#6 Georgia Hosts #17 Alabama in Final Home Series

Friday, April 27

Athens, Ga.

6 PM

University of Georgia

Alabama

April 26, 2018 | Softball

Alabama Series Notes

#6/8 Georgia (40-7, 13-5)
vs. #17/18 Alabama (28-15, 8-10)
Dates: Apr. 27-29, 2018
Times: 6/6/2 p.m., EDT
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium

Media Information
TV: SEC Network (Saturday)
     Play-by-play: Kevin Brown
     Analysis: Erin Miller
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
     Play-by-play: Kaleb Frady
     Analysis: Kristina Wyatt
Radio: WUOG 90.5 FM / WUOG.org (Friday, Sunday)
     Play-by-play: Myan Patel
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

#6/8 Georgia will play host to #17/18 Alabama this weekend in the final home series of the regular season. The three-game set begins Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's 6 p.m. game will air on the SEC Network. The regular-season home finale is Sunday at 2 p.m. at Jack Turner Stadium.

Follow the Bulldogs
» This weekend's series will stream live on the SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady will provide play-by-play while Kristina Wyatt will be the color analyst.
» Saturday's game will air nationally on the SEC Network. Kevin Brown will provide play-by-play while Erin Miller will be the color analyst.
» Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcast on WUOG 90.5 FM and WUOG.org. Myan Patel will be on the call. » Live stats will be available. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available all season long at @UGAsoftball.

This Weekend's Promotions
» Admission to every home Georgia softball game is FREE
» Shuttles to additional parking will be available, free of charge
» Saturday, Apr. 28
     - Senior Day, 20 minutes before game time
     - Pink Game: First 250 fans receive a pink t-shirt with a $5 donation and silent auction
     - Postgame Autographs
» Sunday, Apr. 29
     - Father Daughter Day

Bulldog Bulletin
Series History
Georgia trails 18-41
» Georgia trails in Athens, 10-15
» Alabama has won the last 10 series; Georgia last won the series in 2005 in Athens
» Last meeting was in Tuscaloosa in 2016; the Crimson Tide won the first two games, Georgia salvaged a game three, 9-5

A Look Back
Georgia completed its sixth SEC series win over the weekend, taking two-of-three at #18 Kentucky. Mary Wilson Avant and the Bulldogs shut out the Wildcats in game one, 1-0. Kentucky fired up the offense in game two, defeating Georgia 4-2. In the rubber game on Sunday, the Bulldogs scored three seventh-inning runs to defeat UK, 3-1. The comeback win is the fourth this season when Georgia has trailed after seven innings.

A Look Ahead
The regular season will wrap up May 4-6 at Ole Miss. The final series of the season begins Friday at 7 p.m., EDT, followed by a 5 p.m. first pitch on Saturday with the regular-season finale set for 2 p.m. Sunday. Georgia will then set its sights on the SEC Tournament in Columbia, Missouri May 9-12.

Georgia in the Top 25
The Bulldogs stayed at #6 in the week 11 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. Georgia dropped to #8 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.

In the latest RPI, Georgia comes in at number 7, the second highest-ranked SEC team behind Florida (5).

Emanuel, DiCarlo Names Top 25 Finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year
Cortni Emanuel and Alyssa DiCarlo were named two of 25 finalists for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. 2018 is the second time Georgia has landed two on the finalist list, the other being 2015 (Alex Hugo, Paige Wilson). Georgia has had six top-25 finalists for the award in the program's history. Alisa Goler (2009) is Georgia's lone top-10 finalist. The 2018 season is Emanuel's second-straight season on the list.

Avant Named SEC Pitcher of the Week
Sophomore Mary Wilson Avant was named this week's SEC Pitcher of the Week. Avant was a perfect 3-0 in the circle last week, allowing just one run in 18 innings of work. She combined for the shutout of USC Upstate then followed with a complete-game shutout of Kentucky in game one Friday, striking out a season-high eight batters. She worked another complete game Sunday against the Wildcats, allowing no walks. The honor is the first of the Macon, Georgia native's career.

Gray, Emanuel Selected in NPF Draft
Seniors Brittany Gray and Cortni Emanuel were drafted in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch Draft Monday evening. Gray was selected by the Beijing Shougang Eagles as the 14th pick while Emanuel was selected as the 23rd pick by the USSSA Pride.

Gray and Emanuel become the 12th and 13th Georgia Bulldogs to be drafted in the NPF. Gray is the highest pick out of Georgia since Chelsea Wilkenson was taken as the 14th pick in 2016. 2016 was also the last time Georgia had two student-athletes drafted in the same year.

Shout-outs for Shutouts
The Georgia pitching staff has recorded 21 shutouts in 2018. UGA's record for shutouts in a season is 33 set in 2003. Georgia's 20 shutouts ranks tied for fifth-most all time. UGA had 20 in 2009 and 2015.

The Bulldogs recorded six-consecutive shutouts from Feb. 17-24, tying a program record set twice, first in 2003 then again in 2016.

DiCarLONG Ball
Junior Alyssa DiCarlo has knocked a team-leading 16 home runs this season, cracking Georgia's single-season top-10 list. In her career, she ranks 10th all-time with 40 home runs. She has recorded three two-home run games this season, bringing her career total to five. Her 16 is a career-high in a season for the Arizona native.

She has also cracked the career list with 182 RBI. With 55 this season, she is nine shy of reaching the single-season list. She is tied for seventh with 64 RBI last season.

Down But Not Out
Georgia has come back to win four games when trailing after six innings this season. All four wins have been on the road.

In the road series at Mississippi State, Georgia found itself down a run in the top seventh with two out in every game. The Bulldogs either tied or took a lead in each game with one out left, winning games Friday and Sunday.

Winning Series is Key
Georgia has won all six Southeastern Conference series played. The Bulldogs are the lone team in the league to win all their series.

Georgia won all but one league series in 2006, a season after winning all 10 series in 2005. Game three of the series has been a rubber game in three of five SEC series.

Emanuel Joins Greatness
In the Apr. 8 game against Missouri, Cortni Emanuel recorded her 300th career hit. She becomes only the third Georgia player with 300 career hits, joining Nicole Barber and Kim Wendland. She is also only one of four with over 200 runs scored at Georgia.

Gray Out for Rest of Season
Senior pitcher Brittany Gray will miss the remainder of the season due to a right biceps injury. Gray, a native of Greenwood, Indiana, will have surgery to repair the injury and is expected to make a full recovery. In 2018, Gray went 16-1 in the circle, pitching 12 complete games, and shutting out seven opponents. Her 0.48 ERA led the Southeastern Conference and ranked second nationally. She struck out 134 opposing hitters in 2018.

A Power-Packed Offense
At the plate, Georgia leads the SEC in five offensive categories including batting average (.344), slugging (.545), hits (429), home runs (54), and total bases (680).

In the country, Georgia's team batting average ranks third, second in slugging, and coming in 10th in on base pct. and ninth in scoring (6.43 runs/game).

There's No Place Like The Jack
Georgia has played 32 games at Jack Turner Stadium this season, winning 29 of said contests. The Bulldogs have topped their home winning total from the past three seasons (24, 2017; 23, 2016; 26, 2015). Georgia is .783 at home with 564 wins.

The most wins at home was in 2011 when the Bulldogs won 38 games at Jack Turner Stadium.

Solid in the Circle
The Georgia pitching staff has been sharp this season, recording a 1.25 ERA through 207.2innings. Georgia's ERA is tied for second-best in the SEC and seventh in the nation. The staff has struck out 326 opposing hitters, and putting 21 shutouts in the books. Georgia's strikeout total ranks fourth in the league.