#18/17 ALABAMA (29-17, 9-12 SEC) vs. #9/10 TEXAS A&M (40-12, 13-8 SEC)

Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium

Friday, May 4 – 7 p.m. CT *SEC NETWORK*

Saturday, May 5 – Noon CT *SEC NETWORK*

Sunday, May 6 – 1:30 p.m. CT

SCOUTING ALABAMA

Alabama is 29-17 overall and 9-12 in SEC play after winning one of its three games last weekend against Georgia in Athens.

The Crimson Tide heads into this weekend ranked No. 16 in the NCAA RPI, No. 17 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and No. 18 in the USA Today/NFCA poll.

Following this weekend's series against Texas A&M, Alabama will head to the SEC Tournament in Columbia, Mo. The Tide has qualified for every SEC Tournament since the league's inception in 1997, making this its 22nd-straight. Florida and LSU are the only other SEC teams to qualify for every tournament since 1997.

Sophomore Elissa Brown leads the offense with a .353 batting average, hitting 36-for-102 with 22 runs scored and she is 26-for-30 in stolen bases. The 26 stolen bases ranks sixth in the SEC and the 10 in conference play ranks second. Freshman Kaylee Tow owns a team-leading 44 hits, 31 runs scored, 10 home runs and 29 walks. Sophomore Bailey Hemphill has driven in a team-leading 34 RBIs and is just behind Tow with nine home runs and 28 walks.

leads the offense with a .353 batting average, hitting 36-for-102 with 22 runs scored and she is 26-for-30 in stolen bases. The 26 stolen bases ranks sixth in the SEC and the 10 in conference play ranks second. Freshman owns a team-leading 44 hits, 31 runs scored, 10 home runs and 29 walks. Sophomore has driven in a team-leading 34 RBIs and is just behind Tow with nine home runs and 28 walks. Senior Alexis Osorio is 12-8 with a team-leading 1.97 ERA and 186 strikeouts over 128.0 innings pitched. She has 15 complete games in 20 starts, including six shutouts, along with four saves. Junior Courtney Gettins has 11 wins this season, boasting a 2.52 ERA over 20 appearances and 102.2 innings pitched.

LAST TIME OUT: ALABAMA RALLIES TO WIN SERIES FINALE AGAINST GEORGIA

GAME ONE: GEORGIA 5, ALABAMA 3: A trio of fielding errors proved costly in Alabama's 5-3 loss to Georgia, as all five runs for the Bulldogs went as unearned in Friday's series opener. The Tide fell behind in the bottom of the third after the Bulldogs scored four runs following a pair of errors in the inning. An RBI single from senior Carrigan Fain in the top of the fourth cut the deficit to three but Georgia quickly moved back ahead by four following yet another unearned run in the bottom half of the inning. Senior Sydney Booker made it a 5-3 game with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth but that would be the final runs scored for Alabama in the loss.

A trio of fielding errors proved costly in Alabama's 5-3 loss to Georgia, as all five runs for the Bulldogs went as unearned in Friday's series opener. The Tide fell behind in the bottom of the third after the Bulldogs scored four runs following a pair of errors in the inning. An RBI single from senior in the top of the fourth cut the deficit to three but Georgia quickly moved back ahead by four following yet another unearned run in the bottom half of the inning. Senior made it a 5-3 game with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth but that would be the final runs scored for Alabama in the loss. GAME TWO: GEORGIA 4, ALABAMA 3: Alabama took the first lead over Georgia in the top of the second, scoring two on an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk. The Crimson Tide tacked on another in the top of the fourth to lead 3-0 before the Bulldogs cut into the deficit with a two-run fifth inning. With Alabama unable to add to the one-run lead in the sixth or seventh innings, Georgia rallied back in the final half-inning with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch tying the game at 3-3 before an RBI single in the next at-bat ended it to give them the 4-3 victory.

