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What to know about No. 15 Alabama, this weekend’s opponent for No. 14 Arkansas softball | Whole Hog Sports

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What to know about No. 15 Alabama, this weekend’s opponent for No. 14 Arkansas softball | Whole Hog Sports


FAYETTEVILLE — Coach Courtney Deifel might not like the manner in which her Arkansas softball team is claiming SEC series wins, but it’s hard to argue with the results.

For the third straight weekend, the No. 14 Razorbacks (30-11, 9-6 SEC) won a rubber match to claim a series win against South Carolina last weekend. Arkansas knocked off Georgia and Missouri in similar fashion. The pattern has been the same in all three series wins: win the first game, lose the second game, then rally to win the third.

“Well, I don’t like that pattern so much, and I don’t think the team does either,” Deifel said. “I think this team doesn’t care about rankings. You just know when it’s an SEC game, or any game for that matter with the parity in the sport and how strong everybody is, it’s just digging in and finding a way to win.”

This weekend doesn’t get any easier as Alabama (30-10, 7-8), ranked No. 15 in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, comes to Bogle Park.

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Arkansas rode a stellar pitching performance from left-hander Robyn Herron to claim the road series at South Carolina. Herron, the SEC Pitcher of the Week, went 2-0 and did not allow an earned run in 12 1/3 innings in the circle.

The two teams will start the series at 6 p.m. Friday, in a game that will be live-streamed on SEC Network+. Saturday’s game is set for 8 p.m. on SEC Network, and series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

What you need to know about Alabama:

Outlook

Alabama is one of the most storied softball programs in the SEC, but the Tide has stumbled some this season, dropping series to Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and last weekend to Texas A&M.

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Coach Patrick Murphy is in his 26th season at Alabama. He has led the program to 14 College World Series berths and owns more than 1,200 career wins.

“It’s kind of unheard of in college athletics now to stay that long and be that successful,” Deifel said of Murphy’s longevity. “He is the face of Alabama softball. I hope that I can have that long of a career here. Hopefully we can stay relevant and good enough to stay here as long as we want. We’ve had some really big coaches in this conference, and he’s definitely one of them.”

Alabama won its first 18 games of the season, but has gone 12-10 since then. The Crimson Tide’s only series win in SEC play came against Ole Miss. 

Their series with Texas A&M last weekend encapsulated their season: Alabama defeated the Aggies 2-0 in the opening game behind Kayla Beaver, then lost 17-6 and 9-4 in the next two games to drop the series.

Arkansas and Alabama did not play last season. In 2022, Arkansas claimed a series win.

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Pitchers

Beaver is no stranger to Arkansas. The senior right-hander dominated the Razorbacks 4-0 last season when she pitched for Central Arkansas. This season the transfer is 14-4 with a 1.42 ERA with 129 strikeouts over 123 innings pitched. She is holding opponents to a .199 batting average.

“She has the potential to go up and down, in and out,” Deifel said. “It looks like she has added a little velo. She lives in the upper 60s [MPH], and she’s hit 70. She’s very disciplined with her spin pitches.”

Last season, Beaver was 25-7 at UCA with a 1.15 ERA and 11 shutouts. This season she twirled a no-hitter in her Alabama debut.

Jaala Torrence, a senior right-hander, is 7-3 with a 2.23 ERA and 48 strikeouts with 11 walks in 47 innings. She had a complete-game win against North Alabama this season. In the postseason last year, she went 3-0 with 18 2/3 scoreless innings.

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Freshman right-hander Jocelyn Briski is 6-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 49.2 innings. She has made 5 starts this season. She had a complete-game win against Georgia Tech in her college debut.

Position Players

The Crimson Tide may not have big offensive numbers, but they do know how to attack the defense, Deifel said. 

“I think that they get the job done,” Deifel said. “With their pitching staff, they have a chance to win any game that they’re in. They have a good mix of speed and they’ve driven the ball a little better this year. They have the offense to win games with the pitching as dominant as they have.”

Sophomore shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan leads the way for the Tide, batting .299 with 2 home runs and 22 RBI. She has started every game this season. Against Georgia, she belted a pair of doubles and a homer, and she had 2 tripled against Georgia Tech.

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Sophomore infielder Abby Duchscherer provides the big pop in the lineup. Duchscherer has 6 homers and 30 RBI with a .294 batting average. Sophomore utilityplayer Marlie Giles also has 6 homers and 10 RBIs across her 24 starts.

