2022 Alabama Softball Season Preview
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When the first pitch crosses the plate Friday afternoon in Arizona at the Candrea Classic for Team 26, it will conclude a long, but impactful offseason for Alabama softball since the final at-bat against Florida State in the semifinal of the Women's College World Series last June.
Senior pitcher Montana Fouts has become a household name for the sport of softball, multiple players have been able to capitalize on their name, image and likeness through brand deals, merchandise, signings and camps thanks to new legislation from the NCAA, and as recently as this week the program set a record for season tickets sold at 3,200.
Last season, Alabama won the SEC tournament in front of a packed home crowd at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa and rode a 20-game win streak all the way to the semifinals in Oklahoma City at the WCWS with a 52-9 record.
Entering his 26th season with the Crimson Tide and 24th as head coach, Patrick Murphy does not forget what that team accomplished, but with this year's team featuring nearly as many new faces (nine) as returners (11), he wants to make it clear that this is a new team.
"What's done is done, and now we’ve got to go out and prove ourselves again and again and again," Murphy said. "And that's the coolest part I think about being a college coach and college athlete is one year is done, and you’ve got to start over again. You add those nine new kids and then the mix is different, the chemistry is different, and you’ve got to figure out a way to do it again. And that's what excites us the most about it.”
And he is excited about this team that comes in as No. 2 in the preseason polls and is the preseason favorite to win the SEC. From infielder Bailey Dowling who he said had the potential to be one of the best hitters in program history, to Fouts, who he called the best pitcher in the country, to the bench, which he called the deepest he's had at Alabama.
"With 20 kids and [Lexi] Kilfoyl hitting, we’ve got 16 hitters, and this is probably going to be the best group of pinch hitters we've ever had," Murphy said. "I mean, the depth on the team, you literally could go down the bench and say, ‘she's good, she's good, she's good.’ And I wouldn't hesitate to try any of them to pinch hit.”
Early in the season, there will be a lot of new names in the lineup for Crimson Tide fans to familiarize themselves with alongside a solid group of returners. Here's a guide to the 2022 Alabama softball team.
Pitcher
University of Alabama
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Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Catcher
The leader behind the plate for the Crimson Tide this season will be Tennessee transfer Ally Shipman. After losing all-time great Bailey Hemphill at the position, Shipman has big shoes to fill, but she brings a wealth of experience in SEC play and has established good relationships with all her pitchers.
"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."
The senior started 98 games throughout her three years at Tennessee and had a career .331 average with 13 homes runs and 75 RBIs. But she won't have to go at it alone behind the plate.
"We've got really good depth everywhere and especially at catcher because that seems like a spot that we haven't in the past," Murphy said during the Hey Coach! radio show.
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Alabama Athletics
Along with Shipman, Alabama also has junior Abby Doerr, freshman Aubrey Barnhart and sophomore KJ Haney who can play the position. Doerr started 17 games at catcher as a true freshman during the pandemic-shortened season and played in 26 games last year. Murphy said she tweaked her knee during a recent practice, so will not catch opening weekend, but will be available to hit.
Infield
Alabama has a wealth of options along the infield. The one spot that can almost assuredly be penciled in is fifth-year Kaylee Tow at first base. Other than that, expect a lot of movement around the infield.
Tow comes in as the most decorated player on this team. She primarily spent time in the outfield during her first few seasons in Tuscaloosa, but locked down the first base position last season. She's a three-time all-American and joined Fouts on the preseason all-SEC team. She hit .362 last seasons and was second on the team with 51 RBIs.
Along with Tow, Alabama returns Bailey Dowling in the infield. Savannah Woodard also spent a good amount of time in the infield last season, but Murphy has made it sound like she will be in the outfield more this season. Dowling is coming off an ACL injury, but is back to 100 percent health. As a true freshman, she was leading the team in home runs prior to her injury last year. Dowling split time at shortstop and second base in the past.
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Some of the new faces around the infield include transfer Ashley Prange from Ohio State and several talented freshmen: Barnhart, Jenna Lord, Megan Bloodworth and Kali Heivlin. With the way the roster is constructed, there will likely be at least one freshman starting in the infield alongside Tow, Dowling and Prange opening weekend. Shipman can also play first base.
Outfield
The Crimson Tide lost all three starters in the outfield from a season ago. Alexis Mack and Elissa Brown graduated and KB Sides transferred to Arkansas. Junior Jenna Johnson brings the most experience to the outfield, but freshman Dallis Goodnight has been impressive to coaches and teammates.
"Dallas Goodnight is gonna be a great person for us in the outfield," Johnson said. "She's so athletic. She's got a great arm, great reads."
Along with Johnson and Goodnight, Murphy also has Woodard, sophomore Kat Grill, freshman Jordan Stephens and Shelton State transfer M'Kay Gidley that he can use in the outfield.
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Murphy said Grill is much improved after spending some time at a summer league down in Florida. Johnson called Woodard one of the most athletic people she's ever played with, and said she can't wait to see how everyone's going to compete in the outfield.
The one spot in the batting lineup that has been secured according to Murphy is Johnson in the leadoff spot. He likes her there because she battles in at-bats and was seeing nine to 12 pitches per at-bat during the spring scrimmages. Johnson reminds him of Kelly Kretschman in that she can do it all in the leadoff spot— speed, run producer, power-hitting ability.
"She could hit a home run the first pitch," Murphy said. "She could hit a double. She could walk and then steal second. So she's not limited to just hitting a single. She just gives you so many options. And then really the only time you lead off is the first time. So after that she's going to be in an RBI situation, hopefully, the rest of the game with people on base.”
Opening Weekend
Murphy is keeping the lineup card close to his chest for opening weekend, but said he wants to get everyone an at-bat opening weekend. However, he doesn’t want to change the lineups too much from game to game because he doesn’t want to see what some girls do in just one start and then pull them. He wants to see what they can do with a lot of chances.
"The toughest thing for the coaching staff to do this year is going to be running the lineup, honestly because out of those 16 hitters, all 16 could could start somewhere else for sure," Murphy said.
No. 2 Alabama opens play Friday afternoon at 2 p.m against Southern Utah before back-to-back games against Pac 12 opponents on Saturday beginning with Oregon State at 4:30 p.m. followed by the marquee matchup of the weekend against the host No. 9 Arizona at 7 p.m. The Crimson Tide will close out opening weekend against New Mexico at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Arizona is the site where Fouts first made a name for herself on the national stage as a freshman against the Wildcats in 2019. It wasn't her first start, but her complete game performance in the 6-1 victory with eight strikeouts, no walks and no earned runs was the earliest glimpse of the dominance to com against top teams. Fouts said she remembers ever game she pitches, but one of the things that stands out most about that first matchup with the Wildcats is where they went after the game.
"I remember we won the game against Arizona, and Murph took us to the Cheesecake Factory, so we’re hoping to keep that tradition going," Fouts said.
Alabama and Arizona last met in the opening round of the WCWS last season when Fouts allowed one earned run on two hits with 16 strikeouts. Doerr had a two-run pinch hit home run in the 5-1 win.
This weekend will be a good opportunity for new players to get their first opportunities against some lesser opponents while also getting an early-season test against a national power in the Wildcats.
"It’s gonna be a fun trip— great weather and really good competition," Murphy said. "It's not very often that we get to play two Pac 12 teams in the opening weekend, so that's going to be fun.”
