Alabama softball was announced as the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament during the NCAA D1 Selection Show on Sunday. This is the second time in program history Alabama has been chosen as the No. 1 seed, the first happening in 2010.
The Crimson Tide has qualified for the NCAA tournament for the past 27 consecutive years, with its first selection appearing in head coach Patrick Murphy’s first year as head coach in 1999.
“I never take it for granted,” Murphy said. “This is 27 in a row, and this feels just as good as the first one.”
Alabama will host an NCAA Regional beginning on Friday at Rhoads Stadium. Southeastern Louisiana, Belmont and USC Upstate are in the bracket. Alabama will open the regional against No. 4 seed USC Upstate on Friday at 12 p.m.
This is USC Upstate’s fifth appearance in the Tuscaloosa Regional and the program’s third straight NCAA Tournament Regional appearance.
Across the bracket, Alabama will face some of the nation’s best pitchers, something the Crimson Tide has struggled with, specifically in its recent game against Texas in the SEC Championship.
The Crimson Tide could find itself in a bind against Belmont’s Maya Johnson, who currently leads the NCAA in earned run average with a 0.66. Johnson is currently 27-2 on the season. Belmont, though, only faced two SEC opponents in the regular season, Georgia and Tennessee.
The SEC has proven to be dominant in softball this year, with 12 teams competing in the NCAA Tournament, and six of the top eight seeds this year being from the SEC.
Belmont defeated Georgia 2-1 in the Red and Black Showcase for its first victory over an SEC opponent in February. The Bruins dominated early against the Bulldogs, taking the lead in the first inning and never giving it up. Johnson allowed one run across eight hits while striking out 12, proving she can continue her dominance in the circle while facing an SEC team.
In March, Belmont didn’t fare as well against then No. 1 ranked Tennessee, falling 1-0. While the Volunteers took home the match, it did so off a singular unearned run.
Alabama didn’t face Georgia this year in the regular season, but does hold a 35-15 record over the Bulldogs and is 6-4 in the last ten matchups.
The record changes against Tennessee, as the Crimson Tide did suffer a striking loss earlier in April to the Volunteers. Pitcher Jocelyn Briski’s second loss in the circle of the season came against Tennessee after she let her first unearned run of the season slip past her.
Southeastern Louisiana also brings one of the nation’s top 5 pitchers to Tuscaloosa. Cera Blanchard currently sits at a 1.08 ERA, ranked No. 3 in the country.
Alabama, however, also holds two of the nation’s best pitchers on its team, with aces Briski and Vic Moten. Briski has earned a long list of accolades this season, earning SEC pitcher of the week three times, D1 softball pitcher of the week and SEC pitcher of the year.
With three of the nation’s leaders in ERA and some of the top pitchers in the country, the Tuscaloosa Regional is set to be an intense pitcher’s duel. Alabama will kick off the regional on Friday against USC Upstate at noon CT.
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