“We’re chasing excellence, and we’re chasing a never-ending pursuit of greatness.”
Those were the words of senior Alexis Pupillo after Alabama’s win over UCLA in the Women’s College World Series. Although the Crimson Tide’s run was cut short by back-to-back losses to Texas Tech in the national semifinals, her words reflect the program’s consistent pursuit of championship-caliber rosters under head coach Patrick Murphy.
As devastating as it was to fall short of a championship for an Alabama team with its highest winning percentage since 2012, the Crimson Tide is set up well for the future with a talented young core that will keep it among the best teams in the sport for years to come.
The centerpiece of that core in 2027 will be Jocelyn Briski, the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-American in 2026. With one year of eligibility left, Briski will be on the shortlist of the best pitchers in the nation in her senior year.
Briski finished with the sixth-best ERA in the nation and led Alabama to the nation’s second-best team ERA. She put up 220 strikeouts against 22 walks, the second-best ratio for a pitcher in college softball.
As critical as Briski was to Alabama’s dominant season, the Crimson Tide’s pitching staff boasts two rising sophomores who also rank among the best pitchers in the country statistically.
Vic Moten, Alabama’s Saturday starter for most of the season, was named a finalist for Freshman of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association after posting the 14th-best ERA in the nation.
“She’s got a lot of potential,” Murphy said. “She is just a joy to coach. She’s a sponge. She takes everything that [pitching coach Lance McMahon] gives her and wants more.”
Moten’s season proved she would be an ace on the majority of teams in the country, while Kaitlin Pallozi also showed tremendous flashes in her true freshman year, shutting out USC Upstate in a regional win and winning D1 Softball Freshman of the Week earlier in the season.
Those three already made up one of the best pitching trios in the nation in 2026, and with another year of experience, they should be viewed as the best returning pitching staff in the sport in 2027.
While Alabama was more up and down at the plate than it was in the circle in 2026, it returns a talented group of young hitters for 2027 that should only improve.
All-American Brooke Wells batted .379 for Alabama through her first 60 games, and she will enter her junior year as one of the most important hitters on the team. She is joined by leadoff hitter Jena Young, who is coming off an impressive NCAA Tournament, in which she totaled 10 runs and 10 RBI.
Outfielder Audrey Vandagriff followed up an outstanding freshman season with a less productive year in 2026, batting .328 and totaling 33 RBI. In her freshman year, she put up 50 stolen bases and 51 runs on a .392 batting average and was named First-Team All-SEC.
If she can recapture her hitting ability to complement her elite speed on base, she will return to being one of the best players in the SEC and an integral part of Alabama’s offense.
“Whatever [Murphy] tells me, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability,” Vandagriff said. “He knows what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to be successful.”
Outfielder Ana Roman made a name for herself in her true freshman year with 33 runs and 42 RBI on the season. She cooled off after averaging .400 at the plate in her first 12 games, but a year of experience under her belt could see her move up the batting order as Alabama looks to replace seniors Alexis Pupillo and Marlie Giles.
Infielder Ambrey Taylor, on the other hand, started her freshman season off quietly but took a major step forward in conference play. After putting up one run and four RBI in Alabama’s series against Texas, and four runs and three RBI against Auburn, Taylor batted .500 in the SEC Tournament.
As per usual under Murphy, Alabama will bring in a talented group of freshmen to bolster the offense in 2027, including outfielder Ava Bush, who holds the Missouri record for home runs, and infielder Ava Briski, the younger sister of Jocelyn.
It is catcher Torynn Slaughter who headlines the class, however, as the No. 6 player in the nation according to Rivals’ ranking. A two-time state champion with raw hitting power, Slaughter will immediately add experience in big games and power at the plate to Alabama’s batting order.
“Torynn is a national champion who will add power from the left side of the plate,” Murphy said. “She’s capable of playing three positions and will give us depth around the roster.”
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