Alabama Softball: Tuscaloosa Regional DAY 1 vs UTC

The Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Tournament gets under way this weekend. First up for the Crimson Tide is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

1. CF Dallis Goodnight

2. 3B Ashley Prange

3. SS Bailey Dowling

4. C Ally Shipman

5. RF Jenna Lord

6. 1B Kaylee Tow

7. 2B Megan Bloodworth

8. DP Aubrey Barnhart

9. LF Jenna Johnson

Alex Salter will start in the circle.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, May 20:

• GAME 1: Alabama (41-11) faces Chattanooga (29-25) at 3 p.m. CT.
• GAME 2: Murray State (40-16-1) takes on Stanford (36-19) at 5:30pm CT

Saturday, May 21:

• GAME 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 2 p.m. CT
• GAME 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser - 4:30 p.m. CT - Loser goes home.
• GAME 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner - 7 p.m. CT - Loser goes home.

Sunday, May 22

• GAME 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner - 1 p.m. CT
• (If Necessary) Game 6 Rematch - 3:30 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH... ALLEGEDLY

The Bama-UTC game will be aired on the SEC Network. Murray and Stanford can only be seen on ESPN+. The rest of Alabama’s games are TBA but at the very least should be on SECN+. Alex Perlman will have play by play with former Florida Gator Francesca Enea doing color commentary. Why we didn’t get Kayla Braud (Tallahassee Regional) is beyond me.

CHATTANOOGA

The Moccasins have no business being here. Poor UNC-Greensboro (16-2) and Samford (15-3) dominated the Southern Conference all season but fell to UTC (9-9) in the SoCon Tournament. Thus, ‘Nooga got the automatic bid.

OFFENSE

The team batting average is .280. They have 55 home runs. The strikeout to walk ratio is abysmal at 2.48 strikeouts (279) for every walk (114).

DH Reagan Armour has eleven home runs and 34 RBI to go with a .365 BA. She is topped by only Kaili Phillips who has sent 13 pitched balls over the fence and knocked in 35. Her average sits at .250.

Leadoff hitter Emily Coltharp leads the SoCon with a .382 batting average but she hits mostly singles. The second baseman has only eight doubles, two triples and no homers. However, she has swiped 24 bases in 26 attempts.

PITCHING

Chattanooga has six pitchers (???) but relies mostly on Brooke Parrott (15-7, 2.48 ERA). The next two are Hannah Wood who is 5-7 with a 2.89 ERA and Izzy Alley who iz at 5-9 and 4.54.

The team ERA is 3.28.

DEFENSE

UTC’s fielding percentage is .948 - second to last in the SoCon. They have committed 85 errors.

It’s a good thing Phillips can hit because she has 27 errors while patrolling the hot corner. Second baseman Coltharp has 12 boots. Shortstop Kailey Snell has ten.

COACH

Frank Reed is in his 22nd season at UTC. He has been named Southern Conference Coach of the Year six times.

ALABAMA

This game is the litmus test for the Tide. In March, the Moccasins lost to Auburn 12-1 in a five inning run-rule affair. If Bama does not destroy this team, it will be a bad sign for games to come.

And finally, it’s more ambiguity from Patrick Murphy:

At least someone asked...

#Team26 #RollTide