NCAA Softball Super Regional Preview: Washington vs. Alabama
Washington (47-8) and Alabama (36-18) will face off in Seattle, WA for the NCAA Softball Super Regional round this upcoming weekend.
The Huskies advance to Super Regionals for the third consecutive year after closing out an undefeated Regional. Washington earned wins over Boise State, Texas, and Minnesota and move on to be the host team for the next round.
Alabama enters the Super Regional round for the 14th consecutive season. The Tide also secured three wins over Middle Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Oregon State this past weekend.
At the Plate:
Washington holds a .316 team batting average and has seven players who have maintained a .300 average or higher on the season. Sis Bates leads the team with a .402 average. The sophomore has tallied 70 hits, 14 of those hits have been doubles, five home runs and she boasts a .603 slugging percentage. The Huskies are scrappy and utilize setting the table with the top of their lineup. As a team, Washington has a .402 on-base percentage.
Alabama has a team .279 batting average on the season. The Tide offense is led by Elissa Brown who holds a .357 average of her own. Close behind is Bailey Hemphill .350 and Kaylee Tow .340. Alabama has five players who are batting over .300 on the season. The Tide are also known for their scrappy at-bats, short game, and speed on the bases.
In the Circle:
Gabbie Plain has tossed the majority of the innings for the Huskies over the past three weeks. Plain earned all three victories in the circle at last week’s Seattle Regional. The Freshman holds a 1.03 ERA, 163 strikeouts, and a .164 batting average against. The status of Taran Alvelo is still unknown. The junior owns a 1.16 ERA, 221 strikeouts, and a .142 batting average against.
Alexis Osorio had another dominant Regional in the circle for the Tide. The senior enters the weekend with a 2.10 ERA, 219 strikeouts, and a .160 opposing batting average. Osorio is crafty, and her spin can be baffling for opponents in the box.
Analysis/Prediction:
We can predict that this Super Regional will be a battle. Washington has the advantage of being the host team and will feed off the energy provided by the fans of the home crowd. Both teams use similar offensive strategy and can run well on the bases. It will all come down to pitching. We can expect a pitcher’s duel in game one between Gabbie Plain and Alexis Osorio. Taran Alvelo pitched a few innings this past weekend but didn’t look like herself. Will Washington rely solely on the arm of the freshman Plain? We predict this will be a thrilling series and give the prediction as 2:1 in favor of Washington.
