Alabama Crimson Tide vs Jacksonville State
Time	2:30 pm CST
Location	Mobile, Ala. | Jaguar Field (892)
Listen Online	WVUA 90.7 FM
GameTracker	vs Jacksonville State
Game Notes	Alabama Notes | SEC Notes

Our beloved Crimson Tide are off to a 3-0 start after downing Memphis (8-0), Lipscomb (15-4), and South Alabama (12-1), with all being run rule victories. Alabama will finish up their trip to the Mardi Gras Invitational this afternoon against Jacksonville State at 2:30.

The Gamecocks are winless in Mobile, falling to Lipscomb (0-2), Mississippi State (1-8), and Memphis (5-10). Knocking off the Tide is the only positive they could take from this trip, so we need to be on our guard against a let down.

via RollTide.com

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
Jacksonville State is coming off of its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the second straight season. The Gamecocks advanced to the Louisville Regional, where they were eliminated by the host Louisville Cardinals. They finished the 2011 season with a 40-21 record.

Series History: This will be the 15^th meeting between the two schools, with Alabama having won the previous 14 meetings. The Crimson Tide won last year 6-0, on the strength of Kelsi Dunne’s third career no hitter against the Gamecocks. Senior Jazlyn Lunceford paces UA against JSU with a .667 lifetime average (2-for-3), adding two runs, two stolen bases and two RBI. Jennifer Fenton bats .500 against the Gamecocks with three runs scored, a triple and two RBI. Cassie Reilly-Boccia has accumulated the most at-bats, posting a .444 average (4-for-9) with two doubles and two RBI.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Lipscomb Lady Bison/South Alabama Jaguars
Time	vs Lipscomb | 3:00 p.m. CST vs South Alabama | 5:30 pm CST
Location	Mobile, Ala. | Jaguar Field (892)
Listen Online	WVUA 90.7 FM
GameTracker	vs Lipscomb | vs South Alabama
Game Notes	Alabama Notes | SEC Notes

Our beloved Crimson Tide got the Mardi Gras Invitational started with an 8-0 run rule decision against Memphis yesterday and hope to build off that momentum this afternoon against the Lipscomb Lady Bison and South Alabama.

Lipscomb split their doubleheader yesterday, knocking off Jacksonville State in the opener, 2-0, before falling to Mississippi State 3-1. Senior Whitney Kiihnl was the hero in the win over Jacksonville State, going the distance for the shut out, scattering five hits and striking out nine for her 72nd career victory.

"Whitney threw very well for us today," said Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman. "We were happy to see her get off to a good start. She knows she’s going to get everyone’s best efforts this year, so it was big for her and the team to have a good outing today."

They couldn't keep the momentum going into the second half, though, with their only score coming on a solo homer in the sixth after already giving up three runs to the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, South Alabama's date with Memphis was cancelled due to rain.

via RollTide.com

SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
Lipscomb comes into the 2012 season coming off of a 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament runner-up finish. The Lady Bison finished the 2011 season with a 30-20 record and went 15-5 in conference play. Individually Lipscomb returns its top hitter in Caroline Mason. She paced the team in average (.307), hits (43), doubles (10), home runs (9) and total bases (82). In the circle Whitney Kiihnl returns after posting one of the top seasons by a pitcher in 2010 followed by another solid campaign in 2011. Last season she went 20-11 with a 1.69 ERA, striking out 328 in 211 1/3 innings pitched. Head coach Kristin Ryman returns for her seventh season, leading the Bison to a 183-133-1 record over that span. In 2010 she paced Lipscomb to a Tuscaloosa Regional runner-up finish.

Series History
The Tide and Bison have faced off five times previously, with Alabama holding a 4-1 series lead. The two teams last faced off in 2010 at the Tuscaloosa Regional, with Alabama winning 5-2 in their first meeting, then defeating the Lady Bison 6-0 to win the regional. Lipscomb defeated the Tide in 2005, 4-2, for their only win in the series. Kayla Braud leads the team against the Bison with a .500 (3-for-6) lifetime average, adding a stolen base. Courtney Conley has added the punch with two career home runs and a .400 average (2-for-5).

SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
The Jaguars of South Alabama recorded a school record 37 wins in 2011, going 37-17 overall and 15-10 in conference play. They return seven letterwinners off of last season’s team, including starting pitcher and Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Hannah Campbell, who went 19-7 a year ago. Junior Brittany Fowler, a second team all-conference selection, led the team in hits (53), triples (3), and runs batted in (52). Becky Clark enters her sixth season as head coach, and has compiled a 299-156-2 record in nine seasons in Mobile.

