Bailey Hemphill and Montana Fouts Earned SEC Honors
The Alabama Crimson Tide softball team just completed its regular season with a 42-7 record and finished third in the SEC. The SEC announced its year-end awards on Tuesday and Alabama cleaned house. Senior Bailey Hemphill was named SEC Player of the Year and junior Montana Fouts was the Co-Pitcher of the Year.
In addition to the two player of the year awards, the Crimson Tide put four players on the SEC's First Team, Hemphill, Fouts, Elissa Brown and Alexis Mack. Kaylee Tow was on the SEC Second Team, Lexi Kilfoyl and Savannah Woodard made the All-SEC Newcomer Team and KB Sides was named to the All-Defensive Team.
Hemphill is the second Alabama softball player to win SEC Player of the Year following Charlotte Morgan winning the award in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010. She batted .412 with 40 RBIs and eight homeruns and 42 walks and only striking out five times this season. She led the SEC in several major categories including a batting average of .483, slugging percentage of .897, an on-base percentage of .652 and 25 RBIs.
Fouts was named Co-Pitcher of the Year along with Mary Haff from Arkansas. Fouts is the fifth Alabama pitcher to win the award for the seventh time in program history. The junior notched record of 19-3 with a 1.63 ERA. Fouts struck out 236 batters this year, and additionally recorded three saves this season from the bullpen. She struck out a conference-high 132 batters and tied for the conference-high 11 wins.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will play the winner of Kentucky and Georgia in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at Rhoads Stadium on Thursday.