Lauren Esman Living 'Dream Come True' with Alabama Softball

How the senior transfer went from primarily a first basemen at Michigan to becoming a major contributor in the Crimson Tide's pitching rotation.

What if I told you to guess the pitcher on Alabama softball's staff with the lowest ERA? It would be fair to guess the three-time all-American on the staff, but if you guessed Montana Fouts, you'd be wrong. 

It's actually Lauren Esman. The senior transferred from Michigan in the offseason, and is taking full advantage of the opportunity she's gotten to pitch with the Crimson Tide. 

"This is what I've always wanted to do my whole entire life," Esman said. "It’s been a dream to pitch, especially here. Like this is just a dream come true for me. To get this opportunity, I’m just so blessed with it. I can’t even be overwhelmed because it’s just a great opportunity."

Fresh off a complete-game, seven-inning shutout Friday against Robert Morris, Esman has lowered her ERA to 1.31. Through Alabama's first 20 games, she's made eight appearances in the circle with four starts. She also pitched a five-inning, complete-game shutout against Indiana at the Clearwater Invitational. 

But last year, all this may have just seemed like a dream for Esman. Before this season at Alabama, Esman had pitched two career innings at Michigan, mainly spending time at first base because the Wolverines had two all-American pitchers in Alex Storako and Meghan Beaubien.

She didn't even throw bullpens at Michigan. The coaching staff told her that she was needed most at first base, and that's where she embraced her role. Esman started 38 games at first base for the Wolverines last season and hit .263 with 20 RBIs. 

However, the past two summers she spent time at the Florida Gulf Coast League, a summer league for collegiate softball players. Even though she didn't get to pitch at Michigan, she pitched at the FGCL. And according to Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy, that helped Esman end up with the Crimson Tide. 

"Really I decided to come here because of just the wonderful atmosphere and the coaching staff and the players and the culture that is here and has been here for over 20 plus years," Esman said. "Just being a part of it is a blessing in itself. So I'm just happy to be here.

“I was really looking for a place that has the culture that this place has and pitching was just kind of a bonus in itself.”

Esman got high praise from fellow pitcher Fouts in February leading up to the season. 

"I love working with her," Fouts said. "She just shines in every room she comes into—that’s from a person aspect, let alone softball. She kind of fires everybody up… She’s improved tremendously in the three months already just being here pitching."

As a left-handed pitcher, Esman provides a different look than all three other pitchers on staff and allows Alabama to use her against different lineups. She is also more of a contact pitcher instead of strikeout pitcher like Fouts. 

After Friday's game, Esman said her goal is to induce weak outs through weak contact or strikeouts. She had a career-high nine strikeouts in the shutout over Robert Morris. 

Fouts is one of the best pitchers in the country and has been for the last four seasons. She's been Alabama's ace since her freshman season, and is once against the No. 1 pitcher for the Crimson Tide. 

When Lexi Kilfoyl entered the transfer portal in the offseason, it created an opening behind Fouts for someone to step up. Whether that be the other two pitchers already on the roster, Alex Salter and Jaala Torrence, or someone brought in from the portal or a combination of both. 

Whatever the case, Alabama cannot rely on Fouts alone to pitch every single inning (even though she is always willing to.) And Murphy said as much after his team lost a frustrating game to Kennesaw State Feb. 26. 

The week after the Kennesaw State loss, new pitching coach Lance McMahon had a heart-to-heart with the pitchers about why things had been happening the way they had. They came up with a different mentality, and it's paid off. Since the 5-3 loss to Kennesaw State, Alabama is 6-0, and the pitchers did not allow a single run in any of those six games. No matter the quality of opponent, to go on a scoreless streak of that type is impressive. 

"Kudos to Lauren and Lance because I know they had some big heart-to-heart talks with the pitchers and him," Murphy said. "So they came through in the clutch."

Esman said it has been a bit of a transition, but coming in new at the same time as a new pitching coach has been helpful

"It’s a lot to take in at first, but I think we're starting to get the hang of things and we're starting to feel each other out, know what people like to throw in certain types of counts, that type of things," Esman said. "And he’s really good about asking us what we like to. It’s very much a two-way conversation, and not just one-way, and I think that’s what makes us a really good, cohesive pitching staff.”

She doesn't consider her shutout performance against Robert Morris a fluke. The new mindset the pitchers used this weekend is something she wants to carry throughout the rest of the season. 

Even though Team 27 will need help behind Fouts, and they've gotten it this past week, Esman isn't worried about the title or role of being the "No. 2" pitcher. She just wants to do whatever's best for the team whether that's playing

"If I have better chance of succeeding against one team than somebody else on the team, then I'm gonna go out and do it," Esman said. "So yeah, I wouldn't consider myself a No. 2. I just think I'm a different look."

Because she had pitched so few innings collegiately, it was basically like Alabama was starting with a blank slate. This past weekend, Murphy said they view her like a freshman pitcher even though she's a senior because that's where she's at experience-wise pitching. In the preseason, the Alabama head coach compared her to a fresh lump of clay for McMahon to work and mold into an SEC pitcher. 

But ultimately, Murphy is hoping that by the end of the season, they've found a diamond in the rough. 

"Hopefully she’ll be the one that everybody’s like, ‘Wow, where’d you get her?'"

See also:

Alabama's Montana Fouts Named SEC Softball Pitcher of the Week

Pitching Dominates Crimson Classic as Alabama Softball Completes Doubleheader, Weekend Sweep

Brandon Miller Named SEC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year by League Coaches