Top-ranked Gators favored to repeat

Stacked SEC has nine teams ranked in Top 25 polls.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Defending national champion Florida is No. 1 in the softball polls.

Last year’s national runner-up, rival Alabama, is lurking.

The Crimson Tide, the defending SEC champions, are No. 3 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 4 in the ESPN.com/ USA Softball poll.

Haylie McCleney is Alabama’s top returnee. The returning first-team NFCA All-American entered the season holding school records for batting average (.454) and onbase percentage (.548). Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said McCleney is the best outfielder in college softball.

“Unbelievable instincts,” Murphy said. “If she was a male, she’d be making millions of dollars. She’d be playing center field for the Yankees.

“She’s that good. She’s a five-tool player. There’s not many in softball.”

Alabama will need to replace All-America pitcher Jackie Traina, a four-year starter.

Leslie Jury, Sydney Littlejohn and freshman Alexis Osorio have proven to be capable replacements early. Littlejohn threw a perfect game in her first start, an 8-0 win over Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 6.

The SEC should be a grind, with Florida, Alabama and Kentucky, which is No. 5 in the USA Today and No. 6 in the ESPN poll, among the na- Florida pitcher Hannah Rogers (left), celebrating the Women’s College World Series title last June, is gone from this year’s squad, but the top-ranked Gators still have plenty of talent. tional favorites. Most of the conference’s teams are ranked.

Georgia, which was 6-0 heading into Friday’s Bulldog Invitational in Athens, is ranked No. 10 (USA Today/NFCA) and No. 9 (ESPN/USA Softball). Also in the top 25: Tennessee (11/14), LSU (16/16) Auburn (17/17), Missouri (18/18) and Texas A&M (23/22).

“It’s been unbelievable to see the progress of the league,” said Murphy, in his 17th year as Alabama’s head coach.

“I think this year is probably the deepest. It’s kind of like SEC football and SEC baseball and Big 12 basketball. There’s just so many good players, so many good coaches all across the board. It’s so much fun to coach in this league.”

Florida lost pitcher Hannah Rogers, the most outstanding player of the Women’s College World Series, but the Gators lose just one position starter from the championship team. Second baseman Kelsey Stewart leads the way. The twotime first-team All-American entered the season with a career .408 batting average, the best mark in school history.

Lauren Haeger will step in as the main pitcher. She was a first-team All-American in 2013 as a utility player. Last season, she ranked second in the SEC by holding opponents to a .179 batting average.

Oregon reached the Final Four last year and is No. 2 in both polls. The winning pitchers for all 56 of the Ducks’ victories last season are back. Firstteam All-America pitcher Cheridan Hawkins returns after finishing 35-6 with a 1.66 ERA last year. Karissa Hovinga, the team’s No. 2 pitcher last year, also returns, as does outfielder Janie Takeda, a second-team All-American last year who hit .388, scored 56 runs and had 40 RBIs in 2014.

Oklahoma is No. 3 in the ESPN poll and No. 4 in the USA Today.