Friday, May 24
Knoxville, Tenn.
3 p.m. CT
Alabama
at
Tennessee
No. 14 Alabama Heads to Knoxville to Face No. 3 Tennessee in Super Regionals
5/22/2024 10:00:00 AM | Softball
The Crimson Tide and Lady Vols kick off their series Friday, May 24 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For an NCAA-record 18th time, Alabama is heading to Super Regionals as the 14th-seeded Crimson Tide heads to Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 3 seed Tennessee starting Friday, May 24 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
This Week: NCAA Knoxville Super Regional
- Knoxville, Tenn. – Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
- Friday, May 24 – 3 p.m. CT
- Saturday, May 25 – 2 p.m. CT
- (if necessary) Sunday, May 26 - TBD
- TV: ESPN2 (Friday), TBD (Saturday/Sunday)
- Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
Scouting Alabama
- No. 14 seed Alabama heads to Knoxville this weekend for NCAA Super Regionals against No. 3 Tennessee starting Friday, May 24 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2
- This weekend marks the Crimson Tide's NCAA-record 18th Super Regional appearance since the current postseason format was adopted in 2005
- Last weekend, Alabama went 3-0 at the Tuscaloosa Regional, outscoring its opponents 19-5 and hitting .341 (29-for-85) as a team
- Kayla Beaver earned NFCA All-South Region honors, giving Alabama at least one honoree every year since the Tide's inaugural 1997 season
- 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 Super Regionals
- This year marks Alabama's NCAA-best 18th Super Regional appearance, advancing to 18 of the 19 Super Regional rounds since the current postseason format was adopted in 2005
- The Tide has won 12 of the previous 17 Super Regional rounds it has played in
- This year is just the sixth time Alabama has had to travel for Super Regionals, previously doing so in 2005 (Texas A&M), 2007 (Washington), 2013 (Tennessee), 2017 (Florida) and 2018 (Washington)
- The Tide won the 2005 Super Regional in College Station in two games but have subsequently lost each of the remaining four road Super Regional series in two games
- Alabama has previously overcome a game one loss in Super Regionals to win series against Stanford (2011), Oklahoma (2015) and Northwestern (2023) and bounced back from a game two loss to Texas (2019) to take game three
Last Time Out: Tuscaloosa Regional
- Alabama went 3-0 at last weekend's Tuscaloosa Regional, defeating USC Upstate in the opener, 1-0, before earning a pair of wins over Southeastern, 6-3 in nine innings and 12-2 in five innings
- This weekend marked the Crimson Tide's 16th undefeated Regional round under the current postseason format
- The 12 runs scored in the championship game vs. the Lady Lions are the most for the Tide in the postseason since scoring 15 against Florida at the 2019 Women's College World Series (June 1, 2019)
- Alabama's nine-run first inning in Sunday's finale was the highest-scoring inning for the Tide since matching that total in the second inning vs. UAB on Feb. 22, 2023
- Four players all earned at least one hit in all three games: Bailey Dowling, Kristen White, Jenna Johnson and Riley Valentine
- Jenna Johnson, Bailey Dowling and Kristen White led the team with five hits each while Kenleigh Cahalan drove in a team-leading five RBIs
- Alabama pitching posted a combined 1.00 ERA on the weekend, with Jocelyn Briski earning two wins
Kayla Beaver Named NFCAÂ All-South Region
- Alabama fifth-year senior pitcher Kayla Beaver was named Second Team All-South Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last Saturday
- This year marks the second-straight Second Team All-Region honor for Beaver, doing so in 2023 at Central Arkansas in the Southeast Region
- This year's award is the 119th in Alabama program history, with at least one honoree every year since the Crimson Tide's inaugural 1997 season
Turning Two
- Alabama has turned 20 double plays this season, which is tied for the fourth-most in UA single-season history
- It is the first time the Tide has totaled 20 or more double plays in a season since 2009
Most Double Plays Turned in a Season
- 26 (2003)
- 24 (2000, 09)
- 20 (1998, 2002, 05, 07, 24)
- 19 (2004, 14, 18, 22)
Triple Threat
- Kenleigh Cahalan hit her fifth triple of the season in the Regional championship against Southeastern, which leads the team and is tied for the lead in the SEC
- She is the seventh Crimson Tide player have hit five or more in a season, the first since Haylie McCleney in 2016
- Kelly Kretschman and Carrie Moreman both hold the UA single-season record, hitting seven each during the 1998 season
Most Triples in a Season
- 7 - Kelly Kretschman - 1998
- 7 - Carrie Moreman - 1998
- 6 - Ashley Courtney - 2005
- 5 - Jordan Praytor - 2005
- 5 - Demi Turner - 2015
- 5 - Haylie McCleney - 2016
- 5 - Kenleigh Cahalan - 2024
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 30-3 this season when scoring first and 15-1 when scoring in the first inning
- The Crimson Tide is 27-1 when leading after 5.0 innings but is 3-13 when tied or trailing
- Alabama has scored its most runs in the first inning (45), followed by a tie between the fourth and fifth (36)
- Tide pitching has only allowed two or more home runs in three games this season
- Kenleigh Cahalan leads the team with 12 multi-hit games this season, three of which have come in her last six games
- Abby Duchscherer leads the team with eight multi-RBI games with Cahalan, Jenna Johnson and Kali Heivilin all trailing close behind with six
- Kayla Beaver was one of four SEC pitchers to throw seven or more shutouts this season, along with Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens (12), Texas A&M's Emiley Kennedy (10) and Auburn's Maddie Penta (7)
Nothing Extra
- Alabama pitching has only allowed 53Â extra base hits this season, the fewest of any SEC team
- In each individual category, The Tide has also allowed the fewest doubles (32), triples (1) and home runs (20) of any team in the league
Extra Base Hits Allowed (through NCAA Regionals)
- Alabama - 53
- Tennessee - 60
- Arkansas - 70
- Texas A&M - 75
- LSU - 78
- Florida - 88
- South Carolina - 90
- Ole Miss - 90
- Mississippi State - 91
- Auburn - 102
- Georgia - 110
- Kentucky - 112
- Missouri - 115
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 731-143 (.836) all-time record at home, including a 695-127 (.845) mark under Head Coach Patrick Murphy (1999-pres.) and a 676-123 (.846) 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: Women's College World Series (Oklahoma city)
- Dates, Times and Opponents TBD
Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballNCAA Super Regional GM 2 Postgame: Coach Murphy
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Friday, May 23
NCAA Super Regional Preview: Patrick Murphy, Jocelyn Briski & Audrey Vandagriff
Thursday, May 22
NCAA Super Regional Preview: Patrick Murphy
Wednesday, May 21
