KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Coming off a two-run road victory at UAB, the University of South Alabama softball team will continue its current road trip this weekend as the Jaguars are scheduled to compete at the Tennessee Invitational. South Alabama will face Charleston Southern, Toledo and the host Vols in it's first three games and then compete in two other contests that will be determined later in the tournament.
Game Notes (PDF)
GAMES: 17-21 | AT THE TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
March 2-4, 2018 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
Friday – South Alabama vs. Charleston Southern* – 9 a.m.
Friday – South Alabama* vs. Toledo – 11:30 a.m.
Saturday – South Alabama vs. Tennessee* – 11:30 a.m.
Saturday – South Alabama vs. TBA – 2 or 4 p.m.
Sunday – South Alabama vs. TBA – 8:30 or 11:30 a.m.
* – Denotes home team
** – The final two games of the Tennessee Invitational will be determined later in the tournament following seeding after each team's first three games. The No. 1 seeded team will play the No. 4 seeded team, and conversely, the No. 2 seeded team will take on the No. 3 seeded team on Saturday. On Sunday, the winners of Saturday's games will face each other with the losing teams set to face each other.
All times listed Central
GENERAL INFORMATION
Television: None
Radio: None
Live Stats: www.USAJaguars.com
Live Stream: None
Twitter: @WeAreSouth_SB
South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: No. -- | USA: No. -- | RPI: --
Record: 8-8, 0-0 SBC
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) –. 224 / .276 / .327
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
– South Alabama (8-8, 0-0 SBC) comes into the Tennessee Invitational after picking up its second straight win with a 6-4 victory at UAB on Wednesday night.
– USA scored two runs each in the third and the fourth and then added insurance runs in each of the last two innings to hold off a late-inning rally by the Blazers.
– Brittani Reid was 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits in the contest and also scored three runs. B. Reid had a double, a triple and a home run and finished a single shy of becoming the program's first player to ever hit for the cycle in the game. B. Reid was the six player to get within one base hit of accomplishing the feat.
– With her fourth multi-hit game of the season, B. Reid raised her average to a team-best .314.
– B. Reid and Abby Krzywiecki lead the club with two home runs each.
– Katelyn Gruich is second on the club with a .276 batting average and also has a .475 on-base percentage.
– Kaleigh Todd and Kristian Foster lead the Jaguars with 12 hits each.
– True freshman Kamdyn Kvistad reached base all four plate appearances against the Blazers with a single and three walks. Kvistad now leads the club in free passes as she has 10 on the year. Krzywiecki (9) and Gruich (8) are right behind her in that category.
– Devin Brown leads the club in the circle with a 6-4 record and a 2.33 earned run average. Brown has also tossed five complete games and has struck out 55 batters this season.
Charleston Southern BUCCANEERS
NFCA: No. -- | USA: No. -- | RPI: --
Record: 13-3, 0-0 Big South
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) –.342 / .610 / .411
Series History: USA leads 2-0
In Knoxville: --
Last Meeting: USA (W, 3-2)
Current Streak: USA 2
SCOUTING THE BUCCANEERS
– Charleston Southern (13-3, 0-0 Big South) comes into the Tennessee Invitational after earning a 9-1 six-inning win over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday to extend their win streak to eight and 10 of their last 11.
– Last weekend CSU hosted its third-straight tournament, posting a 6-0 record at the Willie Jewell's Invitational. The Bucs picked up two wins apiece over St. Bonaventure, George Mason and Hartford.
– All 16 of the Buccaneers games this season have been on their home field.
– For their play at the Willie Jewell over the weekend, Jade Gandara and Holly Clark were recognized as the Big South Conference's Player and Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
– Gandara recorded a team-high eight hits, seven runs scored, 10 RBI and six extra-base hits at the tourney, including a trio of home runs.
– Clark recorded her team-best third shutout of the season in the opener against the Bonnies, and made four appearances and three starts.
