Alabama Softball Readies for NCAA Regionals at Rhoads Stadium

Friday, May 20

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

3 p.m. CT

Alabama

Chattanooga

5/19/2022 3:24:00 PM | Softball

The Crimson Tide opens play Friday at 3 p.m. CT against Chattanooga on the SEC Network

This Week: NCAA REGIONAL (TUSCALOOSA, ALA.)

Scouting Alabama

Alabama earned the No. 6 overall seed at the 2022 NCAA Tournament, hosting the Tuscaloosa Regional this weekend featuring Stanford, Murray State and Chattanooga
The Crimson Tide has made the NCAA Tournament every season since 1999 and will host regionals for the 19th time, including an active streak of 17-straight years
The winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional will face the winner of the Knoxville Regional, which includes No. 11 Tennessee, Ohio State, Oregon State and Campbell.
Tide pitching has allowed the fewest hits (262), runs (131), earned runs (109), doubles (30) and home runs (24) of any SEC team
Montana Fouts leads the SEC with 150 strikeouts in conference play, which is 60 more than the next leading pitcher
Head Coach Patrick Murphy is in his 24th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,190-331 (.782) record
Alabama returns 11 players from last year's team that made the Women's College World Series semifinals, including a pair of All-Americans in Montana Fouts and Kaylee Tow
The Tide welcomes nine newcomers in 2022, including three transfers and six freshmen

Alabama at NCAA Regionals

Alabama has played in every NCAA Tournament since 1999, Patrick Murphy's first year as head coach
This year marks the 19th time the Crimson Tide has hosted the NCAA Regional round, including an active streak of 17-straight started in 2005
Alabama owns a 62-9 (.873) record in NCAA Regional play
The Tide owns the longest active Division I streak with 17-straight NCAA Regional round wins and 43-straight wins in NCAA Regional play
Alabama's last loss in NCAA Regional play came in the opening game of the 2007 tournament to Tennessee Tech, though the Tide did go on to win that regional round

Last Time Out: vs. Missouri (SEC Tournament)

Alabama lost in its opening-round matchup to Missouri at the SEC Tournament, 3-0
The two teams were scoreless until the Tigers broke through with three runs in the sixth and the Crimson Tide offense couldn't break through, leaving each of its five hits on base in the shutout loss
Alabama is now 44-27 all-time at SEC Tournament
The loss was the Tide's first opening-round loss at the SEC Tournament since 1999
Thursday marked the first meeting in the SEC Tournament between Alabama and Missouri, with the Tide now having faced every team at least once
Ashley Prange went 2-for-3 for her 11th multi-hit game of the season

Five Named to NFCA All-South Region Team

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its 2022 All-Region teams Thursday, with Alabama taking home five All-South Region accolades
Montana Fouts was named to the All-South Region First Team, with Megan Bloodworth, Bailey Dowling and Ally Shipman earning Second Team honors and Ashley Prange Third Team
The All-South Region honor is the third for Fouts and the first for everyone else
Alabama has placed at least two on the annual list every year since the program's inaugural 1997 season and has earned a total of 114 awards over that time

Alabama Places Four on All-SEC Team

Four Alabama softball players earned spots on the 2022 All-SEC Teams, as Montana Fouts and Ashley Prange earned First Team honors while Bailey Dowling and Ally Shipman were on the Second Team
The honor is the third of Fouts' career, all First Team accolades, and the first for Prange, Dowling and Shipman
At least four Crimson Tide players have earned All-SEC honors in each of the last four years and six of the last eight
In total, Alabama has earned 113 All-SEC accolades in program history

Four Earn CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors

Four Alabama softball players were selected to the 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District softball team, including Montana Fouts, Kat Grill, Jenna Johnson and Kaylee Tow
The CoSIDA Academic All-District distinction is the fourth-straight for Tow, second for Fouts and first for Grill and Johnson
The slate increases Alabama softball's all-time total to 60 accolades, including multiple honorees in each of the last seven seasons
With their selection, the four advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America voting, with Division 1 winners to be announced June 7

Fifth Inning, Bama Inning

Alabama widest scoring margin has come in the fifth inning, outscoring its opponents 55-15
Tide batters are 74-for-217 (.341) in the fifth with 48 RBIs, the highest mark of any inning
Ally Shipman has the most fifth-inning at bats of any player (28), leading the team with 11 hits, 11 RBIs and four doubles in the frame
Dallis Goodnight also has double-digit hits in the fifth inning, batting 10-for-25 (.400), while Ashley Prange leads the team with nine fifth-inning runs scored

Two Outs, So What?

Alabama is batting 124-for-434 (.286) with two outs this season and is even better in conference play at 65-for-219 (.297)
In SEC play, 48 of the team's 104 RBIs have come with two out
Ally Shipman has seen the most at-bats with two out this season, going 19-for-54 (.352) with 11 RBIs
Bailey Dowling has driven in a team-leading 14 two-out RBIs with a 20-for-53 (.377) batting average with five doubles, a triple and four home runs

Alabama in the SEC Rankings (Top Five)

*Games played through May 14*

Team - Overall

Individual - Overall

Team - SEC Only

Individual - SEC Only

Career Record Watch

Kaylee Tow's double against Florida on April 11 was the 45th of her career, moving her past Dani Woods (2005-08) for sole possession of ninth place on the Alabama career records list and one away from tying eighth-place Christy Kyle (1997-2000)
Tow is fifth all-time with 153 career walks, which puts her eight away from fourth-place Kelly Kretschman (1998-2001)
Montana Fouts' game three shutout over Mississippi State was the 24th of her career, tying her with Chrissy Owens (2005-08) in fifth place and just two shy from Stephanie VanBrakle (2003-06)

Up Next: NCAA Super Regionals (TBD)