2023 Alabama Softball Season Preview

The excitement level is high around Team 27 ,but does it have the pieces in place to make a run back to the Women's College World Series?

It was a busy offseason for Alabama softball, but the countdown is officially over. Team 27 opens the season Friday with a doubleheader against Leigh and Georgia Southern at Rhoads Stadium. 

If there was any doubt, Alabama made it clear that it hasn't forgotten the way last season ended and have the goal of making it back to Oklahoma City in June for the Women's College World Series. 

Who's Ready?#Team27 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/cBdQa6v4Kb

— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) February 9, 2023

Alabama was picked to finish fourth in the SEC by the coaches, and is ranked anywhere from No. 6 to No. 9 in the four major college softball polls, making the Crimson Tide a little more under the radar than usual. This is partially due to the way last season ended with the elimination in the regional round and losing seven of its last 13 games. 

Because of the normal roster turnover plus a slew of transfer portal exits, there are a lot of new faces on this year's roster alongside the familiar favorites like Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman, Jenna Johnson, Bailey Dowling and Kat Grill. Of the 21 players on the roster, eight are new, including three transfers and five freshmen. 

Early on, head coach Patrick Murphy has been high on the freshmen. In one of the final scrimmages of the preseason, all five freshmen were on the same team. At one point, they were up five runs on the more veteran team, and Murphy hopes to see that type of poise opening weekend. 

"Just the competitive nature of of all of them, I think it forces everybody else to kind of up the ante," Murphy said about the freshmen. 

It is no secret offense was an issue for the Crimson Tide last year, particularly late in the season. Alabama was 10th in the SEC in home runs and struggled with power as the season went on. The last 13 games of the season, Alabama averaged only 2.4 runs per game, getting shut out three times, including in the final elimination game to Stanford. 

That's why offense, particularly power hitting, has been an area of focus for the Crimson Tide this offseason. Murphy highlighted the work of strength coach Michelle Diltz to increase the power of the athletes and develop more pop in their bats to lead to more doubles, triples and home runs. 

"If we could do one thing better, it would be probably be that— just more power," Murphy said. "You don’t want a lot of popups, but you’d really like something going over the fence too. In scrimmages, we’ve had just some really, really good at-bats. The more they see live pitching, the better they’re going to be.”

Opening weekend is going to be a chance for all players on the roster to prove why they deserve a spot in the starting lineup. Murphy said that as the coaching staff got together and worked on lineups, there were a six consistent players that each staff member had. But the other three spots were always fluctuating. 

With that in mind, here's a breakdown of the positions in the field and who some of the starters might be:

Pitching

Alabama Athletics

Let's start with the position group that features the most familiar name on the team and arguably in all of college softball. Fouts once again headlines Alabama's pitching corps as she returns for her fifth season with the Crimson Tide. Last season, she went 24-8 with a 2.10 ERA and 275 strikeouts. 

Fouts spent part of the summer with Team USA at the World Games, and when she got back to Tuscaloosa got to spend time with new pitching coach Lance McMahon. 

"Lance has been awesome," Fouts said. "He just came in, and pretty much fit like a glove. He's really adaptive with all the pitchers. We all have a close relationship with him. And I think that his strengths are probably my weaknesses, so it's a good match."

Even though Fouts is a veteran and the former SEC Pitcher of the Year, Murphy said she has still been receptive to learning new things under McMahon. Her off-speed pitch is a lot more polished. 

But who will back up Fouts? Alabama has two familiar options and one name from the portal. 

Junior Jaala Torrence and redshirt sophomore Alex Salter have spent the last few years working behind Fouts and Lexi Kilfoyl, who transferred to Oklahoma State over the summer. Torrence's misses have gotten smaller, and her spin is higher. For Salter, her pitches are moving a lot more according to her head coach, and her drop ball, curveball, rise and changeup have all looked good this offseason. The two combined for just over 100 innings 

The biggest wild card at the pitching position is Michigan transfer Lauren Esman. She only has two career collegiate innings pitched with the Wolverines, but spent multiple summers pitching at the Florida Gulf Coast League and has been working under McMahon since arriving at Alabama. Murphy said Esman has looked great in the preseason, and the will need her to eat up a lot of innings behind Fouts this season. 

