Thursday, April 6
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
4 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
South Carolina
Alabama Softball Returns Home to Host South Carolina Starting Thursday
4/5/2023 12:50:00 PM | Softball
Game Notes (PDF)Live StatsLive Audio (97.5 FM)Thursday Video (SECN+)Friday Video (SECN+)Saturday Video (SECN+)
After two straight weeks on the road, the Crimson Tide hosts the Gamecocks for three games at Rhoads Stadium
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After two weeks on the road, Alabama (26-11, 4-5 SEC) returns to Rhoads Stadium this week hosting South Carolina (26-9, 3-6 SEC) for a three-game series starting Thursday
This Week: #16/14 Alabama vs. South Carolina
- Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
- Video: SEC Network+ (Streaming)
- Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
- Thursday, April 6 – 4 p.m. CT *original first pitch of 6 p.m. CT was moved up to 4 p.m. CT due to threat of inclement weather*
- Friday, April 7 – 4 p.m. CT *original first pitch of 6 p.m. CT was moved up to 4 p.m. CT due to threat of inclement weather*
- Saturday, April 8 – 1:30 p.m. CT
Scouting Alabama
- After two weeks on the road, Alabama returns to Rhoads Stadium this week hosting South Carolina for a three-game series starting Thursday
- This will be the Gamecocks' first trip to Tuscaloosa since 2017, with its scheduled 2020 trip canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
- Alabama is coming off a series win at Missouri, shutting out the Tigers 4-0 in both games one and two before falling 11-3 in the series finale
- Montana Fouts was named the NFCA, D1 Softball and SEC Pitcher of the Week after throwing a pair of complete-game shutouts last weekend
- Kenleigh Cahalan and Ally Shipman lead the team with 38 and 36 hits, respectively, including a combined 24 doubles
- Ashley Prange is third on the team with 33 hits while leading the squad with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs
- The Alabama pitching staff has a 2.07 ERA with 247.1 innings pitched, led by Montana Fouts at 13-6 with a 1.64 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 123.2 innings pitched
- Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,219-344 (.780) record
- Alabama returns 11 players from last year's team, including All-SEC honorees Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman and Bailey Dowling, while also welcoming five freshmen and three transfers
Inside the Series
- Overall vs. South Carolina: 46-20
- In Tuscaloosa: 23-5 | In Columbia: 23-11 | At Neutral Sites: 0-4
- Current Streak: Alabama +3
- Last Meeting: March 27, 2022 - Columbia, S.C. - W, 6-1
- Last Meeting in Tuscaloosa: March 26, 2017 - W, 5-2
Last Time Out: at Missouri
- Alabama won its first conference series of the season, taking two of three games against Missouri last weekend in Columbia
- The Crimson Tide won a pair of 4-0 games on Friday and Saturday to secure the series before falling 11-3 in Sunday's finale
- Fouts threw a pair of complete-game shutouts in games one and two, pitching a combined 16.0 innings with just seven hits and three walks allowed while striking out 26
- All of Alabama's runs in game one came from a clutch fourth-inning grand slam from Larissa Preuitt, her first career home run and the first grand slam for any Crimson Tide player this season
- A ninth-inning solo home run from Ashley Prange sparked a four-run frame for Alabama in game two, the first of two home runs Prange hit on the weekend to push her team-leading season total to 11
- Kenleigh Cahalan led the offense with a 5-for-10 (.500) weekend at the plate, including two walks, as she now leads the team with 38 hits and 24 walks this season
Fouts Earns National and SEC Weekly Accolades
- After throwing 16.0 shutout innings last weekend against Missouri, Montana Fouts was named the Pitcher of the Week by the Southeastern Conference, National Fastpitch Coaches Association and D1 Softball
- The SEC award is Fouts' second this season and the 15th weekly award of her career, including four Freshman of the Week honors in 2019 and 10 previous Pitcher of the Week awards
- Alabama pitchers have now won a combined 52 SEC Pitcher of the Week awards all-time
- The weekly recognition by the NFCA is also her second of the year, making her the only Crimson Tide player to win the award twice in the same season
- It is the 10th NFCA weekly award in program history, as Fouts joins Alexis Osorio (2015-18) as the only other Alabama player with multiple career honors
Alabama in the SEC Rankings (Top 10)
Overall
- Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 198
- Doubles - Ally Shipman - 2nd - 13
- Doubles - Kenleigh Cahalan - T3rd - 11
- Wins - Montana Fouts - 4th - 13
- Opposing Batting Avg. - Jaala Torrence - 6th - .147
- Home Runs - Ashley Prange - 6th - 11
- Walks - Kenleigh Cahalan - T6th - 24
- Opposing Batting Avg. - Montana Fouts - 7th - .165
- Total Bases - Ashley Prange - 10th - 70
SEC Only
- Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 55
- Walks - Bailey Dowling - T9th - 6
- Opposing Batting Average - Montana Fouts - 5th - .178
- ERA - Montana Fouts - 7th - 1.51
Moving Up the Career Shutout Rankings
- Montana Fouts' two shutouts last weekend against Missouri broke a third-place tie with Alexis Osorio (2015-18) on Alabama's career rankings and put Fouts eight shy of second place
Alabama Career Shutout Leaders
- 39 - Shelley Laird (1999-02)
- 38 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
- 30 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
- 28 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
Fouts Surpasses the 1000 Strikeout Mark
- With two strikeouts in the March 14 win over North Alabama, Montana Fouts became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts
- She is now just seven shy of third-place Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
Alabama Career Strikeout Leaders
- 1,219 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
- 1,113 - Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06)
- 1,063 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
- 1,056 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
- 1,045 - Shelley Laird (1999-2002)
Alabama in SEC Play
- Alabama is 492-192 (.719) all-time in SEC play, including a 457-171 (.728) mark under Head Coach Patrick Murphy
- The Crimson Tide has won six SEC regular season titles (2006, '10, '11, '12, '14 and '19) and six SEC Tournament titles (1998, 2003, '05, '10, '12 and '21)
- Alabama has never had a losing record in conference play, winning 20 or more conference games 11 times
- The Tide is the only team to win the SEC Tournament on its home field, doing so in 2012 and 2021
Sweet Home Alabama
- Alabama sports a 700-129 (.844) all-time record at home, including a 664-113 (.854) mark under head coach Patrick Murphy and a 645-109 (.855) 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 19 of its 22 previous years there
Fouts Career Record Watch
- With 88 career wins, Montana Fouts is fifth all-time at Alabama, with Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06) as the next milestone in fourth place with 97 wins
- Fouts also has 107 career starts, just one shy of tying Alexis Osorio (2015-18) for fifth all-time at Alabama
- Fouts has three saves this season, giving her 14 for her career which is two shy of tying Shelley Laird (1999-2002) and Osorio for second all-time at Alabama
Up Next: Samford/Mississippi State
- Tuesday, April 11 at Samford - Birmingham, Ala. - 6 p.m. CT
- Friday, April 14 at Mississippi State - Starkville, Miss. - 4 p.m. CT
- Saturday, April 15 at Mississippi State - Starkville, Miss. - 1:30 p.m. CT
- Sunday, April 16 at Mississippi State - Starkville, Miss. - 1 p.m. CT - SEC Network
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballCrimson Classic Day 2 Postgame: Alea Johnson
Saturday, February 28
Crimson Classic Day 2 Postgame: Coach Murphy
Saturday, February 28
T-Mobile Crimson Classic Day 1 Postgame: Kristen White
Friday, February 27
T-Mobile Crimson Classic Day 1 Postgame: Coach Murphy
Friday, February 27
