WCWS Live Updates: No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 4 Tennessee

The No. 5-Seeded Crimson Tide begins play in the WCWS, with a matchup set versus SEC rival Tennessee.

Alabama Athletics

OKLAHOMA CITY — Alabama softball is back in the Women's College World Series, making their 14th appearance all-time after a brief absence in 2022.

The Crimson Tide defeated Northwestern last weekend in Tuscaloosa, losing game one, 3-1, before evening the series with a 2-1 win on Saturday and before advancing with a 3-2 win on Sunday.

Patrick Murphy's squad is the No. 5 overall seed. The winner of today's matchup will advance to play Saturday, while the loser will in Friday's elimination game.

Follow along on the live blog for all Thursday updates, including any problems with the weather and the score.

Starting lineups:

Scouting Alabama

Game notes courtesy of Alabama Athletics

• No. 5 seed Alabama opens play at the 2023 Women's College World Series on Thursday, June 1 against No. 4 Tennessee at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN
• This year marks the Crimson Tide's 14th appearance in Oklahoma City, returning after a one-year absence
• Alabama punched its ticket with a Super Regional round win over Northwestern last weekend in Tuscaloosa, rallying after a game one loss to take games two and three
• Fifth-year seniors Ashley Prange and Ally Shipman are tied for the team lead with 58 hits, with Shipman leading the team in doubles (15) and Prange leading the way in home runs (16)
• Freshman Kenleigh Cahalan is a close second with 56 hits, while junior Bailey Dowling trails just behind with 53 along with a team-leading 49 RBIs
• The Alabama pitching staff has a 1.99 ERA with 443.2 innings pitched, led by Montana Fouts at 25-10 with a 1.48 ERA and NCAA-leading 319 strikeouts in 223.0 innings pitched
• Murphy is in his 25th season as head coach at Alabama with a 1,238-353 (.778) 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 the Women's College World Series

• This marks Alabama's 14th trip to the Women's College World Series, owning a 22-25 all-time record in Oklahoma City
• The Tide has more appearances than any other SEC team, three ahead of second-place Florida (11)
• Alabama's first appearance came in 1999, just the program's third season in existence and the first under head coach Patrick Murphy
• The Tide would earn two wins for the first time in 2008 and has won at least two games in seven of the nine appearances since
• Alabama won the national title in 2012, the first NCAA softball championship for any SEC school
• With 14 WCWS appearances in 27 seasons as a D1 softball program, the Tide has qualified more often than it hasn't, a feat only UCLA and Arizona can also claim

WCWS Thursday Schedule

• Game 1: No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Alabama | 11:00 a.m. CT | ESPN

• Game 2: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Stanford | 2:30 p.m. CT | ESPN

• Game 3: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 6 Oklahoma State | 7:00 p.m. CT | ESPN

• Game 4: No. 7 Washington vs. No. 15 Utah | 9:30 p.m. CT | ESPN

See also:

How to Watch Alabama in the 2023 Women's College World Series

Alabama Softball Flies to its 14th Women's College World Series

The Latest on Montana Fouts as Alabama Holds Practice at WCWS