Alabama Heads to Fayetteville for 2023 SEC Softball Tournament

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama begins postseason play this week at the 2023 SEC Softball Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark. The fifth-seeded Crimson Tide opens play on Wednesday, May 10 at 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network, facing the winner of Tuesday's game between No. 13 seed Missouri and No. 12 seed Mississippi State

This Week: 2023 SEC Softball Tournament

Fayetteville, Ark. – Bogle Park
Wednesday, May 10 vs. Mississippi State/Missouri – 4 p.m. CT – SEC Network
Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App

Scouting Alabama

Alabama begins postseason play as the 2023 SEC Softball Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark., on Wednesday, May 10 at 4 p.m. CT live on the SEC Network
The Crimson Tide earned the No. 5 seed and will open play against the winner of Tuesday's game between No. 13 seed Missouri and No. 12 seed Mississippi State
The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to play No. 4 seed and tournament host Arkansas on Thursday, May 11 at 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network
Last weekend, Alabama closed the regular season with a series win at Ole Miss, winning the first two games before falling in Sunday's finale
Montana Fouts threw a perfect game in the series opener, her second this season and the fourth of her career
Behind an 8-for-11 (.727) weekend at the plate with three doubles and three RBIs, Larissa Preuitt was named the SEC Freshman of the Week
Kenleigh Cahalan leads the team with 51 hits, with Ally Shipman close behind with 49 as the pair also owns a combined 30 doubles
Ashley Prange (46) and Bailey Dowling (45) are also in the 40+ hit club on the team, with the pair tied for the team lead in RBIs (40) and owning the top two home run totals (13,8)
The Alabama pitching staff has a 1.93 ERA with 372.2 innings pitched, led by Montana Fouts at 22-9 with a 1.44 ERA and NCAA-leading 292 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched
Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,231-350 (.779) 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

Alabama at the SEC Tournament

Alabama has played in every SEC Tournament since the program's inception in 1997, with this season marking its 26th appearance (no tournament was held in 2020)
The Tide owns a 44-27 (.620) all-time record at the SEC Tournament, including a 40-24 (.625) mark under head coach Patrick Murphy
Alabama has won six SEC Tournament titles, previously doing so in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2021
Tide players have taken home 42 SEC All-Tournament accolades, including Tournament MVP honors for Stephanie VanBrakle (2005), Kelsi Dunne (2010), Jackie Traina (2012) and Montana Fouts (2021)

History vs. the Opponents at the SEC Tournament

vs. Arkansas: 5-1 (last meeting: May 10, 2017 - W, 4-1)
vs. Auburn: 6-3 (last meeting: May 9, 2018 - W, 6-4)
vs. Florida: 3-6 (last meeting: May 15, 2021 - W, 4-0)
vs. Georgia: 5-2 (last meeting: May 9, 2019 - W, 2-1 (8))
vs. Kentucky: 2-0 (last meeting: May 13, 2021 - W, 5-1)
vs. LSU: 6-6 (last meeting: May 15, 2010 - W, 5-4)
vs. Ole Miss: 1-1 (last meeting: May 13, 2017 - L, 1-4)
vs. Mississippi State: 7-1 (last meeting: May 11, 2016 - W, 2-1)
vs. Missouri: 0-1 (last meeting: May 12, 2022 - L, 0-3)
vs. South Carolina: 0-3 (last meeting: May 10, 2002 - L, 6-4)
vs. Tennessee: 4-3 (last meeting: May 14, 2021 - W, 6-5)
vs. Texas A&M: 2-0 (last meeting: May 11, 2017 - W, 2-1 (10))

Last Time Out: at Ole Miss

Alabama took two of three games last weekend at Ole Miss to close out the regular season, winning its 17th three-game series in program history against the Rebels
Friday's 9-0 win in six innings was the Crimson Tide's first run-rule victory in conference play this season, last doing so against Georgia on April 4 last season
Coincidentally, last year's April 4 win over the Bulldogs was also a perfect game, with Montana Fouts tossing her second of the season and the fourth of her career in Friday's win over the Rebels
In game two, Alabama trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning before a three-run home run from Jenna Johnson gave the Tide the late lead in the eventual 3-1 series clinching victory
The comeback win was Alabama's first this season when trailing after six innings
Four players hit above .400 on the weekend, led by SEC Freshman of the Week Larissa Preuitt with an 8-for-11 (.727) series including three doubles and three RBIs

Alabama Perfect Games

Fouts' perfect game was the fourth of her career and the ninth in program history
She previously contributed to a combined perfect game at Alabama State (Feb. 12, 2021) before throwing solo perfect games against UCLA at the 2021 Women's College World Series (June 5, 2021) and earlier this season against Longwood (March 5, 2023)
It was the fourth Alabama perfect game thrown in conference play, two of which have come against Ole Miss

