The University of Alabama softball team is ranked No. 2 in the first official NCAA RPI (ratings percentage index) release of the season, which came out Monday.
The RPI formula criteria includes a team’s record, the records of its opponents and the records of its opponents’ opponents. Washington is rated No. 1 in the initial RPI. The RPI is a key component used in seeding teams for the NCAA Tournament. SEC teams Texas A&M (No. 4), Auburn (seventh), Florida (ninth) LSU (13th) and Tennessee (14th) are all in the top 16.
Alabama (28-3) has the No. 8 non-conference RPI in the country and is No. 1 in conference RPI. UA is 3-0 against other teams in the top 25 of the RPI, 5-3 against teams rated 26-50 and 9-0 against teams rated 51-100.
Alabama took two out of three games at Mississippi State last weekend and is off to a 5-1 start in SEC play – tied for second with Texas A&M behind first-place Florida, which is 5-0. UA has won five of its first six league games in six of the last seven years.
Nineteen of Alabama’s 28 wins have come by shutout. The school record of 26 was set in 2009.
Mississippi State won last Saturday’s game to snap a 20-game Alabama winning streak. The Crimson Tide has won 21 of its last 22, and will host South Carolina this weekend to continue league play. Alabama does not have a midweek game scheduled this week.

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