Alabama Softball Surprises En Route to WCWS

Even just weeks ago, the Women’s College World Series seemed implausible.  The Crimson Tide softball team lost seven of eight Southeastern Conference series and then lost in their opening round of the conference tournament.

But on Tuesday, Alabama left the Tuscaloosa airport for the Oklahoma City.

“I just talked to one alum, Katie Johnson Rooney on the way here,” Murphy said at the airport. “And she’s like, Murph, holy buckets. Is this really happening? And I said, Katie, it’s the same response I’ve had. And everybody should be so proud of this group because, you know, they could have listened to the negativity.”

But they didn’t.

Despite dealing with their first losing SEC record in 28 years and three surgeries to key players, the Tide cherished the motto: bend don’t break.

“You literally saw a team grow up right in front of your eyes,” Murphy said.

Earlier this spring, Murphy witnessed Alabama basketball struggle and then shock the world to make the Final Four.

Murphy said he sensed his team was capable of pulling off a similar feat. So much so, the 26th-year head coach said he procured Tide men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats to speak to his team ahead of Super Regionals.

Former Alabama softball pitcher Montana Fouts pitches in Women’s College World Series last season. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Even facing two must-win games versus Tennessee, the Tide refused to break.

They pulled off a super regional record 14-inning Game Two on Saturday. Then they began Game Three with a grand slam from no other than Regionals hero, sophomore Riley Valentine. After a three-hour rain delay, the Tide shut down the Volunteers with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to secure a trip to the WCWS.

“Throwing that last pitch and watching that ball go to first base,” Alabama softball pitcher Kayla Beaver said, “it makes me want to tear up just talking about it right now. It was a dream come true. Everybody talks about that when they’re a little girl, playing softball.”

Few people picked the Tide to win their own regional. Even fewer picked Bama to beat Tennessee.

Most won’t pick them to win in Oklahoma City.

But Beaver and the Tide are embracing it.

“We love it,” said the graduate student. “We love being the underdog. Nobody expects us to win. They haven’t expected this out of us this entire time and getting to prove everybody wrong. It’s made it so much more fun.”

The 14-seed Tide open up WCWS play Thursday as the away team versus 6-seed UCLA. First pitch is set for 11 a.m..

The game will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+.