Friday, May 17
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
3:30 p.m. CT
Alabama
vs
USC Upstate
No. 14 Seed Alabama Opens NCAA Regional Play Friday in Tuscaloosa
5/15/2024 12:57:00 PM | Softball
The Crimson Tide faces USC Upstate Friday at 3:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the 19th-consecutive season, Alabama softball will begin its NCAA Tournament journey at Rhoads Stadium as the No. 14 seeded Crimson Tide opens play at the Tuscaloosa Regional Friday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. CT against USC Upstate streaming on ESPN+. That game will come after Clemson takes on Southeastern Louisiana at 1 p.m. CT on the ACC Network.
This Week: NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional
- Tuscaloosa, Ala – Rhoads Stadium
- Friday, May 17
- Clemson (34-17) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (45-13) – 1 p.m. CT
- Alabama (33-17) vs. USC Upstate (30-21) – 3:30 p.m. CT
- Saturday, May 18
- Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 2 p.m. CT
- Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 4:30 p.m. CT
- Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser – 7 p.m. CT
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – TBD
- (if necessary) Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser - TBD
- Video
- Friday Clemson vs. Southeastern Louisiana - ACC Network
- Friday Alabama vs. USC Upstate – ESPN+
- Saturday/Sunday - TBD
- Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
Scouting Alabama
- Alabama is the No. 14 national seed in this year's NCAA Softball Tournament, hosting the Tuscaloosa Regional this weekend welcoming Clemson, Southeastern Louisiana and USC Upstate to Rhoads Stadium
- This year marks the Crimson Tide's 25th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and its 19th-straight as a Regional host
- Last time out, Alabama was eliminated from the SEC Tournament by LSU after a 3-2 loss in 14-innings
- Fifth-year senior Kayla Beaver and sophomore Kenleigh Cahalan both earned Second Team All-SEC honors last week
- Alabama returns 15 letterwinners from last year's Women's College World Series squad, including 2023 All-SEC honoree Larissa Preuitt, 2023 NFCA All-Region Kenleigh Cahalan, 2023 All-SEC and SEC All-Tournament Team Jenna Johnson and 2022 All-SEC and All-Region Bailey Dowling
- Seven newcomers are on the Tide roster in 2024, including freshmen Lauren Johnson (Franklin, Tenn.) and Jocelyn Briski (Phoenix, Ariz.) and transfers Kayla Beaver (Central Arkansas), Kendal Clark (DMACC), Alea Johnson (LSU), Kinley Pate (Samford) and Riley Valentine (Texas A&M)
Alabama in NCAA Regionals
- Alabama has played in every NCAA Tournament since 1999, Patrick Murphy's first year as head coach
- This year marks the 21st time the Crimson Tide has hosted the NCAA Regional round, including a streak of 19 straight started in 2005 (no tournament in 2020)
- Alabama owns a 68-12 (.850) record in NCAA Regional play
- Since the introduction of the current postseason format in 2005, the Tide has advanced to Super Regionals in 17 of its previous 18 opportunities
Last Time Out: SEC Tournament
- Alabama and LSU battled for 14 innings to open play at the SEC Tournament, with the Tigers holding on for the 3-2 win
- The game was the longest by innings in SEC Tournament history and was tied for the second-longest game in Crimson Tide history
- Kali Heivilin was 2-for-3 with a career-best two doubles
Beaver and Cahalan earn All-SEC honors
- The Southeastern Conference announced its annual softball awards for the 2024 season last week, with Alabama's Kayla Beaver and Kenleigh Cahalan both earning All-SEC Second Team honors
- The award is the first for both Beaver and Cahalan as members of the Crimson Tide, while Beaver previously earned First Team all-conference honors at Central Arkansas in 2021 (Southland) and 2023 (ASUN)
- Alabama now boasts 119 All-SEC awards in program history, with multiple honorees every year since 2017
Turning Two
- Alabama has turned 19 double plays this season, which is tied for the eighth-most in UA single-season history
- The Tide also turned 19 double plays in 2022, its most since hitting the same mark in 2018
- Alabama hasn't reached 20 or more double plays in a season since 2007
Triple Threat
- Kenleigh Cahalan hit her fourth triple of the season in game three against Tennessee, which leads the team and is tied for second in the SEC
- The last Alabama player with four triples in a season was Sydney Booker in 2018
- Only six players have hit five or more in a season, with Haylie McCleney as the last to do so with five in 2016
- Kelly Kretschman and Carrie Moreman both hold the UA single-season record, hitting seven each during the 1998 season
Wearing It
- Jenna Johnson's 14 HBP this season is tied for fourth in single-season history at Alabama
- She is one of five players to be plunked at least 14 times, with Johnson's as the most since Danae Hays' 15 in 2014
- Amanda Locke holds the single-season record of 16 set in 2010
Tide Trends
- Alabama is 28-3 this season when scoring first and 14-1 when scoring in the first inning
- The Crimson Tide is 26-1 when leading after 5.0 innings but is 2-13 when tied or trailing
- Alabama has scored its most runs in the first and fifth innings (36), followed closely by the fourth (35)
- Tide pitching has only allowed two or more home runs in three games this season
- Kenleigh Cahalan leads the team with 11 multi-hit games this season, followed by Abby Duchscherer with nine
- Duchscherer leads the team with eight multi-RBI games with Kali Heivilin close behind at six, two of which have come in the last four games
- Kayla Beaver was one of four SEC pitchers to throw seven or more shutouts this season, along with Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens (10), Texas A&M's Emiley Kennedy (8) and Auburn's Maddie Penta (7)
Nothing Extra
- Alabama pitching has only allowed 51 extra base hits this season, the fewest of any SEC team
- In each individual category, The Tide has also allowed the fewest doubles (30), triples (1) and home runs (20) of any team in the league
Extra Base Hits Allowed (through Saturday, May 11)
- Alabama - 51
- Tennessee - 59
- Arkansas - 68
- Texas A&M - 74
- LSU - 78
- South Carolina - 83
- Mississippi State - 85
- Florida - 86
- Ole Miss - 86
- Auburn - 93
- Georgia - 99
- Kentucky - 105
- Missouri - 110
Kayla Beaver Ranked No. 9 in Latest Softball America Player Position Rankings
- Softball America released its updated player position rankings this week, with Kayla Beaver at No. 9 on its pitchers list
- Beaver is 16-8 with three saves over 32 appearances this season, including 13 complete games and seven solo shutouts while striking out 162 batters over 161.1 innings pitched
- She was named a finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year and earned Second Team All-SEC honors
Alabama in SEC Play
- Alabama is 512-211 (.708) all-time in SEC play, including a 477-190 (.715) 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)
- 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 728-143 (.836) all-time record at home, including a 692-127 (.845) mark under Head Coach Patrick Murphy (1999-pres.) and a 673-123 (.845) 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 20 of its 24 previous years there
Up Next: NCAA Super Regionals
- Dates, Times and Opponents TBD
Players Mentioned
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UTIL
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IF
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IF
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IF
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RHP
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OF
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OF
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OF
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OF
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C
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