Brett Greenberg
The Tuscaloosa News
Bailey Hemphill continues to make her way to the top of the all-time records list in Alabama softball.
The senior from Lafayette, Louisiana, holds the school record for career walks (202). With her 215 RBIs, she is now in second place on the all-time list. Hemphill, who has 56 home runs needs two for second place and five to pass Kelly Kretschmen to become the program's all-time leader.
Hemphill, a graduate student, has started all but one game this season and has seen time at catcher, first base and designated player. She is hitting .395.
She'll have ample opportunities to move up the career lists when No. 4 Alabama (26-4, 6-3 SEC) hosts Texas A&M (25-5, 4-2) beginning Thursday for three games. Thursday game at 5 p.m. and Saturday's game at 11 a.m. will on the SEC Network while Friday's 5 p.m. game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Here are five things to know about Hemphill, who has played five seasons for Alabama.:
Hemphill was highly recruited
The two-time NFCA High School First Team All-American was named Louisiana Miss Softball her senior year and broke her school's career home run record after just two seasons. She also led the team to 4A state titles in 2013 and 2014 and was rated the top-rated prep catcher on the FloSoftball Hot 100.
Hemphill received an offer from Alabama coach h Patrick Murphy during an unofficial visit in 2013.
"I used to watch Bailey down in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas and every game I went to, she (Hemphill) hit a home run, so I used to tell her coach it was worth the trip," said Murphy. "We continued to follow her as she got older and Coach Aly and I knew she would be a big-time hitter in college."
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As decorated of a career as they come
Hemphill has won numerous awards in her five-year career including first-team All-SEC (2019), USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalist (2019), Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team (2019) and First Team All-SEC (2019). She was also nominated for 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year.
She is the Alabama single-season record holder in home runs (26) and RBIs (84).
"I do not care about the records and stats, said Hemphill. "I am trying to win a national championship."
Thriving off the field
Hemphill has a 4.0 cumulative GPA, is a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American and was named to the CoSIDA Softball Academic All-American (2018).
She held an internship with Alabama’s Child Development Research Center and hopes to go to occupational therapy school after softball.
Continuing her illustrious career
Hemphill leads the team in OPS (1.203), OB% (.515), BB (18), SLG% (.688), total bases (55), RBIs (28) and tied for the lead in home runs (6) and triples (1).
She is also second in hits (32).
She's hit clutch homers
Hemphill hit a game-tying grand slam in the top of the fifth inning which propelled the Crimson Tide to the Super Regional in 2019.
She extended the Alabama lead against Florida with a three-run home run in the 2019 Women's College World Series.
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