011-14)
- Hemphill hit nine home runs her freshman season, improved to 13 as a sophomore and tied the UA single-season record last season with 26
- Her power potential also leads to a lot of teams pitching carefully to the slugger, as she has drawn 179 career walks, which ranks third all-time and is 20 away from Haylie McCleney's (2013-16) record total of 199
- Hemphill also owns 182 career RBIs, putting her within striking distance of becoming the third Alabama player with 200 RBIs
- Charlotte Morgan (2007-10) owns the UA record with 264 career RBIs and Kaila Hunt (2011-14) is the only other player to surpass 200, finishing with 215
Home Sweet Home
- Friday's series opener is game 11 of an 18-game home stand, with the Crimson Tide's next road contest coming March 20 at Tennessee
- Alabama is 8-2 at home this season, outscoring opponents 75-21 while holding teams to three or fewer runs in eight of those 10 games
- Alabama sports a 618-114 (.844) all-time record at home, including a 582-98 (.856) mark under head coach Patrick Murphy and a 563-94 (.857) record at Rhoads Stadium, the Tide's home field since 2000
- Since Rhoads Stadium opened in 2000, Alabama has won at least 25 home games in 17 of its 20 years there
Alabama in SEC Play
- Alabama is 452-172 (.724) all-time in SEC play, including a 417-151 (.734) mark under head coach Patrick Murphy
- The Crimson Tide has won six SEC regular season titles (2006, '10, '11, '12, '14, '19) and five SEC Tournament titles (1998, 2003, '05, '10, '12)
- Alabama has never had a losing record in conference play, winning 20 or more conference games 11 times
Up Next
T-Town Showdown - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Rhoads Stadium
- Thursday, March 12 vs. BYU - 6 p.m. CT
- Friday, March 13 vs. #3/2 Texas - 6 p.m. CT
- Saturday, March 14 vs. Bryant - 4 p.m. CT
- Sunday, March 15 vs. #3/2 Texas - 1 p.m. CT
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
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