Series History
The Tide and Jaguars have faced off four previous times, with Alabama winning all four games. Last season, Alabama knocked off South Alabama, 6-0, with freshman pitcher Jackie Traina pitching a six inning two-hitter at the All-Alabama Classic. Cassie Reilly-Boccia has nine career at-bats against USA, posting a .444 average with three runs and a RBI. Jennifer Fenton has blasted a home run, scored three runs and swiped three bases while Jazlyn Lunceford has stolen four bases, scored four runs and hit .375 in eight lifetime at-bats.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Memphis Tigers (Mardi Gras Invitational)
Time	Friday, 2/10/12 | 3 p.m. CST
Location	Mobile, Ala. | Jaguar Field (892)
Listen Online	WVUA 90.7 FM
GameTracker	Game One
Game Notes	Alabama Notes | SEC Notes

Crimson Tide Softball is back in action today after ending last season with a 53-11 (19-6 SEC) record and another trip to the Women's College World Series. That last bit sounds great, but the memories of it are far from pleasant.

After cruising through regionals, Alabama faced a 2nd consecutive super regional exit at home before freshman Jackie Traina's late game heroics. In a scoreless 3rd game against Stanford, Traina relieved Kelsi Dunne in the 4th inning, and eventually singled to set up the game's only run. The momentum ended there, however. Needing only one win to reach Oklahoma City the Tide was thoroughly embarrassed by Florida, giving up 25 runs in 12 innings to end what many believed would finally be the breakthrough year for Patrick Murphy's program.

The Crimson Tide only lost two players to graduation last year, but they were arguably the two hardest to replace. Pitcher Kelsi Dunne went 29-5 as a senior, finishing her career with a 113-22 record and winning at least 26 games in each of her four seasons. Further, Whitney Larsen made 243 starts in four seasons, slugging better than .500 each season.

Continue reading this post »

Maybe he ate some bad gumbo and decided that was a sign from the Softball Gods, no? Either way, apparently Patrick Murphy has backed out of the LSU job and has decided to return to Tuscaloosa. Per Tommy Deas:

Kind of like Billy Donavon, just not quite so famous. Perhaps he had just grown so fond of losing in the CWS that he decided he couldn't leave? Personally, I just hope at some point last week he uttered something to the effect of, "I guess I'm gonna have to say it, I ain't gonna be the Alabama coach, aight?"

In all seriousness, I won't even attempt to feign the least bit of softball knowledge, but nevertheless that is the latest news. As of right now there is nothing in the way of any substantive reasoning for the change of heart, but I'm sure more will come out in the near future. Beyond that, I'll leave the softball expertise up to Todd on this one.

Update by Todd

Well, I was at a friend's house cooking out when I heard the news, and in the past few hours I've had a few thoughts on the subject that I'll just throw in here instead of starting a whole new post.  Here we go.

I don't like this.  I don't like this one bit.  "But Todd, you were all "show appreciation for what Murphy did!"" True, and I still think that Coach Murphy deserves every ounce of credit for taking the Alabama Softball program to the heights it has reached.  His decision to go to LSU didn't diminish that in any way, and though I couldn't really disagree with the "Murphy couldn't win the big games" crowd, I still wholeheartedly disagree with the folks that wanted to use his decision to accept the LSU job as an indictment of his character. 

Now? Well, I'm not much for a man who doesn't keep his word and let's face it, you don't get to call your team and tell them you're gone, fly to Baton Rouge, get introduced as their coach, and then start having second thoughts without people starting to wonder just what sort of person you are.  I had no problem with him wanting to take another job, even if it was at a division rival.  This isn't Bear Bryant going to Auburn here, he had no ties to Alabama (the state or the school) and it's his career we're talking about here.  Whatever factors went into that decision making process weren't up to us, so I was happy to wish him well and look at this as an opportunity to go out and hire a big name coach from the Pac 10 that could build on the success of Murphy and bring home that National Title we've been thirsting for. Instead....

Look, I don't know Coach Murphy personally and anything I say about him is purely my opinion based solely on what I've read in the papers.  But how do you look at this guy the same way?  If he had simply flirted with the LSU job to get a bigger salary or better facilities or whatever, that's just business.  But this just stinks to me.  Now you've got a guy that can legitimately have his integrity called into question, that will have to come back here and face his players and try to tell them "I'm here for you, except for those few days when I wasn't," and have to explain to the parents of the girls he is recruiting why they ought to believe him when he says he'll be looking after their daughter while she's away from home (especially considering we recruit nationally)...this just stinks.