As a team, Alabama is batting .272.



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Alabama

‘We Will Never Forget’: Police End 40-Day Search for Remains of South Alabama 2-Year-Old

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‘We Will Never Forget’: Police End 40-Day Search for Remains of South Alabama 2-Year-Old


The Enterprise Police Department announced Monday that a 40-day search of the Coffee County Landfill for the remains of 2-year-old Genesis Reid has concluded without locating her remains.

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During a news conference on July 13, the Enterprise Police Department said the search operation, which began May 7, involved federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, forensic experts, volunteers and support personnel from across Alabama.

According to police, investigators developed evidence that led them to believe Genesis’ mother, Adrienne Reid, murdered Genesis on Christmas night 2025, removed her from an apartment and later disposed of her body. Police said Reid reported Genesis missing 53 days after her death, which investigators said affected the timeline of the investigation.

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Authorities said the landfill search was based on evidence that led investigators to believe Genesis had been placed in a dumpster at the apartment complex. The search continued for 40 working days and included approximately 10 million pounds of landfill material, according to police.

Investigators said teams examined more than 20,000 non-human bones and inspected numerous bags and other materials during the operation. Officials said the search area was reviewed and cleared by experts before landfill operations concluded on July 10.

Police said the search did not locate Genesis’ remains but emphasized that the operation was conducted thoroughly based on the evidence available at the time.

“The landfill search answered one important question,” police said during the news conference. “It strongly indicates that Genesis was not located in the specific area of interest that would have been believed to be associated with landfill operations.”

The department said the investigation will continue, with the focus now shifting toward court proceedings and efforts to seek justice for Genesis.

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Police also expressed appreciation to the agencies, volunteers, local organizations and community members who assisted with the search effort.

“Although our search has concluded, our commitment to Genesis has not,” police said. “We will continue to pursue justice, we will continue to seek the truth, and we will never forget this precious child.”



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One Critically Injured, Self-Defense Possible Motive In Tuscaloosa Gas Station Shooting

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One Critically Injured, Self-Defense Possible Motive In Tuscaloosa Gas Station Shooting


“After interviewing witnesses and processing the scene for physical evidence, initial investigation shows that the shooting may have been in self-defense during a possible robbery attempt,” he said. “Surveillance video from the business corroborates the witness statements. At this time no one has been charged, but the investigation is ongoing”

This is a developing story. Tuscaloosa Patch will have more information as it becomes available.





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The positions Alabama football will continue to recruit in the 2027 recruiting class

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The positions Alabama football will continue to recruit in the 2027 recruiting class




Alabama football’s 2027 recruiting class holds commitments from 13 2027 recruits with summer official visits behind them.

The Crimson Tide holds commitments from two quarterbacks, two running backs, two tight ends, one wide receiver, one offensive lineman, two edges, one defensive lineman, one defensive back and a kicker.

With the Tide expected to add a few more players to this class, here is a look at three positions Alabama will likely continue to recruit 2027 prospects at:

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Wide Receiver

Osani Gayles is currently the only wide receiver verbally committed to the Crimson Tide. Alabama would love to grab a commitment from Monshun Sales later this month, but the Tide is not considered to be the favorite to land the five-star less than a week out from his Friday decision. Alabama recently offered Jalijah Rutledge out of Moody High School. Rutledge is a 2027 wide receiver, and he is committed to App State. Before Rutledge announced his offer, Alabama made a strong push for Cedrick Simmons, who eventually committed to Auburn. The Tide wants to add at least one more wideout to this class to pair with Gayles.

Linebacker

Alabama does not have an inside linebacker commit, but the Tide did make a significant push for several off-the-ball linebackers before they committed to other programs. It would not be a surprise if Alabama makes a push for an inside linebacker committed elsewhere or offers a prospect who puts some good film together and flashes potential to start their senior season. Alabama’s push for a prospect at this position in the 2027 class could be very fluid moving forward.

Safety

Alabama also does not hold a commitment from a safety prospect. The Tide’s only defensive back commit is Darrius White, and he is projected to play cornerback at the next level. The Tide did not go after a long list of safeties in this class, but it did show a lot of interest in Junior Tu’upo out of Thompson High School in Alabama. A continued push for Tu’upo is likely, along with the possibility of the Tide evaluating a safety prospect who impresses them to kick off their senior season.


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