Alabama Softball | ‘Team 26’ to make long-awaited season debut

(Photo Credits: UA Athletics Photography; Kent Gidley)

A new year. A new team. A new level of excitement.

The Alabama faithful has made Rhoads Stadium one of the hardest places for visiting teams to play in. It will only get harder for the Alabama opposition in 2022. On Monday, Feb. 7, it was announced that 3,200 season tickets sold-a program record. It's clear fans are more excited than ever to find themselves watching head coach Patrick Murphy’s squad take the field.

“We truly do have the best fans in the country,” Murphy said. “The fans make this place one of the hardest to play in, so I’m very excited to get out and compete in front of them.”

Before ‘Team 26’ can play in front of their home crowd, they will travel out west to compete in the first Candrea Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. In the spring of 2021, Arizona’s director of operations Stacy Iveson gave Murphy a call asking if he’d like to participate in the first Candrea Classic. The answer came with no hesitation.

“She said ‘we’re going to host the Mike Candrea Invitational’ and as soon as she [Iveson] said that I was like ‘we’re in,’” Murphy said.

Who is the 2022 roster comprised of?

Impact Returnees:

(Photo Credits: UA Athletics Photography; Kent Gidley)

The best arm in college softball makes her way back to the circle for her senior season, Montana Fouts. Fouts was named a preseason All-SEC member and named a preseason First Team member by D1 Softball and Softball America. The Kentucky native was named to the 2022 USA National Team on Jan. 7.

Graduate student Kaylee Tow will be the most experienced bat in Alabama’s lineup. Like Fouts, the three-time All-America received a few preseason accolades. Tow was named a preseason All-SEC member, a First Team All-American by D1 Softball, and a Third Team All-American by Softball America.

Junior Lexi Kilfoyl will compliment Fouts in the circle. Fouts and Kilfoyl will make arguably the toughest pitching duo in the country. While pitching is Kilfoyl’s priority, she has spent a quality amount of time in the cages and taking batting practice. Murphy stated Kilfoyl will get her chance to hit in the game.

“You have to start with pitching and then do the hitting,” Murphy said on the Out of the Box podcast. “When she gets a little better pitch selection she could be dangerous. She hits the ball as hard as Bailey Hemphill did without a doubt.”

In 2021, sophomore Bailey Dowling led Alabama in home runs and RBI’s before suffering a season ending torn ACL and MCL. Dowling has been in full swing during spring practice.

“She’s [Dowling] hitting, she’s running, she’s throwing, she’s fielding and everything,” Murphy stated on the Out of the Box podcast. “She’s continued with her power numbers. That part of it will be fine.”

Juniors Jenna Johnson and Savannah Woodard will also bring back experience to the lineup. Woodard led Alabama in RBIs during the 20-game win streak at the tail end of the season. Johnson will be the leadoff hitter for opening weekend.

“It’s definitely an honor to lead off,” Johnson said. “There’s been so many greats to lead off at Alabama.”

Despite whose returning, there are big shoes to fill as the likes of Bailey Hemphill, Elissa Brown, and Alexis Mack exhausted their eligibility.

Here are the newcomers that look to fill fill these shoes and have an immediate impact.

Newcomers:

(Photo Credits: UA Athletics Photography; Kent Gidley)

Hemphill’s heir behind the dish will be Tennessee transfer senior Ally Shipman. Shipman was named as a top five player in the transfer portal by Softball America this past offseason. The Valencia, Calif. native carried a .331 career batting average as a Volunteer. The Shipman and Fouts battery is new, but off to a great start.

“I’ll say, Ally makes it really great and really easy to get along with,” Fouts said. “She came in, and immediately it was like I’ve known her for years. She’s just great at making friendships.”

Senior Ashley Prange will look to bring some experience to the infield along with Tow. The Ohio State transfer started 103 games with the Buckeyes and holds a career batting average of .306. Prange was the 2018 Indiana Gatorade State Player of the Year and was a Second Team All-Big Ten Member in 2019.

Murphy and staff recruited the two best players out of the state of Georgia – freshman Dallis Goodnight and Megan Bloodworth. Bloodworth was named the 2021 Georgia Gatorade State Player of the Year and Goodnight was the runner-up. Bloodworth carried a .621 batting average her senior year with 15 home runs and will dawn the infield. According to FloSoftball, Goodnight was the top ranked outfielder in the 2021 class.

“Megan Bloodworth has some of the best, easy power I’ve ever seen,” Murphy said on the Out of the Box podcast. “She’s hit it off of me and I’m like ‘oh, double in the gap,’ but it’s halfway up the score board.”

Freshman Aubrey Barnhart will look to match Tow’s power from the left-handed batter’s box. Barnhart was the 2020 Gatorade Tennessee State Player of the Year and ranked the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2021 Extra Inning Softball class.

“Shoot, she’s hitting it halfway up the brickyard,” Murphy said on the Out of the Box podcast.

(Photo Credits: UA Athletics Photography; Kent Gidley)

Previewing the Opponents:

No. 9/11 Arizona: Despite losing their two biggest offensive threats from last season – Jessie Harper, second-most home runs in NCAA history (92), and Dejah Mulipola, 2020 Olympian – Arizona will still obtain a strong lineup.

The lineup is led by junior Janelle Meoño, sophomore Carlie Scupin and redshirt sophomore Sharlize Palacios. Meoño was the Pac-12 batting champion last season, .439 average, named a preseason Second Team All-American by Softball America and was one of 45 athletes invited to the 2022 U.S. Softball Selection Trials. Scupin was named a preseason First Team All-American by Softball America and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team last year. Palacios was named a preseason Third Team All-American by Softball America.

The most established pitcher on staff is redshirt senior Hannah Bowen. In 2021, Bowen collected a 10-4 record accompanied by a 2.06 ERA. She was the pitcher who recorded the loss to Alabama in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series last year.

Oregon State: The Beavers are picked to finish second-to-last in the Pac-12.

Oregon State is led by senior Mariah Mazon in the circle. Mazon was a First Team All-Pac-12 member in 2021 due to a 2.30 ERA.

Junior Frankie Hammoude was the offensive catalyst for the Beavers last year and will look to take on that role once again. Hammoude batted for a .360 average in 2021 leading her to be named a First Team All-Pac-12 member.

Southern Utah: The Thunderbirds are projected to finish fourth in the Big Sky conference. In 2021, redshirt junior Josey White posted a .386 batting average and belted 13 home runs leading her to be named a second team all-conference outfielder.

New Mexico: Projected to finish second-to-last in the Mountain West conference this year. The Lobos don’t have their lone first team conference member from last year on the roster.

First pitch of the 2022 season for Alabama is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide will take on Southern Utah at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.