– Gandara (.490) leads CSU's lineup that leads the Big South and is 17th in the NCAA in batting average (.342). Eight different players posting a .300 batting average or higher through the first 16 games.
– Eight different players have also homered this season led by Gandara's six on the season. Mallory Kasinger is second on the club with five, Sarah Brown and Nina Del Rio have four apiece, while Caitlyn Emberson (2) and Taylor Gleason (2) also have multiple home runs this season. The Bucs' 25 home runs were tied for fifth in the NCAA entering this week's play.
– Along with Gandara (.490), two other regulars for Charleston Southern players – Annie Bakenhaus (.424) and Mallory Kasinger (.409) – are hitting above a .400 clip. Kasinger also is tied for the team lead with six doubles and has driven in 17.
– As a team, the Buccaneers have scored 113 runs (7.1 per game) this season.
– In the circle, Clark has pitched 26.1 innings and sports a 1.33 ERA to go along with her 4-1 record.
– Arizona Pilgrim is also 4-1 in the circle with a 1.99 ERA and a team-best 20 strikeouts. Alyssa Heinrich holds a 5-1 record and also has a 1.99 earned run average.
THE SERIES VS. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
– The meeting between South Alabama and Charleston Southern will mark the third in the all-time series between the two clubs.
– The Jaguars have taken both of the previous meetings in the series.
– South defeated the Buccaneers 8-3 during the 2010 season a the Georgia Softball Classic in Athens, Ga., and then won 3-2 over Charleston Southern in the last meeting during the 2105 season at the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C.
INSIDE THE SERIES VS. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
Series: 2-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 2-0)
Extra-Inning Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
Run-Rule Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
NCAA Tournament Games: 0-0 (H: 0-0 / A: 0-0 / N: 0-0)
First Meeting: 2/27/10
Last Meeting: 2/27/15
Longest South Alabama Streak: 2 ('10-'15)
Longest Charleston Southern Streak: --
Current Streak: 2 by South Alabama
THE JAGUARS VS. THE BIG SOUTH
– South Alabama holds an all-time record of 5-0 (1.000) against current Big South Conference members.
– Along with the Buccaneers, USA has faced Big South foes Campbell (2) and Liberty (1).
– The last time South faced a team from the league was back during the 2016 season when the Jags faced Liberty (W, 8-0) on Feb. 6 at Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., and Charleston Southern (W, 3-2) on Feb. 27 at the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C.
Toledo ROCKETS
NFCA: No. -- | USA: No. -- | RPI: --
Record: 7-3, 0-0 MAC
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) –.229 / .338 / .314
Series History: First Meeting
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
– Toledo (0-0, 0-0 MAC) comes into the tournament this weekend winners of four straight. Last weekend, the Rockets dropped its opener to Indiana State at the WKU Hilltopper Classic, but bounced back with a pair of wins over Wisconsin-Green Bay, ISU and tourney host Western Kentucky.
– Bailey Curry and Kylie Norwood are each hitting over .300 on the year. Curry leads the team with 12 hits and a .375 average. She also has two home runs and a team-best .594 slugging percentage.
– Kaitlyn Bergman has two home runs and a team-best 5 RBI.
– Two of Norwood's 11 hits have been for extra bases (both doubles) and the freshman is hitting .351.
– As a staff, Toledo enters the weekend with a 1.32 earned run average and is holding opponents to a .180 batting average.
– Kailey Minarchick is 4-1 on the season with a 1.09 ERA. She has three total shutouts and has allowed just five earned runs.
– Minarchick was named MAC West Pitcher of the Week during week two of the season.
– Both Heather Webb (0.88) and Leah Allison (0.84) have an earned run average below one. Webb has a 3-1 record and has given up just three earned runs.
– Webb is holding opponents to a .155 batting average, while Minarchick is limiting them to a .159 average.
