The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Treks To Tucson For Hillenbrand Invite
2/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 16, 2012
Friday Live Stats | Tournament Notes | Friday Live Chat
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball team will compete in the Hillenbrand Invitational Friday through Sunday in Tucson, Ariz. The competition includes first time opponents No. 16 Arizona, Southern Utah, North Dakota along with Western Kentucky.
The Blazers are currently 3-2 after last weekend’s FIU Combat Classic. Several Blazers had stellar performances over the three-day tournament, including senior catcher Mandy Lowman and designated hitter Kristen McGrath. The two combined for nine hits, seven runs and eight RBI. Both players hit two homeruns apiece, including McGrath’s walk-off blast in the season-opening victory.
UAB in the Hillenbrand Invitational
Feb. 17: UAB vs. Southern Utah – 1 p.m. MT
UAB at No. 16 Arizona – 4 p.m. MT
Feb. 18: UAB vs. North Dakota – 12 p.m. MT
UAB vs. Western Kentucky – 2 p.m. MT
Feb. 19: UAB vs. Western Kentucky – 9 a.m. MT
Multimedia
Live stats will be available for all five games of the tournament at www.UABSports.com.
This season UAB will conduct a live, in-game chat through Cover It Live. The live chats start 30 minutes before game time and are available on www.UABSports.com.
Scouting Southern Utah
Southern Utah dropped two games to Utah Valley last weekend. The Thunderbirds fell 5-2 in their season opener and 11-3 in five innings in game two.
Junior second baseman Mikkel Griffin is hitting .571, after notching four hits in seven at bats last weekend.
The Feb. 17 matchup will mark the first between UAB and Southern Utah.
Scouting No. 16 Arizona
Arizona is currently ranked No. 16 in the nation in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. The Wildcats competed in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. last weekend. Arizona went 3-3 in the tournament, defeating McNeese State, Syracuse and Cal State Northridge. The Wildcats fell to No. 18 Texas A&M, No. 23 Georgia Tech and No. 24 Nebraska.
Senior catcher Lini Korla leads the Wildcats, hitting .533 with six runs, two doubles, five RBI and three homeruns. Sophomore pitcher Shelby Babcock owns a 2.39 ERA and a 2-3 record in the circle. She has walked 19 batters and fanned 28 hitters in 26.1 innings pitched.
The Feb. 17 contest will mark the first between UAB and Arizona.
Scouting North Dakota
The Sioux started off the 2012 season with a 3-1 record after defeating Northern Iowa, Drake and Nebraska-Omaha in the Ramada-UND Dome Classic in Ames, Iowa last weekend. North Dakota’s lone loss came at the hands of Western Illinois.
Junior outfielder Cami Bennett leads the Sioux, batting .500 with seven hits, three runs, two doubles and two RBI.
The Feb. 18 game will be the first between UAB and North Dakota.
Scouting Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers went 3-1 in the Palmetto Classic in Columbia, S.C. last weekend, defeating Cleveland State, Winthrop and Tennessee Tech. Western Kentucky lost to tournament host South Carolina.
Senior outfielder Laura Smith leads WKU after hitting .667 with four hits, one run, one RBI in six at bats last weekend.
The Blazers lead the all time series 2-0 against the Hilltoppers, after winning a double header on April 10, 2008 in Birmingham by scores of 3-1 and 6-1.
Back-To-Back Jacks
In UAB’s season opener against UMass, senior Mandy Lowman and sophomore Kristen McGrath hit back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the seventh to lift UAB to the 3-2 victory.
Lowman hit a two-run bomb over the left field wall to tie the game. McGrath stepped to the plate and hit the walk-off homer to give UAB its ninth win in season openers.
Triple Threat
Senior Catherine Crawford notched her ninth career triple in the 3-2 victory against Michigan State last weekend.
Her nine career three-baggers are tied for the most in UAB history with Amanda Ellis (2001-04).
Consecutive Starts
Senior catcher Mandy Lowman has made 150 consecutive starts dating back to March 24, 2009. In addition, she has appeared in all of UAB’s 177 games throughout her collegiate career.
Blazers Picked To Finish Third In C-USA
The Blazers have been picked to finish third in this season’s conference race. Tulsa was picked to win the league in 2012, receiving 79 points and seven first-place votes from C-USA’s nine head coaches. Houston was chosen to finish as the runner-up with 67 points and one first-place vote, and UAB was picked to round out the top three preseason selections, receiving 60 points and one first-place vote.
