Portal Paying Off: Ashley Prange's Journey to Alabama Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Stop me if you've heard this one before: A transfer from Ohio State makes a big impact for the Crimson Tide.
And no, I'm not talking about Jameson Williams.
In Alabama softball's opening weekend, senior infielder Ashley Prange had quite the debut in a Crimson Tide uniform. She hit .583 and tied the team lead with seven hits including two home runs in the 11-0 victory over No. 9 Arizona.
The Buckeye transfer started all four games of the weekend at third base, committing no errors at the hot corner. She drove in five runs and scored five more on her own.
Before the season, Prange shared the journey of how she arrived in Tuscaloosa from Columbus.
"I decided to enter the portal after this last season, and then honestly I can say that I kind of was like, ‘This is in God’s hands,'" Prange said. "Like I really didn’t have anything set in stone, hadn't really been talking to anybody because that's not allowed before you actually enter the portal."
With only two seniors on the roster in Montana Fouts and graduate Kaylee Tow, Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy knew he would be able to add valuable experience and leadership to his team from the transfer portal. And it was a call Murphy made that made all the difference for Prange.
"And so I remember getting a call from my old travel coach and he was like, ‘Hey, you're never gonna guess who I just talked to,'" Prange said. "And I was like, ‘Hit me with it.’ And he was like, ‘Coach Murph.’ And I like kind of was in shock."
After an email exchange with the head coach and a couple of phone calls, Prange flew down to Tuscaloosa and committed almost instantly.
In her three seasons at Ohio State, Prange started 103 games, primarily at third, and hit .303 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs. From New Palestine, Indiana, Prange was the 2018 Indiana Gatorade Softball Player of the Year and earned Big 10 All-Freshman Team honors in 2019 during her first season with the Buckeyes.
Alabama also added senior catcher Ally Shipman from Tennessee. Shipman also had a big weekend in Arizona hitting .364 with a home run and six RBIs. She started all four games behind the plate and caught all four of Alabama's pitchers.
So the addition of Shipman and Prange has already paid dividends on the field early in the season, but according to Murphy, the work they've been able to do with the team leading up to the season has been just as valuable.
"I think one of the greatest byproducts of adding Ashley and Ally, they’ve had three years of Power Five experience, and they’re helping Montana and Kaylee Tow with the leadership," Murphy said. "Even though they’re new, they’ve been through the Big 10, and obviously Ally was at Tennessee in the SEC, so they've seen it. They’ve done it. They've played in a lot of big, big games. That part of it has been probably the biggest bonus for having these two here."
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Murphy said adding the two transfers helped blend the old and the new on a roster of 20 girls split almost evenly between the old and new with 11 returnees and nine new faces.
As a transfer, Prange wanted to be intentional about getting to know her teammates off the field as well as she knows them on the field. And according to Prange and Murphy, this team has gelled from the start.
That team chemistry was displayed on the field last weekend when Alabama went 4-0, outscoring opponents 35-3, crushing 10 home runs, stealing eight bases and only giving up one error.
Now, Prange is days away from getting to play at Rhoads Stadium for the first time in an Alabama uniform as Team 26 opens up the home schedule with five games at the Easton Bama Bash from Friday to Sunday. So far, being at Alabama is more than she could have ever asked for.
"It's definitely lived up and exceeded my expectations," Prange said. "This is an experience beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. And kind of piggybacking off of what Montana was saying feeling like you're known and valued for who you are on and off the field and not just for what you bring onto the field has been like the greatest experience of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. These girls are nothing short of amazing. The best coaching staff I could’ve asked for, and I’m just super thankful to be here.”
