Alabama Softball Opens SEC Play with Arkansas; Preview and TV

The Crimson Tide opens up conference play against the SEC defending champs.

SCHEDULE

To optimize TV broadcasting, this series does the weird Sat-Sun-Mon thing. It’s the price that must be paid to get softball games aired on regular TV.

• Saturday, March 18 vs Arkansas 4:30 p.m. CT Tuscaloosa, AL - Ally Shipman Day
• Sunday, March 19 vs Arkansas 5 p.m. CT Tuscaloosa, AL
• Monday, March 20 vs Arkansas 6 p.m. CT Tuscaloosa, AL

TV... ALLEGEDLY

All three games will be aired on the SEC Network.

ARKANSAS (21-6)

Coach Courtney Deifel hopes to lead her Razorbacks to a third straight SEC Championship. In order to reach that goal, she will have to do so without P Mary Haff, OF Linnie Malkin, OF Hannah McEwen, 2022 SEC MVP KB Sides, and the deserved 2022 SEC MVP Danielle Gibson who have all graduated. The Hogs are coming off an unexpected 1-2 series loss to Texas A&M at home last weekend.

Rylin Hedgecock has 11 round-trippers and 32 RBI with a .371 BA and a .900 slugging percentage. Leadoff hitter Reagan Johnson is at .391 with the team high in runs (23) and conference high in hits (36). She is also 12-12 in stolen bases.

Chenise Delce (2.05, 9-3) is the main pitcher. Lefties Robyn Herron (1.21, 6-2) and Callie Turner (2.41, 5-0) get plenty of innings as well.

ALABAMA

[Start the video at 2:13.]

The Crimson Tide again drop in the polls. They fall to #13/16/19/19 and it still seems high. Alabama is 11th in the SEC in team batting average and 12th in on base percentage. Only Mississippi State has a worse fielding percentage.

After a disastrous weekend in Austin, TX, the time for feeling sorry for themselves is over. Alabama usually tends to get up for SEC play, especially when it is a rival opponent. Perhaps facing the Razorbacks will get them fired up and out of this funk.

Tide fans can expect to see Montana Fouts start Games 1 and 3. It’ll be interesting to see what Murphy does about the second game. Odds are Lauren Esman gets the call.

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