Infield

Photo | SEC

The right side of the infield is a big question mark based on departures from last season. Kaylee Tow was the consistent starter at first base all season long, and Jenna Lord and Megan Bloodworth both spent time at second base. Tow graduated, and the other two entered the transfer portal. 

But Alabama has several options at first base. Esman can also play first base if needed. North Alabama transfer Emma Broadfoot has gotten some hype over the offseason. She hit two home runs in Alabama's final scrimmage and could find herself at first base. Sophomore Aubrey Barnhart was one of the only players from her signing class to remain at Alabama, and is another option at first base. 

Based on reports from preseason practices and scrimmages, Kenleigh Cahalan will start at second base. Cahalan was the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023 before re-classifying and graduating early to join the Crimson Tide this spring. 

On the left side of the infield, things are a little more sure. Prange, one of Alabama's best hitters a season ago, will be anchoring the hot corner at third base. At shortstop, junior Bailey Dowling has been the starter the last two season, but could also split time with sophomore Kali Heivilin. 

Freshman Abby Duchscherer, Alabama softball's first recruit from North Dakota, is also listed as an infielder and is said to have a lot of power in her bat

Another no-doubter is fifth-year Ally Shipman at catcher. Shipman started 54 of Alabama's 57 games last season with the majority being behind the plate. She batted .350 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs. Heivilin and Barnhart can also catch with freshman Marlie Giles out of Clanton, Alabama serving as the backup. 

Between Broadfoot, Dowling, Prange, Shipman, Cahalan and Duchscherer and KJ Haney possibly coming off the bench, this infield could have some serious pop this season. 

Outfield

Alabama Athletics

Alabama only returns one season-long starter in the outfield in senior Jenna Johnson. She went on a major offensive slump at the end of the season, but has showed flashes of speed and power throughout her career. Johnson will likely resume her place in left field. Junior Kat Grill made 31 starts in the outfield last season, mainly in right field and will be part of the outfield rotation. 

However, there's a good chance there will be two new faces starting in the outfield. Fifth-year transfer Faith Hensley could also start in right field. She was the 2022 MAC Player of the Year at Ball State, hitting .404 with 17 home runs and 16 stolen bases. 

Highly-touted freshman Larissa Preuitt has the prototypical speed of a centerfielder and leadoff hitter. Preuitt will be a "green-light girl" for Alabama this season as she had 86 stolen bases in her senior year at Hartselle,

The Crimson Tide also has some depth in the outifeld with sophomore Jordan Stephens and freshman Kristen White. The outfield is where the majority of Alabama's speed will come from this season. M'Kay Gidley is listed as an outfielder on the official roster, but was only used in a pinch-running capacity last season.

Opening Weekend

Alabama Athletics

For the first time since 2010, Alabama softball is opening the season in the friendly confines of Rhoads Stadium for the Leadoff Classic. Because the Crimson Tide is playing in the Clearwater Invitational the next week and a non-conference tournament at Texas later on, Murphy elected to open at home this season.

"I’m so excited for that and especially the fanbase that we have here," Esman said ahead of her first game in front of the Rhoads crowd. "It's nothing like anywhere else, and I'm just excited to see it in action.”

The goal for opening weekend is for all 17 position players to get at least one at-bat and all four pitchers to make at least one appearance in the circle. 

Because Alabama started spring practice earlier than usual, Murphy said this team has probably scrimmaged more than any other. For Prange, there's just a certain level of excitement to be facing anyone but her own teammates after a long, but quick offseason. 

"Now we finally get to play and play someone other than ourselves," Prange said, joking that she was tired of hitting off her own teammates. 

She, along with her fellow Team 27 members, will finally get the chance to face someone new when the season opens with a doubleheader against Leigh and Georgia Southern beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday. The games can be streamed on SEC Network+.

See also:

The Extra Point: Expectations for Alabama Softball's Season Opener

How to Watch: No. 3 Alabama Basketball at Auburn

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