Weekend Series Win Propels Alabama Softball Back into Top 10

A series win over then-eighth ranked LSU in Tuscaloosa helped push Alabama softball back into the national top 10 this week, placing ninth in the USA Today/NFCA poll and 10th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.

Last week, the Crimson Tide won a midweek contest against Lipscomb before taking two out of three games against the Tigers in Tuscaloosa. The series win pushed Alabama to 35-7 overall and 10-5 in conference play. With three SEC series remaining this season, the Crimson Tide is currently fourth in the league.

Alabama jumped up three spots in the NFCA poll from No. 12 last week to No. 9 this week, while moving up one spot in the USA Softball poll from No. 11 to No. 10. Florida State remains at No. 1 in the NFCA poll, riding a 24-game winning streak into Wednesday’s matchup against third-ranked Florida. Following a series loss to UCLA, previously top-ranked Oregon fell all the way to No. 4 in this week’s USA Softball poll as Pac-12 foe Arizona claimed the No. 1 spot for the first time this season.

Alabama is one of 10 SEC schools ranked in this week’s top 25. All 13 SEC teams are either ranked or receiving votes in at least one poll this week. Ranked SEC teams include Florida (3/3), Texas A&M (5/5), Auburn (6/7), Alabama (9/10), LSU (11/11), Tennessee (16/14), Georgia (19/19), Kentucky (21/22), Ole Miss (22/25) and Arkansas (24/RV). Mizzou, South Carolina and Mississippi State are all receiving votes outside the top 25.

Alabama will host UAB at Rhoads Stadium on Tuesday, April 11 at 6 p.m. CT before hitting the road to take on No. 16/14 Tennessee in Knoxville starting Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. CT. All three games of the weekend series will air live on SEC Network.