THE SERIES VS. TOLEDO
– The meeting between South Alabama and Toledo will mark the first in the all-time series between the two clubs.
THE JAGUARS VS. THE MAC
– South Alabama holds an all-time record of 5-1 (.833) against current Mid-American Conference members.
– The Jags have met fellow MAC members Ball State, three times and Ohio, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan one time each.
– The last time South faced a team from the league was back during the 2016 season when the Jags faced Ball State (W, 8-0 [6]) on Feb. 13 at Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., and Bowling Green (W, 5-0) on Feb. 26 at South Alabama Invitational.
Tennessee VOLUNTEERS
NFCA: No. 5 | USA: No. 5 | RPI: --
Record: 16-1, 0-0 SEC
Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP) –.321 / .485 / .406
Series History: First Meeting
SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS
– Tennessee (0-0, 0-0 SEC) comes into ranked fifth in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
– The Vols moved up six spots in this week's polls after recording a 6-0 record over the weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
– UT extended their win streak to eight games and also defeated then second-ranked Oregon (1-0) at the tournament.
– Senior All-American infielder Megan Gregg leads the team with a .500 batting average and of her 27 hits in 2018, 12 have gone for extra bases. Gregg leads the team in home runs (5), RBI (24), total bases (50), slugging percentage (.926) and on-base percentage (.576).
– Gregg, the reigning SEC Player of the Year from 2017 was named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award prior to the start of the season.
– Five other Vol players – Jenna Holcomb (.455), CJ McClain (.389), Aubrey Leach (.360), Chelsea Seggern (.327) and Ashley Morgan (.300) – are currently hitting .300 or better this season.
– Seggern is second behind Gregg with 22 runs driven in and has eight extra-base hits.
– As a team, UT is batting .321, and has 25 doubles, 16 home runs and 95 RBI.
– Matty Moss is 8-1 on the season with a 1.14 earned run average and in her seven starts, she has gone the distance twice. She also has 37 strikeouts with just nine walks.
– Fellow pitcher Caylan Arnold (6-0) enters the weekend with a 1.43 ERA and in her 53.2 innings of work, Arnold has struck out 73 batters.
– Both pitchers are holding opponents to a batting average under .200 – Arnold (.181) and Moss (.191).
– Last season, the Volunteers reached their 14th consecutive NCAA regional and their ninth overall Super Regional.
THE SERIES VS. TENNESSEE
– The meeting between South Alabama and Tennessee will mark the first in the all-time series between the two clubs.
THE JAGUARS VS. THE SEC
– South Alabama holds an all-time record of 12-37 (.245) against current Southeastern Conference members.
–The game against the Volunteers will mark the 50th in program history versus a SEC opponent.
– Of the eight teams from the SEC, Alabama and Florida are the lone two teams from the league that South Alabama has yet to pick up a win against as the Jaguars hold at least one victory over the other six schools that they have faced.
– South Alabama dropped its season opener 1-0 to Alabama on Feb. 8 and then fell 6-3 at Mississippi State at the February Freezer in Starkville, Miss., and then suffered a 1-0 loss to South Carolina last weekend at the Diamond 9 Citrus I Classic.
– Along with the Volunteers, the Jaguars are scheduled to play at LSU (4/24).
– The 14 meetings against Alabama are the most against any SEC member, while USA has also faced LSU 11 times and MSU 9.
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
-On this weekend: "Obviously, we are going to be facing some great teams this weekend. For us though, it's more of a focus on what we're trying to do and not getting caught up in the other parts of it. We gave ourselves something to build off of in the Bradley game and I felt that we took another step forward against UAB. We just have to keep working at that. For the most part, I felt that we played a pretty complete game against UAB. There were a few let ups here and there, but overall I felt that we played pretty close to a complete game. We have to keep that mindset going up to Knoxville and keep playing the game the right way in all three phases; offensively, pitching and defensively."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_Jags. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear. All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub
—USA—
