Alabama Softball Season Recap
6/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 14, 2011
The Alabama softball team (53-11, 19-6 SEC) capped off its 2011 season with its best finish at the Women's College World Series in program history, placing third at the eight-team event. The Crimson Tide won its first ever opening round game at the WCWS, downing Cal, 1-0, before defeating Baylor, 3-0. Alabama fell in the semifinals to Florida, losing twice to miss out on the chance to advance to the national championship series.
Alabama made its 13th straight NCAA tournament appearance and hosted a NCAA Regional for the seventh straight season and ninth overall. The Crimson Tide claimed the Tuscaloosa Regional title by defeating Jackson State, Memphis and Chattanooga. Alabama then downed Stanford in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional, after dropping the first game to rally and win the next two to advance to Oklahoma City.
The Crimson Tide won its second straight SEC regular season title and third overall. Alabama finished 25-1 at Rhoads Stadium and welcomed 68,119 fans for an average of 2,619 per contest. Alabama posted its first sellout since the stadium expanded, having 3,395 fans witness a 13-3 win over Mississippi State on April 16.
ALABAMA IN THE FINAL RANKINGS
The Alabama softball team wrapped up the 2011 campaign ranked No. 3 in both final polls. The No. 3 ranking ties the 2009 team with the best final spot in the polls in program history. The Crimson Tide put together a solid season against ranked opponents, finishing with a 13-8 record. The Tide outscored ranked opponents 89-67 and sported a 2.85 ERA.
ALABAMA HAS FOUR NAMED NFCA ALL-AMERICANS
The Alabama softball team had four players earn 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American honors. Senior Kelsi Dunne (Port Orange, Fla.), sophomore Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) and freshman Jackie Traina (Naples, Fla.) earned first-team accolades while senior Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) garnered second-team honors. The four NFCA All-Americans equals the most in a single season in school history, tying the mark set in 2001 and 2008. The three first-team selections tie the most in school history with the trio in 2008.
RUNNING AT AN ALARMING RATE
Alabama was aggressive once again on the basepaths, swiping a nation's-best 157 bases in 183 attempts. In the postseason the Crimson Tide really turned it on as it was 28-for-30 in stolen bases over the course of the NCAA tournament. Overall on the season sophomore Kayla Braud was 58-for-69 in thefts, just two off the Alabama record of 60 set by Brittany Rogers (2008). Her 58 stolen bases are tied for the 10th most in NCAA single season history and the fifth most in SEC history. Junior Jennifer Fenton follows with a perfect 32-for-32 in stolen bases. Fenton, who tied Braud with eight stolen bases in the NCAA tournament, has the eighth-highest total in NCAA history with a perfect (1.000) stolen base percentage. The 157 stolen bases as a team rank fourth all-time in the Alabama single season record books.
ALABAMA GRAND SLAMS
Alabama finished with a school record eight grand slams in 2011. Senior Whitney Larsen and junior Jennifer Fenton lead the Tide with two apiece. Larsen ranks second all-time in NCAA history with seven career grand slams (Francesca Enea, 9). Fenton hit the last grand slam for the Tide, clearing the bases against Stanford in game two of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
ALABAMA NO-HITTERS
On the season the Alabama pitching staff has tallied five no-hitters. Senior Kelsi Dunne has accounted for three of the tallies while freshman Jackie Traina has one to her credit. The duo has also combined for one as well. The five no-hitters in a single season equaled the most in school history as Dunne accounted for four of the five in 2009. Dunne tossed a no-hitter in her first appearance of the season, striking out 11 in seven innings against Jacksonville State (Feb. 12). She threw her second of the campaign against South Carolina (April 3), striking out 10 in seven innings. The duo combined for a no-hitter in a loss against LSU (April 10). Dunne then struck out nine in five innings at Mississippi (May 6) before Traina tossed her first career no-hitter against Jackson State with a five-inning, nine strikeout performance in the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Regional. Dunne has nine career no-hitters to her credit.
SEC CHAMPIONS
The Alabama softball team earned its third Southeastern Conference regular season title by sweeping Mississippi in the final regular season series to finish with a 19-6 ledger in league play. The regular season title is the third in program history for Alabama as it finished first last season with a 23-4 record and in 2006 with a 25-4 conference mark.
DUNNE AND BRAUD NAMED TOP 10 FINALISTS
Alabama senior Kelsi Dunne (Port Orange, Fla.) and sophomore Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) were named Top 10 Finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, as announced by the organization. The award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
SIX GARNER ALL-REGION HONORS
The Alabama softball team garnered six Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region selections, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced. The Crimson Tide had five named to the first team and one to the second team in the South Region. Alabama seniors Kelsi Dunne (Port Orange, Fla.) and Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) earned first-team honors and were joined by junior Amanda Locke (Mesquite, Texas), sophomore Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) and freshman Jackie Traina (Naples, Fla.). Junior Jennifer Fenton (Kennesaw, Ga.) was named to the second team.
FIVE PLAYERS NAMED ALL-SEC
Alabama had five players earn all-conference honors, the league announced before the SEC tournament. Senior Kelsi Dunne was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season and was also named to the first-team and all-defensive team. Joining Dunne on the All-SEC first-team was senior Whitney Larsen, who also earned all-defensive team honors and sophomore Kayla Braud. Junior Amanda Locke earned second-team honors while newcomer Kaila Hunt was named to the all-freshman team.
BRAUD NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Alabama sophomore outfielder Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) was named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). One of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, Braud is a public relations major with a 3.92 G.P.A. While earning All-Southeastern Conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Region first-team honors for the second year in a row.
IN THE ALABAMA RECORD BOOKS
Alabama posted some impressive numbers over the course of the 2011 season. At the plate, the 91 home runs rank second all-time and the 396 RBI check in at third along with the 252 walks. In the circle the .173 opponents batting average is the lowest in school history and the 9.42 strikeouts per seven innings is the most in a single season at Alabama. Also Tide pitchers allowed the least amount of hits ever, yielding 255 on the season. Defensively teams posted the lowest stolen base against percentage ever by being successful just 56 percent (25-for-45) of the time.
DUNNE AND LARSEN CAP OFF STELLAR CAREERS
Alabama seniors Kelsi Dunne and Whitney Larsen etched their names in numerous record books while at the Capstone. Dunne holds the career strikeout record with 1,219 punchouts, strikeouts per seven innings (9.82) and lowest opponent batting average against (.165) while ranking second all-time in wins (113), appearances (168), games started (137), complete games (92), shutouts (38) and innings pitched (869). Larsen finishes ranked second in RBI (196), third in home runs (48), fourth in slugging percentage (.601) and fifth in total bases (403) and runs scored (177).