Alabama took the first lead over Georgia in the top of the second, scoring two on an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk. The Crimson Tide tacked on another in the top of the fourth to lead 3-0 before the Bulldogs cut into the deficit with a two-run fifth inning. With Alabama unable to add to the one-run lead in the sixth or seventh innings, Georgia rallied back in the final half-inning with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch tying the game at 3-3 before an RBI single in the next at-bat ended it to give them the 4-3 victory. GAME THREE: ALABAMA 7, GEORGIA 4: Alabama softball took a sizable early lead Sunday against Georgia and used a combined pitching effort to hold off a late Bulldog rally and win, 7-4. The Tide saw contributions throughout its lineup and its bullpen in the win. Eight of the nine Crimson Tide starters earned a hit, led by sophomore Elissa Brown in the leadoff spot with her second-straight three-hit performance. Sophomore Bailey Hemphill , making her first start in two weeks, posted a pair of hits including a three-run home run in her first at-bat. In the circle, senior Alexis Osorio earned the win with seven strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work, holding the Bulldogs to one run on three hits. Junior Courtney Gettins tossed 2.1 relief innings while freshman Madison Preston entered in the seventh to secure the final two outs, earning her second save of the season.

ALABAMA IN THE NCAA RPI

Alabama is No. 16 in this week's NCAA RPI, tied for its highest ranking of the season.

The Tide only has two losses outside the top 25, against Northwestern (35) and Ole Miss (37).

Alabama's lowest-ranked loss is Ole Miss at 37. Only Washington (Arizona State - 7) and Arizona (Texas - 34) have their lowest-ranked loss better than 37.

The Tide has played 23 top-25 opponents this season. Of teams ranked in the top 20, this is tied with Oregon for the third-highest total behind Florida (27) and Tennessee (24).

Averaging out the losses of teams in the top 20, Alabama scores the fourth-best average of 13.353, only trailing Washington (2.875), Arizona (9.077) and Oregon (13.286). The average for all the teams in the top 20 combined is 21.871.

OVER THE LAST 10 GAMES...

Sophomore Elissa Brown is 9-for-18 (.500) at the plate, swiping four stolen bases in eight games played.

is 9-for-18 (.500) at the plate, swiping four stolen bases in eight games played. Sophomore Gabby Callaway has nine hits, including a pair of home runs, and has driven in a team-leading eight RBIs.

has nine hits, including a pair of home runs, and has driven in a team-leading eight RBIs. Freshman Kaylee Tow has seven hits, including a double and two home runs, along with seven walks in 10 starts.

has seven hits, including a double and two home runs, along with seven walks in 10 starts. Only 10 of the 18 runs allowed by senior Alexis Osorio have been earned, giving her a 1.91 ERA over 36.2 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts.

HOME SWEET HOME

Alabama returns to Rhoads Stadium this weekend, the home of the Crimson Tide since 2000. It has proven a sizeable home field advantage for Alabama over the years, as the Tide is 521-88 (.856) all-time at Rhoads Stadium. Alabama has hosted 15 NCAA Regional rounds at the park, including a streak of 13-straight Regional titles in Tuscaloosa, along with series wins in eight of the nine Super Regional rounds it has hosted.

ALABAMA ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO LEAD NATION

Game one of the Tennessee series was the first sellout this season at Rhoads Stadium, as an NCAA-best 3,940 fans packed the stands. Each of the remaining two games saw crowds of 3,000-plus as the Tide is averaging 3,019 fans per game so far this season. Eight of the nine SEC games this year at Rhoads Stadium have pushed past the 3,000 mark, with the lone outlier at 2,929.

CARRIGAN FAIN RECEIVES FULBRIGHT AWARD TO TEACH ABROAD

Alabama softball senior Carrigan Fain has received the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program award from the U.S. State Department to teach English abroad during the 2018-19 academic year at the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange.

The Crimson Tide senior is one of nearly 2,000 U.S. citizens who will participate in the Fulbright U.S. Student program during the 2018-19 academic year. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as their record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.

The Fulbright Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

ALABAMA BATS AMONG SEC LEADERS

Through seven conference series, the Alabama offense is among the top-five league leaders in numerous categories in SEC-only play.

Hits - 3rd - 142

Home Runs - 3rd - 18

Total Bases - 3rd - 220

Batting Average - 4th - .258

Slugging Percentage - 4th - .399

Walks - 4th - 60

Runs Scored - 5th - 82

RBIs - 5th - 75

On Base Percentage - 5th - .339

UP NEXT

Alabama heads to Columbia, Mo., for the 2018 SEC Tournament. The top four seeds will earn a first-round bye while the remaining eight teams will open play on Wednesday, May 9. All first and second round games will air live on the SEC Network. Friday's semifinals will air on ESPNU and the SEC Tournament Championship will be broadcast on ESPN2 Saturday, May 12 at 7 p.m. CT.