The Oregon softball team heads to Georgia to play in one of the most competitive tournaments of the early season in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s 10th-annual Leadoff Classic.
In last year’s tournament, six of the eight teams went on to play in the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Twenty-four teams will participate in the Classic, with 20 of them qualifying for last season’s regional tournaments.
The Ducks (6-4) will face Creighton (3-2) today at 11:30 a.m. and Alabama (15-1) at 2 p.m.
The game against Creighton will be the first time the Ducks have faced the Bluejays under head coach Kathy Arendsen and only the second time ever the two have met.
The latter game will be a challenge for the Ducks as they face Alabama. The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 8 in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll, while the Ducks are ranked No. 21. Alabama features pitcher Chrissy Owens, who is 4-0 this season with a team-low 1.01 ERA. It will also be the first time Oregon has faced Alabama under Arendsen and only the second time ever the programs have met on softball diamond.

[email protected]