Alabama Perfect Games

Stephanie VanBrakle at Kentucky - April 1, 2006
Sydney Littlejohn vs. Eastern Kentucky - Feb. 6, 2015
Sydney Littlejohn vs. Ole Miss - March 8, 2015
Alexis Osorio at Coastal Carolina - Feb. 10, 2017
Montana Fouts/Sarah Cornell at Alabama State - Feb. 12, 2021
Montana Fouts vs. UCLA - June 4, 2021 (WCWS)
Lexi Kilfoyl vs. Georgia - April 4, 2022
Montana Fouts vs. Longwood - March 5, 2023
Montana Fouts at Ole Miss - May 5, 2023

Larissa Preuitt Named SEC Freshman of the Week

The award is the first of Preuitt's career and the first Freshman of the Week award for any Crimson Tide player since 2020
It is the fifth weekly conference accolade for Alabama this season, with Montana Fouts previously winning four SEC Pitcher of the Week awards
Overall, Alabama has taken home 24 Freshman of the Week awards in program history
The Hartselle, Ala., native went 8-for-11 (.727) over last weekend's series at Ole Miss, including three doubles and three RBIs
She started the weekend with a 4-for-4 performance on Friday, the first four-hit game for an Alabama player in conference play since Elissa Brown at Kentucky on March, 27, 2021
She now has six multi-hit games this season, including three in her last six games

Fouts Ties Single-Season Solo No-Hitter Mark

Friday's perfect game was Fouts' third no-hitter of the season, along with her previous perfect game against Longwood (March 5) and a no-hitter against South Carolina (April 8)
That ties the Alabama single-season record for solo no-hitters in a season, joining Stephanie VanBrakle (2006) and Kelsi Dunne (2009, 2011) as the only Tide pitchers to do so

Multiple Solo No-Hitters in the Same Season

Stephanie VanBrakle - 3 - 2006
Kelsi Dunne - 3 - 2009
Kelsi Dunne - 3 - 2011
Montana Fouts - 3 - 2023

Alabama in the SEC Rankings (Top 10)

Overall

Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 292
Doubles - Ally Shipman - T1st - 15
Doubles - Kenleigh Cahalan - T1st - 15
Wins - Montana Fouts - 2nd - 22
Opposing Batting Avg. - Jaala Torrence - 5th - .154
Opposing Batting Avg. - Montana Fouts - 6th - .159
Earned Run Avg. - Montana Fouts - 9th - 1.44
Home Runs - Ashley Prange - T8th - 13

SEC Only

Batters Struck Out - Montana Fouts - 1st - 142
Wins- Montana Fouts - T1st - 12
ERA - Montana Fouts - 4th - 1.18
Opposing Batting Average - Montana Fouts - 4th - .159
ERA - Alex Salter - 6th - 1.85
Opposing Batting Avg. - Jaala Torrence - 6th - .179
Batting Avg. - Larissa Preuitt - 9th - .339
Walks - Ashley Prange - T8th - 15
Stolen Bases - Larissa Preuitt - T6th - 7

Fouts Breaks into Single-Season Strikeout Top 10...Again

Following the Ole Miss series, Montana Fouts owns an NCAA-leading 292 strikeouts this season, which already beats her season total from last year (262) and ranks ninth all-time at Alabama
She is one of four UA pitchers to have multiple seasons within the top 10, with her personal best of 349 from 2021 ranking third
300 strikeouts this season would make Fouts the third Tide pitcher with multiple 300 strikeout seasons, joining Kelsi Dunne and Stephanie VanBrakle

Alabama Single-Season Strikeouts Top 10

1st - 361- Jackie Traina - 2012
2nd - 355 - Kelsi Dunne - 2010
3rd - 349 - Montana Fouts - 2021
4th - 345 - Stephanie VanBrakle - 2006
5th - 341 - Stephanie VanBrakle - 2005
6th - 334 - Alexis Osorio - 2017
7th - 331 - Kelsi Dunne - 2011
8th - 310 - Shelley Laird -2000
9th - 292 - Montana Fouts - 2023
10th - 282 - Shelley Laird - 2002

Moving Up the Career Shutout Rankings

Montana Fouts' perfect game against Ole Miss improved her career total to 35, moving her within three of second place Kelsi Dunne and four of Shelly Laird's career record

Alabama Career Shutout Leaders

39 - Shelley Laird (1999-02)
38 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
35 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
28 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)

Fouts Continues to Climb in UA Career Strikeouts

Montana Fouts continues to inch closer to Alabama strikeout record-holder Kelsi Dunne (2008-11), sitting 69 shy in second place with 1,150
In the March 14 win over North Alabama, Montana Fouts became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts

Alabama Career Strikeout Leaders

1,219 - Kelsi Dunne (2008-11)
1,150 - Montana Fouts (2019-pres.)
1,113 - Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06)
1,063 - Alexis Osorio (2015-18)
1,045 - Shelley Laird (1999-2002)

Fouts Career Record Watch

With 97 career wins, Montana Fouts is tied with Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06) for fourth all-time at Alabama and three shy of becoming the fourth pitcher in program history with 100 career wins
Fouts also has 117 career starts, with fourth place VanBrakle as the next-highest on the list with 125
Fouts has four saves this season, giving her 15 for her career which is one shy of tying Shelley Laird (1999-2002) and Osorio for second all-time at Alabama