Super Regional Live Updates: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Northwestern

The Crimson Tide opens the weekend against the Wildcats, needing two wins to get back to the Women's College World Series

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama softball is back in Super Regionals with a spot in the Women's College World Series on the line. 

The No. 5 Crimson Tide has to take two of three games from No. 12 Northwestern for a trip back to Oklahoma City. 

All eyes will be in the circle as Montana Fouts throws for the first time since her knee injury of the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. She will be facing off against Northwestern ace Danielle Williams. 

First pitch between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Starting lineups:

Follow along on the live blog for score updates and analysis from Rhoads Stadium:

This Week: NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional

Game notes courtesy of Alabama Athletics

• Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Rhoads Stadium
• Radio: The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com | Varsity App
• Video: ESPN2 (Friday), ESPN (Saturday) *Potential Sunday time and channel TBD*

No. 5 Alabama (43-19) vs. No. 12 Northwestern (41-11) - All Times Central

• Friday, May 26 – 7 p.m. CT – ESPN2
• Saturday, May 27 – 8 p.m. CT – ESPN
• (if necessary) Sunday, May 28 - TBD

Scouting Alabama

• No. 5 seed Alabama will host No. 12 Northwestern this weekend for the NCAA Super Regional round at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, which begins Friday, May 26 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2
• It is a best-of-three series, with game two on Saturday, May 27 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN and, if necessary, a game three on Sunday, May 28 (time and TV TBD)
• The winner of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional will advance to the 2023 Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., which begins on Thursday, June 1
• This year marks the Crimson Tide's 17th appearance in the Super Regional round since the current postseason format's introduction in 2005, hosting in 12 of those 17 years
• Forced into a winner-take-all game seven at last weekend's Tuscaloosa Regional, Alabama defeated Middle Tennessee, 1-0, behind a seventh-inning home run from Ally Shipman and a complete-game shutout from Jaala Torrence
• Shipman's four-hit weekend at Regionals moved her into the team lead with 56 this season, with her 15 doubles tied for the team lead with Kenleigh Cahalan
• Dowling leads the team with 48 RBIs, with Ashley Prange close behind at 45 along with a team-leading 16 home runs
• The Alabama pitching staff has a 2.00 ERA with 422.2 innings pitched, led by Montana Fouts at 23-9 with a 1.44 ERA and NCAA-leading 311 strikeouts in 213.1 innings pitched
• Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,231-350 (.779) record
• Alabama returns 11 players from last year's team, including All-SEC honorees Montana Fouts, Ashley Prange, Ally Shipman and Bailey Dowling, while also welcoming five freshmen and three transfers

Alabama at NCAA Super Regionals

• This year marks Alabama's 17th Super Regional appearance, with the Crimson Tide playing in 17 of the 18 Super Regional rounds since the current postseason format was adopted in 2015
• Alabama has served as the host in 12 of those 17 Super Regional appearances, previously winning 10 of the 11 at Rhoads Stadium
• Seven of the 11 Super Regionals in Tuscaloosa were won by Alabama in two games
• The Tide overcame a game-one loss to defeat Stanford (2011) and Oklahoma (2015) and lost game two to Texas (2019) before claiming game three
• Alabama's lone Super Regional loss at home came in 2010 against Hawai'i, winning game one before falling in games two and three

Last Time Out: NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional

• Alabama won last weekend's Tuscaloosa Regional, claiming its first two games against LIU (5-0) and Middle Tennessee (12-5) before the Blue Raiders won game six (4-1) to force a winner-take-all game seven, which the Crimson Tide won courtesy a seventh inning go-ahead home run from Ally Shipman
• Alabama now owns a 68-12 all-time record in Regional play
• Shipman's game seven home run was part of a 4-for-10 (.400) weekend, scoring three times and driving in four RBIs
• Kali Heivilin had a pair of home runs over the weekend, tying Bailey Dowling for a team-leading five RBIs
• Jaala Torrence went 3-0 in the circle, throwing 18.2 shutout innings with 17 strikeouts and just three walks