March 10, 2006

Columbia, S.C. –
SEC action gets underway for South Carolina softball (17-5, 0-0) Saturday, March 11 as the Gamecocks travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on the No. 6/7 Alabama Crimson Tide (18-3, 3-0). Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET) and Sunday’s first pitch for game three is set for 2:30 p.m. All of the action can be followed live on uscsports.com.

The Gamecocks have a slight edge in the series against the Tide and lead 14-13, but Alabama has won the last five meetings. The Gamecocks’ last win against Alabama came in 2004, game one of the series. The Crimson Tide is the highest ranked team the Gamecocks will have seen so far this season. USC is 1-0 against teams in the Top 25 this season after defeating No. 24 North Carolina last week.

Alabama has already begun SEC play as they swept the Florida Gators 3-0 in a midweek series. USC is 7-2 in SEC game openers and are 7-1-1 in SEC series openers.

The Gamecocks also have a nine-game win streak heading into the series, marking the longest streak for USC since 2002. USC has not won more than 10 consecutive games since 1997, the year they went to the Women’s College World Series.

In the preseason Coaches poll, USC was picked to finish fourth in the East. The Garnet and Black is currently third in the East. Alabama sits atop the West.