Alabama Crimson Tide
2023 Alabama Crimson Tide softball team
UniversityUniversity of Alabama
Athletic directorGreg Byrne
Head coachPatrick Murphy (24th season)
ConferenceSEC
Western Division
LocationTuscaloosa, AL
Home stadiumRhoads Stadium (Capacity: 3,940)
NicknameCrimson Tide
ColorsCrimson and white[1]
   
NCAA Tournament champions
2012
NCAA WCWS runner-up
2014
NCAA WCWS appearances
2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023
NCAA Super Regional appearances
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
NCAA Tournament appearances
1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Conference Tournament championships
1998, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2021
Regular Season Conference championships
2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2019

The Alabama Crimson Tide softball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is currently led by head coach Patrick Murphy and assistant coaches Alyson Habetz and Stephanie VanBrakle. The team plays its home games at the Rhoads Stadium located on the university's campus. The Alabama Crimson Tide softball team won its first national championship in 2012, after they defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the championship series of the Women's College World Series.

History

On September 28, 1995, Alabama athletics director Glen Tuckett announced the school would sponsor a softball program to begin play in the 1997 season.[2] At the time of its addition, softball became both the 20th varsity sport overall and 11th women's sport sponsored at Alabama.[2] On January 3, 1996, Kalum Haack was hired from Kansas to serve as the first head coach for the team.[3] The next spring, Haack recruited his first class for the inaugural 1997 team.[3] On February 15, 1997, Alabama defeated Tulsa 5–2 in their first all-time game at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.[4] Two weeks later, the Crimson Tide won their first all-time home game in their home opener at Sokol Park against Delta State 4–3.[5]

After he led the Crimson Tide in their inaugural season and to their first SEC championship in their second season, on June 30, 1998, Haack resigned as head coach.[6] He cited personal reasons for his resignation.[6] During his two-year stint as head coach, Haack compiled an overall record of 78 wins and 47 losses (78–47).[6] A week later on July 9, Alabama assistant coach Patrick Murphy was promoted to the Crimson Tide's head coach position.[7]

Since Murphy took over in 1999, the Crimson Tide has won 12 SEC championships (6 regular season and 6 tournaments), made 17 consecutive NCAA tournaments (every year since 1999) and have advanced to the Women's College World Series ten times.[8][9] In 2012, Alabama defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 2 games to 1, in the championship series of the Women's College World Series, to win its first national championship in school history and the first softball national championship in the history of the SEC.[10]

A Crimson Tide softball player takes the field before a game at Rhoads Stadium

Head coaches

Name Years Record  %
Kalum Haack 1997–1998 78–47 .624
Patrick Murphy 1999–present 1,083–303 .781

Year-by-year records

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Southeastern Conference (1997–present)
1997 Kalum Haack 29–2916–142nd (Western)SEC tournament (0–2)
1998 Kalum Haack 49–1819–72nd (Western)SEC tournament (4–1)
1999 Patrick Murphy 39–2619–112nd (Western)SEC tournament (1–2)
NCAA Regional (0–2)
2000 Patrick Murphy 66–1425–52nd (Western)SEC tournament (2–2)
NCAA Regional (4–0)
College World Series (1–2)
2001 Patrick Murphy 50–1124–62nd (Western)SEC tournament (1–2)
NCAA Regional (2–2)
2002 Patrick Murphy 46–2122–82nd (Western)SEC tournament (2–2)
NCAA Regional (0–2)
2003 Patrick Murphy 49–2122–81st (Western)SEC tournament (4–0)
NCAA Regional (4–0)
College World Series (0–2)
2004 Patrick Murphy 45–2018–123rd (Western)SEC tournament (1–2)
NCAA Regional (3–2)
2005 Patrick Murphy 63–1523–71st (Western)SEC tournament (4–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (1–2)
2006 Patrick Murphy 54–1125–41stSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (0–2)
2007 Patrick Murphy 55–1021–62nd (Western)SEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (4–1)
NCAA Super Regional (0–2)
2008 Patrick Murphy 58–825–31st (Western)SEC tournament (2–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (2–2)
2009 Patrick Murphy 54–1121–61st (Western)SEC tournament (2–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (2–2)
2010 Patrick Murphy 52–1123–41stSEC tournament (3–0)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (1–2)
2011 Patrick Murphy 51–919–61stSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–1)
College World Series (2–2)
2012 Patrick Murphy 60–823–51stSEC tournament (3–0)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (5–1)
2013 Patrick Murphy 45–1513–113rd (Western)SEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (0–2)
2014 Patrick Murphy 53–1319–51stSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (3–2)
2015 Patrick Murphy 48–1517–73rdSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–1)
College World Series (1–2)
2016 Patrick Murphy 51–1217–85thSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (0–2)
2017 Patrick Murphy 46–1812–115thSEC tournament (2–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (1–2)
2018 Patrick Murphy 36–2012–128thSEC tournament (1–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (0–2)
2019 Patrick Murphy 60–1018–61stSEC tournament (2–1)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–1)
College World Series (3–2)
2020 Patrick Murphy 14–82–1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Patrick Murphy 52–918–63rdSEC tournament (3–0)
NCAA Regional (3–0)
NCAA Super Regional (2–0)
College World Series (2–2)
2022 Patrick Murphy 44–1316–82ndSEC Tournament (0–1)
NCAA Regional (3–2)
2023 Patrick Murphy 45–2214–105thSEC Tournament (2–1)
NCAA Regional (3–1)
NCAA Super Regional (2–1)
College World Series (0–2)
Total:1,291–383

