Top-Ranked Alabama Softball Opens 2020 Season with Four Games in Tallahassee - Alabama Athletics
Top-ranked Alabama opens its 2020 season with four games at the JoAnne Graf Classic in Tallahassee, Fla., playing two games against North Carolina and two ga...
The Crimson Tide plays two games against North Carolina and two against tournament-host Florida State
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THIS WEEK: JOANNE GRAF CLASSIC
Tallahassee, Fla. – Joanne Graf Field
Friday, Feb. 7
- vs. North Carolina – 12 p.m. CT
- at #9/8 Florida State – 5 p.m. CT
- at #9/8 Florida State – 2 p.m. CT
- vs. North Carolina – 4:30 p.m. CT
- Alabama returns 13 players from last year's team that won 60 games, claimed the program's fifth regular-season SEC title and advanced to the final day of bracket play at the 2019 Women's College World Series
- The Crimson Tide is ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 across four preseason rankings after finishing last year at No. 4
- Sophomore Montana Fouts, junior Kaylee Tow and junior Bailey Hemphill were named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
- Six newcomers join the Alabama roster for 2020, including five freshmen and graduate transfer Alexis Mack from Oregon
- Head Coach Patrick Murphy, last year's SEC Coach of the Year, returns for his 22nd season at the helm of the Crimson Tide
- Alabama's schedule includes 30 games against 14 opponents ranked in the preseason top 25, beginning with a pair of games this weekend against No. 9/8 Florida State
- Overall vs. North Carolina: Alabama leads 8-0
- In Tuscaloosa: 5-0 | In Chapel Hill: 2-0 | At Neutral Sites: 1-0
- Current Streak: Alabama +8
- Last Meeting: April 18, 2014 - Chapel Hill, NC - W, 4-3
- Overall vs. Florida State: Alabama leads 6-4
- In Tuscaloosa: 6-3 | In Tallahassee: 0-0 | At Neutral Sites: 1-0
- Current Streak: Florida +1
- Last Meeting: Feb. 24, 2018 - Tuscaloosa, Ala. - L, 1-3
- Alabama earned a preseason No. 1 ranking in the D1Softball and USA Softball polls, while coming in at No. 2 in the NFCA and Softball America rankings
- The Tide earned 12 first-place votes in the USA Softball poll and 11 in the NFCA poll, the most of any team
- It is the highest preseason ranking for the Tide since 2013
- Alabama finished the 2019 season ranked No. 4 in the NFCA, USA Softball and Softball America polls, while the 2020 preseason list is the inaugural set of rankings for D1Softball
- Sophomore Montana Fouts, junior Kaylee Tow and senior Bailey Hemphill were all selected to the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
- Fouts and Hemphill were both finalists for the award last season, while this is Tow's first appearance
- All three earned NFCA All-America accolades last year
- Alabama is one of six schools with at least three athletes on the watch list, and the Tide has the most of any Southeastern Conference school
- The defending Southeastern Conference champion Alabama softball team is the preseason favorite for the 2020 league title, as voted on by the SEC head coaches
- The Crimson Tide received 11 of a possible 13 first-place votes, ahead of second-place Tennessee (2)
- Seniors Elissa Brown and Bailey Hemphill and sophomore Montana Fouts were selected to the Preseason All-SEC team, making Alabama the only team with three players on the list
- Alabama is 89-19 all-time on opening weekend. The Tide has only lost three games on opening weekend since 2004 and only one since 2010
- The last time Alabama opened the season in the state of Florida was in 2016 at the UCF Knights Invitational in Orlando, where the Tide went 4-1
- 2016 was also the last time Alabama faced a ranked opponent on opening weekend, defeating No. 19 James Madison, 2-1
- Alabama is 8-12 (.400) all-time against ranked opponents on opening weekend, but has won three of the last four
- Senior Bailey Hemphill enters the 2020 season with 48 home runs, which ranks fourth all-time and sits 12 behind Kelly Kretschman's (1998-2001) career record of 60
- Hemphill hit nine home runs her freshman season, improved to 13 as a sophomore and tied the UA single-season record last season with 26
- Hemphill also owns 173 career RBIs, putting her within striking distance of becoming the third Alabama player with 200 RBIs
- Charlotte Morgan (2007-10) owns the UA record with 264 career RBIs and Kaila Hunt (2011-14) is the only other player to surpass 200, finishing with 215
- Sixteen games on Alabama softball's 2020 schedule are slated to be televised on the ESPN family of networks this season
- Alabama will serve as host of the 2020 SEC Softball Tournament, which will again be broadcast live across the ESPN family of networks
- First and second round action on May 6-7 will be on SEC Network, with Friday's semifinals on ESPNU and Saturday's SEC Tournament Championship game on ESPN
- All Crimson Tide home games and select road contests will also be available to stream online via the SEC Network+ digital platform, with links to watch online will be posted on the softball schedule page at RollTide.com and on Alabama softball social media platforms
- Thursday, Feb. 13 vs. Washington – 3 p.m. CT – ESPNU
- Friday, Feb. 14 vs. UCLA – 3 p.m. CT - ESPNU
- Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Oklahoma State – 9:30 a.m. CT – SEC Network
- Friday, March 20 at Tennessee – 5 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Saturday, March 21 at Tennessee – 4:30 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Saturday, March 28 vs. South Carolina – 1 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- Tuesday, March 31 vs. Team USA – 6 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Friday, April 3 at Mississippi State – 5:30 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Saturday, April 4 at Mississippi State – 4 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Sunday, April 5 at Mississippi State – 2 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Saturday, April 11 vs. LSU – 2 p.m. CT – ESPN
- Saturday, April 18 at Ole Miss – 1 p.m. CT – ESPNU
- Saturday, April 25 vs. Auburn – 3 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- Sunday, April 26 vs. Auburn – 1 p.m. CT – ESPN2
- Monday, April 27 vs. Auburn – 6 p.m. CT – SEC Network
- Sunday, May 3 at Missouri – 12:30 p.m. CT – SEC Network (Bases Loaded coverage)
Alabama returns to the Sunshine State next weekend for the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. The Tide plays five games over three days starting Thursday, Feb. 13.
- Thursday, Feb. 13 vs. Liberty - 8:30 a.m. CT
- Thursday, Feb. 13 vs. Washington - 3 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
- Friday, Feb. 14 vs. USF - 9:30 a.m. CT
- Friday, Feb. 14 vs. UCLA - 3 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
- Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Oklahoma State - 9:30 a.m. CT (SEC Network)
