Alabama softball, which has hosted an NCAA regional for 13 consecutive years, is ranked No. 25 in the initial Ratings Percentage Index released Monday. The RPI – based on a formula that uses a team’s winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents winning percentage – is a key factor used by the NCAA Tournament’s selection committee to choose the top 16 seeds, which host regionals.
The Crimson Tide (19-7) is 2-6 against teams in the RPI’s top 25 and 8-7 vs. teams in the top 100. UA will have ample opportunity to improve its RPI with remaining SEC series against highly-rated RPI teams Ole Miss (35th), Kentucky (27th), Florida (4th), Arkansas (30th), Tennessee (5th), Georgia (6th) and Texas A&M (11th).
Alabama lost two out of three at Auburn last weekend to open SEC play. The Crimson Tide scored four runs off 14 hits, with half of the hits and runs coming in the first game, which UA won 2-0. Three games is a small sample size, but UA is 11th in the SEC in batting average in conference games at .182 (Alabama’s overall .268 batting average ranks 12th among all league teams). UA is fifth in earned run average in conference games at 1.78 and first in opponents’ batting average at .169. Alabama is 10th in fielding percentage in SEC games at .968.
There is no update on the status of ace pitcher Alexis Osorio, who left Sunday’s finale at Auburn in the first inning after being hit in the head with a batted ball.
Alabama will host UAB on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium. UA will host Ole Miss this weekend.
