The No. 25 Georgia softball team will open their 2018 season on the road in the Kajikawa Classic in Temple, Arizona today. The Bulldogs will play five games in three days including contests with three fellow top-25 teams. First pitch for the Lady Dogs is set for 1:30 p.m. ET to kick off a double-header.
GAME NOTES
Tournament: #25 Georgia (0-0) at Kajikawa Classic Kajikawa Classic
Dates: Feb. 8-10, 2018
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Stadium: Farrington Stadium, Tempe Sports Complex
Georgia’s Tournament Schedule:
Feb. 8 | 1:30 p.m. ET – San Diego State
Feb. 8 | 7 p.m. ET – #3 Oregon
Feb. 9 | 1:30 p.m., ET- #15 Utah
Feb. 9 | 9:45 p.m., ET- #19 BYU
Feb. 10 | 7 p.m., ET – Oregon State
Media Information
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Oregon, Oregon State)
Streaming Video: Pac-12 Networks (Oregon, Oregon State)/FloSoftball.com (subscription)
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Twitter Updates: CLICK HERE
Complete Game Notes
CLICK HERE for the complete game notes for the 2018 Kajikawa Classic softball tournament.
Georgia Softball Notebook
Tournament Preview
The 2018 Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State, will be held in Tempe, Arizona Feb. 8-11, kicking off the 2018 softball season. 28 total teams will take part in the tournament. Games will be played at Farrington Softball Stadium and the Tempe Sports Complex (TSC). The field of 28 teams features eight preseason top-25 programs and three teams from the SEC (Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee).
Series Histories
Versus San Diego State:
Georgia leads 3-0 (last meeting: 2013; Georgia won 3-2)
Georgia played SDSU in the 2013 Tempe Regional, winning both games
Versus Oregon:
Oregon leads 3-1 (last meeting: 2007; Oregon won 6-0)
All four meetings have been on neutral fields
Georgia was shutout (5-0, 6-0) in two meetings in 2007 in Hawaii
Versus Utah:
First meeting
Versus BYU:
Georgia leads 2-1 (last meeting: 2017; BYU won 4-0)
Last season’s meeting was the first during the regular season
First two all-time meetings came at the Chapel Hill Regional in 2008
Versus Oregon State:
Georgia leads 3-2 (last meeting: 2011; Georgia won 12-7)
All five meetings have been on neutral fields in five separate seasons dating back to 2004
Georgia last played in a tournament in Tempe when Arizona State hosted the 2013 NCAA Regional. Prior, the Bulldogs played in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix three-straight seasons from 1999-2001.
#Team22
Georgia softball enters its 22nd season in Athens in 2018, the 18th season under head coach Lu Harris-Champer. The Bulldogs’ all-time record is 927-431 with 812 of those wins belonging to Harris-Champer. Georgia will look to punch its ticket to its 17th-consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Preseason Polling
Georgia will begin the season with a preseason #25 ranking in both the NFCA/USA Today and ESPN.com/USA Softball Coaches Polls. Nine SEC teams appear in both preseason polls. The Bulldogs ended 2017 tied for 25 in the NFCA/USA Today poll while receiving votes in ESPN.com/USA Softball. Despite finishing last in the SEC a season ago with a 6-18 record, the Bulldogs dropped out of the NFCA Poll only one week. It was the first time Georgia had been outside the top 25 since 2013.
Emanuel Lands on USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
Cortni Emanuel was named to USA Softball’s Top 50 Player of the Year watch list. She is one of 23 seniors on the watch list and among 10 SEC players. The SEC has eight member institutions represented on the list, the most of any conference. Along with All-America status in 2017, the Missouri City, Texas native was named NFCA First Team All-Region and First Team All-SEC. She ranked fourth in the league with a .426 batting average and hits (80), seventh in runs scored (49), and her 43 stolen bases led the league while also ranking 10th in the nation.
Young Pups
For the second season in a row, Georgia softball will feature a large number of underclassmen on the roster. Of the 21 student-athletes on the 2018 squad, 16 are freshmen and sophomores. That number is up from last season’s 15 underclassmen.
A Happy Homecoming
Junior infielder Alyssa DiCarlo with have a homecoming this weekend when the Bulldogs play in her home state of Arizona. DiCarlo hails from Glendale where she attended Mountain Ridge High School.
Keep the Bats Hot
Georgia led the SEC in hitting a season ago, putting together a .338 team batting average, 22 points higher than second-place Tennessee (.316). The Bulldogs’ batting clip ranked fifth in the country. Cortni Emanuel hit .423, the fourth-best in the SEC.
A Fresh Start
Georgia is 17-4 all-time in its season openers, including winning the last four. Against ranked opponents in season openers, the Bulldogs are 3-2 with wins over DePaul (2008), Long Beach State (2009), and Michigan (2010).
2018 Schedule Breakdown
Georgia will face off against 15 NCAA Tournament participants from a season ago including hosting the national runner-up and SEC rival Florida. Eight teams finished ranked in the top 25 with two in the top five. The 56-game schedule features 36 games at Turner Softball Complex including three tournaments and four Southeastern Conference series against Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Alabama.