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA Tournament seeding history

National seeding began in 2005. The Alabama Crimson Tide are one of only two teams to have a national seed every year, along with Tennessee.

Years → '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '21 '22 '23
Seeds → 12511341221026616128365

Awards and honors

National awards

NFCA National Pitcher of the Year
Softball America Pitcher of the Year
  • Montana Fouts (2023)
D1Softball Pitcher of the Year
  • Montana Fouts (2021)
Honda Sports Award
  • Montana Fouts (2023)

Conference awards

SEC Player of the Year
SEC Pitcher of the Year
  • Stephanie VanBrakle (2006)
  • Kelsi Dunne (2010, 2011)
  • Jackie Traina (2012, 2014)
  • Sarah Cornell (2019)
  • Montana Fouts (2021)
SEC Freshman of the Year
  • Lacy Prejean (2000)
  • Jackie McClain (2001)
  • Stephanie VanBrakle (2003)
  • Brittany Rogers (2006)
  • Kelsi Dunne (2008)
  • Amanda Locke (2009)
  • Kayla Braud (2010)
  • Alexis Osorio (2015)
  • Montana Fouts (2019)

Alabama's Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans

Player Year(s)
Kelly Kretschman 1998, 1999, 2000†, 2001†
Carrie Moreman 1999
Ginger Jones 2000†
Shelley Laird 2000, 2001
Suzanne Olcott 2001
Ashley Courtney 2002†, 2005
Jackie McClain 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Stephanie VanBrakle 2005, 2006
Brittany Rogers 2006, 2007, 2008†, 2009
Lauren Parker 2007†
Chrissy Owens 2007
Kelley Montalvo 2008†
Charlotte Morgan 2008†, 2009†, 2010
Kelsi Dunne 2008, 2009†, 2010, 2011†
Kayla Braud 2010, 2011†, 2013†
Whitney Larsen 2011
Jackie Traina 2011†, 2012†, 2013, 2014†
Kaila Hunt 2012, 2013
Amanda Locke 2012
Jennifer Fenton 2012
Haylie McCleney 2013, 2014†, 2015†, 2016†
Alexis Osorio 2015, 2017†
Marisa Runyon 2015
Demi Turner 2015
Leona Lafaele 2016
Sydney Littlejohn 2016
Kaylee Tow 2018, 2019, 2021
Bailey Hemphill 2019, 2021†
Montana Fouts 2019, 2021†
Reference:[11]

†Denotes 1st Team selection

See also

References

General
  • 2012 University of Alabama Softball Media Guide (PDF). Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Athletics Communications Office. 2012. p. 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
Specific
  1. ↑ "Alabama Crimson Tide Logo Sheet" (PDF). June 28, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Bama will sponsor women's softball program". The Tuscaloosa News. September 29, 1995. p. C4. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Haack to direct Bama softball". The Tuscaloosa News. January 4, 1996. p. C3. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Tide softball team opens season with win". The Tuscaloosa News. February 16, 1997. p. C8. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  5. ↑ Deas, Tommy (February 28, 1997). "Alabama softball team triumphs in home opener". The Tuscaloosa News. p. C1. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Deas, Tommy (July 1, 1998). "Bama softball coach Kalum Haack resigns". The Tuscaloosa News. p. C1. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  7. ↑ Deas, Tommy (July 10, 1998). "Murphy takes over Bama softball". The Tuscaloosa News. p. C1. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Tide softball season ends with loss to ASU, 3–1". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations - RollTide.com. June 1, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Alabama softball falls to Florida 6–5, ending its Women's College World Series run". University of Alabama Athletics Media Relations - RollTide.com. May 31, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
  10. ↑ Hays, Graham (June 7, 2012). "Alabama's title a milestone for SEC". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  11. ↑ 2012 University of Alabama Softball Media Guide, p. 50
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