MOBILE, Ala. – The No. 23 University of South Alabama softball team hosts Southeastern Conference rival No. 3 Alabama in a sold-out contest at Jaguar Field on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. before traveling to Gulf Shores for four contests over the weekend at the Sand Dollar Classic, hosted by The Fieldhouse at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, to kick off the 2015 spring campaign.
 
Live stats and video streaming (Thursday only) can be found by accessing the Jaguar schedule page. In-game Twitter updates will be provided by the school's official page @USAJagsSoftball.
 
The Jaguars will face Liberty on Friday at 6 p.m. and Eastern Kentucky and McNeese State on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. before closing out the Sand Dollar Classic with Houston at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Thursday's contest versus the Crimson Tide is sold out and will be played in front of a capacity crowd of 1,050 at Jaguar Field.
 
USA head coach Becky Clark enters her ninth competitive season with the Jaguars, having compiled a 275-163-1 record in her tenure after leading the Jaguars to three-straight 40-win seasons, including last year's 42-14 campaign, which ended with South Alabama appearing in its third consecutive NCAA Regional final. The Jaguars fell to eventual Women's College World Series runners-up Alabama.
 
The Jaguars begin the season ranked among the top 25 for the second year in a row, entering at No. 23 in both the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
 
South Alabama returns eight starters from a year ago, including right-hander Farish Beard, who was named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Beard finished sixth in the nation in ERA last year, her 1.23 ratio helping the Jaguars finish atop the NCAA in the category with a combined 1.29.
 
Beard was selected to the 2015 All-Sun Belt Conference Preseason Team a week ago, along with outfielders Blair Johnson and Stephanie Pilkington. Chloe Rathburn, a sophomore that led the outfit in RBI and tied for the team lead in home runs from the designated player position a year ago, returns as one of four all-league honorees including Beard, Pilkington and Johnson.
 
The Jaguars were picked to finish second in the Preseason SBC poll last week.
 
Alabama holds the all-time series with USA, 10-0, while the Jaguars hold a 2-1 all-time mark versus McNeese State. South Alabama will face Liberty, Eastern Kentucky and Houston each for the first time.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).