Update II:

From Murphy's official statement:

"When reconsidering all of the factors involved, this decision comes down to the fact that I love the people at Alabama, the kids that have played for us there and who are on the team right now. Obviously, there are some fences to mend, but I look forward to getting the chance to discuss the situation individually with everyone involved over the days ahead. I am excited about the future of Alabama softball and I look forward to getting back to work.

Some fences to mend is an understatement, coach.

Officials at LSU announced this afternoon that Patrick Murphy has been named the head coach of the Tiger's softball.

Murphy arrived at Alabama in 1996 as an assistant on the softball team's inagural season. He took over the head coaching duties in 1998 and proceeded to lead the Tide to more than 700 victories, seven Women's College World Series appearances and six SEC Championships. His career .772 winning percentage is the fourth-highest in NCAA history.

Murphy guided Alabama to a 53-11 mark and a third place finish at the 2011 Women's College World Series. Alabama also won its second straight SEC regular season championship.

Murphy takes over for LSU's Yvette Girouard who stepped down at the conclusion of last season. He served as Girouard's top assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette in the early 1990s and has long considered the highly respected Tiger's coach a mentor. 

UPDATE: TideSports.com's Tommy Deas confirms that Alabama offered to match LSU's salary offer which will make Murphy the highest paid in collegiate softball. 

This is it folks.  One win away from playing for the national championship.  The bad news?  Florida is one of only two teams to take a series from the Tide during the regular season, dropping the first game 5-0 before taking the last two 6-5 and 3-2. The good news? They have to beat us twice.  The Tide has yet to give up a run in Oklahoma City, so fingers crossed we can take care of the Gators without needing the extra game.

Dunne Shines in World Series Opener; Downs Cal 1-0 | rolltide.com

The victory in the opening game of the Women's College World Series is a first for the Crimson Tide as it improves to 52-9 on the season.

"That’s a big monkey off our back," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. "It’s a long time coming. It was a great win. In the World Series and postseason you have to have great pitching and great defense, and you have to come up with a timely hit and today we got all three. You’ve got the pitcher, the great defense and the timely hit by the freshman [Kaila Hunt] with two outs and a runner on third, and that’s a recipe for success in postseason."

Dunne baffled the Golden Bears hitters all afternoon with her movement and wide array of pitches before relenting to the freshman Traina, who struck out two in the final frame to earn her third save of the season

Kelsi Kettler's walk-off homer in the eighth gave Baylor the 1-0 win over Oklahoma State | baylorbears.com

Facing an 0-2 count with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Baylor's (46-13) Kelsi Kettler delivered a walk-off solo home run that bent just around the left field foul pole for a 1-0 win over Oklahoma State (42-19) in the first round of the Women's College World Series on Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

"We have had some great battles with Oklahoma State this season, and this was another one of them," head coach Glenn Moore said. "We didn't come out with the same fire as I would have liked, but Whitney (Canion) kept us in it and allowed us to come through with the win."

Scouting the Competition | rolltide.com

The Golden Bears are making their 11th trip to the Women's College World Series and first since 2005. Cal needed all three games as well to defeat Kentucky in Lexington to advance to Oklahoma City on the strength of a 9-0 decision in the decisive game three. As a team Cal bats at a .292 clip and has hit 33 home runs while driving in 242. The Golden Bears can run as well, swiping 93 bases in 110 attempts. In the circle Cal sports a 1.63 ERA, has struck out 325 batters in 364 innings and held opponents to a .208 average. Individually the Golden Bears are led by Britt Vonk and her .412 average. Vonk has tallied a team-best 68 hits, 45 runs and has added a home run and 13 RBI while swiping 26 bases in 31 attempts. Jamia Reid follows with a .409 average, has scored 42 runs, smacked two homers and driven in 16 while going 30-for-35 on the base paths. In the circle, Jolene Henderson has been one of the top hurlers in the country. The right-hander sports a 39-8 record with a 0.87 ERA. Henderson has struck out 313 in 314 innings pitched and held opponents to a .182 average. Diane Ninemire has won over 1,000 games at Cal as she is in the midst of her 24th season in the Oakland hills.

Softball Garners Four NFCA All-American Honors | rolltide.com

The Alabama softball team had four players earn 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American honors. Senior Kelsi Dunne (Port Orange, Fla.), sophomore Kayla Braud (Eugene, Ore.) and freshman Jackie Traina (Naples, Fla.) earned first-team accolades while senior Whitney Larsen (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) garnered second-team honors.

The four NFCA All-Americans equals the most in a single season in school history, tying the mark set in 2001 and 2008. The three first-team selections tie the most in school history with the trio in 2008.