Alabama Softball Travels to Birmingham Tuesday to Play Samford

Tuesday, April 25

Birmingham, Ala.

6 P.M. CT

Alabama

Samford

Alabama Softball Travels to Birmingham Tuesday to Play Samford

4/24/2017 2:17:00 PM | Softball

Alabama Notes (PDF)Live Stats Live Audio (93.3 FM)Live Video (Online Only)

THIS WEEK
No. 12/12 Alabama (37-11) vs. Samford (21-29)
Tuesday, April 25 - 6 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Ala. - Samford Softball Stadium

FOLLOWING THE TIDE

Video: samfordsports.com (Online Only)
Radio: 93.3 FM (praise933.com)
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB

SCOUTING NO. 12/12 ALABAMA (37-11, 10-7 SEC)

Alabama is coming off a pair of out-of-conference losses to ninth-ranked Washington last weekend in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide is now 37-11 overall and 10-7 in SEC play with two conference series remaining in the regular season.
The Tide comes in at No. 14 for the second-straight week in the NCAA Rating Percentage Index. Alabama is also ranked No. 12 in the most recent USA Today/NFCA poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
The Crimson Tide is second in the SEC in strikeouts (408), with league-leader Florida as the only other team with over 300 this season. Alabama also ranks second in opposing batting average (.167) and hits allowed (187) and is third in walks drawn (210), earned run average (1.55) and fielding percentage (.978).
Alexis Osorio leads the league and is seventh nationally with 233 strikeouts, one of two pitchers in the SEC with over 200 strikeouts. Littlejohn is fourth in the SEC with 152 strikeouts, making Alabama and Florida the only SEC schools to have over 300 strikeouts between two starters. Littlejohn also ranks fifth in the SEC with a 1.05 ERA.

THE OPPONENT
Samford Bulldogs

Conference: Southern
2017 Record: 21-29
Head Coach: Mandy Burford (Sixth Season)
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/3
Newcomers: 4

Samford Stat Leaders

Batting Avg. - Shelby Maze - .428
Hits - Shelby Maze - 77
Home Runs - Abby Sweeney - 8
Wins - Grey Adams - 10
ERA - Grey Adams - 3.10
Strikeouts - Grey Adams – 104

ALL-TIME VS. THE OPPONENT
22-2 vs. Samford

Current Streak: Alabama 22
First Meeting: March 18, 1997 - L, 1-5 - Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia State Invitational)
Last Meeting: May 20, 2016 - W, 3-0 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. (NCAA Regional)
Last Meeting in Birmingham: Feb. 11, 2015 - W, 7-1

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA FALLS TWICE TO WASHINGTON IN TUSCALOOSA

Washington 3, Alabama 2: Facing a two-run deficit in the seventh inning, Alabama softball scored one and brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate, but the comeback ultimately fell just short as the Crimson Tide dropped a 3-2 decision to Washington Friday night at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama and Washington were nearly even statistically across the board, each tallying six hits with the Tide drawing two walks to the Huskies' one. A late two-run home run by Washington's Kirstyn Thomas ultimately made the difference, though an RBI single by Claire Jenkins in the bottom of the seventh did bring the Tide within one and put the potential tying run on the base paths.
Washington 3, Alabama 0: Alabama softball dropped its weekend finale to Washington Saturday at Rhoads Stadium, as three solo home runs accounted for the entirety of the Huskies' offensive output in the 3-0 shutout. Alabama out-hit Washington, 5-4, but the Crimson Tide left eight runners on base while three of the Huskies' four hits were home runs. Sydney Booker went 2-3 batting eighth and Elissa Brown, Peyton Grantham and Chandler Dare tallied the team's remaining three hits.

COACHING CONNECTION

Samford head coach Mandy Burford, currently in her sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, played softball at Alabama from 2004-07. She appeared in 217 games and made 135 starts, earning the bulk of her starts in the outfield in her final two seasons. She finished with a .289 career batting average, 78 RBIs and 61 stolen bases.
Samford assistant coach Erin Arevalo is an SEC alum as well, playing for Georgia from 2009-12. She lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010 and earned All-America honors as a senior in 2012, going 27-9 in the circle with 270 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA.

ZEROES IN THE RUN COLUMN
Last Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Southern Miss marked the 23rd shutout of the season for Alabama. It is the most shutouts in a season since 2009 and tied for the fourth-most in program history, just three shy of tying the single-season record.

Most Shutouts in a Single Season at Alabama

26 - 2009
25 - 2001
24 - 2006
23 - 2017, 2008, 2007

TIDE TRENDS

Alabama is 32-2 this season when scoring first and is 21-0 when it scores in the first inning. So far this season, the Tide is outscoring its opponents 38-11 in the first inning.
The Tide has scored 46 in both the third and fourth innings this season, more than any other inning. The 92 combined runs in the third and fourth innings account for about 40 percent of Alabama's run output.
When the offense hits at least one home run, Alabama is 20-0. When the opponent hits two or more home runs, Alabama is 1-5.
Seven of Alabama's 11 losses have come via shutout, while the Tide has shut out its opponents in 23 of its 37 wins.
Alabama is undefeated in midweek games at 11-0, including seven Wednesday wins and four Tuesday wins. Alabama is 10-2 on Friday, 9-5 on Saturday and 7-4 on Sunday.

UP NEXT
Next week, Alabama continues SEC play with a three-game road series against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. starting on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. CT. Sunday and Monday's games against the Rebels will be live on the SEC Network.