Three Things to Watch for from Alabama Softball in Super Regionals

Who will be in the circle for the Crimson Tide and can the offense get things going against one of the best pitchers in the country?

Alabama softball and Super Regionals go together like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, salt and pepper, Montana Fouts and strikeouts. 

Prior to last season, Alabama was the only program in the country to advance to the Super Regional round every year since its inception in 2005.

"These just never, ever get old," Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. "It’s been a great tradition for Alabama softball to be in a Super Regional, especially at the Rhoads House.” 

After a disappointing end in 2022 with an early exit in the regional round, the Crimson Tide is back in Supers. And not only is the team back, but thanks to the 5-seed it earned from the NCAA Selection committee, Team 27 gets to play in front of a packed crowd at Rhoads Stadium when No. 12 Northwestern comes to town. 

Here are three things to keep an eye on as the Crimson Tide opens the series against the Wildcats Friday night: 

1. Will Montana Fouts pitch?

This is the biggest question on everyone's minds. Fouts has not thrown for the Crimson Tide since suffering a knee injury in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. According to Murphy at Thursday's press conference, Fouts is available to pitch, but that doesn't necessarily mean she will.

Whether or not Alabama advances to the Women's College World Series, this weekend will be the last time Fouts can pitch at Rhoads Stadium as a member of the Crimson Tide. 

Her accolades are a mile long, and the fifth-year pitcher is one of the most popular athletes in the sport and decorated athletes in Crimson Tide history. And she might just be having her best season in her final year. 

Prior to her injury, Fouts had been on about a seven-week run of dominant pitching. Not only is she Alabama's best pitcher, but she is the most experienced, especially in big moments. And it doesn't get much bigger than a spot in Oklahoma City on the line in front of 4,000 fans at Rhoads Stadium. 

Fouts has been a gamer throughout her career and is always willing to take the ball– like the 2021 SEC Tournament title run where she pitched every single inning over three games for the Crimson Tide. Alabama seems optimistic about her status, which should make Crimson Tide fans optimistic about Team 27's chances of returning to the Women's College World Series.

2. Can Jaala Torrence replicate the success from Regionals?

All season long, one of the biggest concerns for the Alabama softball team was what kind of production it would get in the circle when Fouts wasn't starting. Alabama won just two SEC games not started by Fouts, and Alex Salter was the winner in both of those games. 

But in the Tuscaloosa Regional when Alabama needed someone to step up, junior Jaala Torrence answered the call. She was phenomenal all weekend long, and came up clutch in the elimination game against Middle Tennessee State. 

In her three appearances in Regionals, Torrence did not allow a single run in 18.2 innings pitched, striking out 17 with just three walks. She pitched a complete-game shutout Sunday afternoon to punch Alabama's ticket to Super Regionals. 

It was her second seven-inning shutout of the weekend, something she had not done even once this season prior to the NCAA Tournament. 

If Fouts is not at 100 percent, Alabama will need Torrence to step up again. 

3. Can the Alabama offense score runs on Northwestern's Danielle Williams?

It doesn't matter who's in the circle for Alabama if the Crimson Tide offense can't find more success than it had last week. 

On the final day of the Tuscaloosa Regional, Alabama mustered two total runs over 14 innings. It turned out Ally Shipman's solo home run in the seventh inning of the elimination game was all the Crimson Tide needed, but Murphy and his pitchers would like a little more breathing room this weekend. 

Northwestern's Danielle Williams has been one of the best pitchers in the country over the last five years, edging out Fouts for NFCA National Freshman of the Year in 2019. 

She has experience on the biggest stages, taking the Wildcats to the WCWS last year, and this weekend will be her third trip to the Super Regional round. Williams once again leads the Wildcats with a 2.23 ERA in 147 innings pitched. She has just one loss this season in 34 appearances.

"She probably has the best changeup in the country as a left-hander, and you just don’t see that very often," Murphy said. "We’ve seen some lefties, but not with the changeup."

So it won't be easy for the Crimson Tide, but Williams did show some vulnerability in the Evanston Regional last weekend. She gave up four earned runs in six innings against Kentucky and two earned runs in three innings against Miami (Ohio.)

The Wildcats also have junior Lauren Boyd in the circle, who has an 8-4 record with a 2.26 ERA. 

The top two spots in the Alabama lineup combined to go 2 for 26 in regionals, so the Crimson Tide will need more production from the top of the lineup all the way down. 

See also:

How to Watch NCAA Softball Super Regional: Northwestern at Alabama

Alabama Softball Infielder Enters Transfer Portal

Shipman Sends Alabama to Supers with Seventh-Inning Home Run