MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama softball team opens its 2011 season Friday at the inaugural Hibbett/Easton All-Alabama Softball Classic. The three day tournament will feature all nine of Alabama’s Division 1 teams at the Vestavia Hills Sports Complex at Liberty Park.
USA will play a total of five games on the weekend, beginning with Friday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup against Alabama A&M, followed by a 6 p.m. matchup against UAB.
Saturday the Jags will take on Samford at 11 a.m., followed by a 4 p.m. matchup against Alabama State.
The Jags will conclude tournament play Sunday at 11 a.m. when they take on 2010 NCAA regional qualifier Alabama.
"Every year it seems like opening day can't get here soon enough” South Alabama head coach Becky Clark commented.” Our staff and players have worked extremely hard preparing for this season and are definitely ready to get started. The Hibbett / Easton All-Alabama Classic will be the perfect way to kick things off. I look forward to a great weekend of softball and great things for South Alabama softball."
Clark leads the Jaguar softball program into its fifth season and will look to build upon 21 wins last season. The Jaguars return 11 letterwinners from the previous season, including the top three in batting average – Brittany Fowler, Britany Campbell and Christin Crocker.
Fowler, a sophomore from Jacksonville, Fla., will make a transition from the infield to the outfield. Last season, she led the Jaguars in batting average (.341), runs (32), hits (47), triples (3), and tied for first in total-bases (68). Fowler enters the season ranked in the program’s top five on the all-time single season list in batting average, runs scored, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles and triples.
Last season, Crocker had a team-leading 11 doubles and ranked second on the team in at-bats (129), runs (25) and RBI (20).
The Jaguars will also look to junior Haley Hopkins to make an impact in the lineup. As a sophomore, she led the team in home runs (8), RBI (29), and slugging percentage (.500). The Gulf Shores, Ala., native ranked second on the team in hits (36) and tied for third in runs (18). She also led the team with eight multi-RBI games and a seven-game hit streak.
USA will open the tournament against an Alabama A&M squad that went 8-25 overall and 3-24 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season. South Alabama has a 2-0 all-time series lead over Alabama A&M, and has not faced the Bulldogs since 2007, when the Jags shutout Alabama A&M in two five-inning victories at Jaguar Field. The Jags took game one 17-0 and game two 11-0.
Friday night, South Alabama looks to extend its 3-2 all-time series lead over UAB. The Blazers return 16 letterwinners from last season’s 37-22 squad, and welcome seven newcomers. Last season, USA defeated the Blazers 2-1 in Birmingham, Ala. Hopkins went 2-for-2 at the plate scoring one run and driving in one.
UAB finished with an 11-12 road record last year, and is led by sophomore pitcher Lauren Webster, who went 17-5 a year ago with a 1.77 earned run average.
On Saturday, USA opens up against Samford, who has a 1-0 series lead over South Alabama. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated the Jags 11-2 in the Mardi Gras Invitational. Samford returns eight letterwinners from last year’s 19-31 team, and welcome four newcomers. First baseman Robyn Harmon returns after finishing last season with a team-leading .345 batting average.
USA has a 4-1 all-time series lead over Alabama State, and has not faced the Hornets since 2009, when the Jags fell to ASU 5-3 in the Southern Miss Mizuno Classic.
The Hornets are returning 10 letterwinners from last season’s 16-27 team, including junior Ayesha Famble, who recorded five home runs and drove in 19 RBI in 2010.
The Jags are 0-3 all-time against Alabama. Last season the Jags fell 6-3 to Alabama, who was ranked eigth at that time, at the Alabama Softball Complex. Haley Hopkins went 1-for-3 at the plate scoring one run and driving in one.
The Crimson Tide returns nine starters from last season 52-11 squad and is led by, senior Kelsi Dunne and sophomore Kayla Braud. Braud finished last season with a team-lead batting average (.505), on-base percentage (.564), at-bats (188), runs (75), hits (95) and triples (4). Dunne led the Crimson Tide in the circle last season with 30-6 record and a 1.97 earned run average.
South Alabama was picked sixth in the preseason coaches poll, as announced by the Sun Belt Conference office Monday morning.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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