Alabama Softball: Tuscaloosa Regional Breakdown
The NCAA selection crew may have been feeling generous when they handed Alabama the No. 15 seed and another shot at hosting a regional—but not everyone agrees they deserved it. Virginia Tech fans, for one, probably aren’t thrilled. The Hokies were ranked higher across the board (polls, RPI, KPI), yet they’re traveling to Tuscaloosa.
If you’re scratching your head over how Alabama edged them out, you’re not alone. Bama’s strength of schedule was brutal—34 games against NCAA Tournament teams, including 11 seeded squads—but they only managed a 14-20 record in those. Virginia Tech had a cleaner 14-8 record, but didn’t face nearly as many tough teams. So while Bama lost more, they lost to better teams. Apparently, that—and maybe the name on the jersey—was enough.
The Hokies (41-11)
These two teams have history. They split games earlier this season at the Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa. In Game 1, Alabama pulled starter Jocelyn Briski a little early, and it cost them. VT took the lead in the sixth and held on behind ace Emma Lemley. In the rematch, though, Alabama exploded on Lemley for nine runs and walked away with a run-rule win. Briski got the start again, and this time Bama’s bats took care of business.
The Hokies won’t be intimidated coming back to Rhoads Stadium, but Alabama’s home crowd could still be a factor.
Belmont (40-14)
Don’t sleep on Belmont. This is their first trip to the tournament, but they’ve got a legit weapon in pitcher Maya Johnson. She’s putting up video game numbers: 355 strikeouts, a 1.24 ERA, and hardly walks anyone. She’s leading the nation in Ks and strikeout-to-walk ratio. If she’s on, scoring runs will be a tall order for anyone—Alabama included.
Their lineup doesn’t exactly scare anyone (.278 team average), but they’re scrappy and disciplined at the plate. If they match up with Bama, expect a tight, low-scoring battle.
Jackson State (29-23)
JSU is the wild card here. The SWAC champs love to run—ranking sixth in the country in stolen bases—and Ka’Liyah Gipson leads the charge with 50 steals. But they haven’t exactly been tested against top-tier teams. Washington blew them out twice, and their other losses include ULM, Southern Miss, Memphis, and Hawaii.
It’s only the second time Alabama’s faced Jackson State—the first was a mercy-rule win in 2011. Expect the Tide to rest their top pitchers and rotate arms in this opener.
Alabama (37-21)
This isn’t your typical dominant Bama squad. There’s no clear ace in the circle, and the bats have been hot-and-cold all season. Still, they’re battle-tested. And when they’re clicking, they can hang with anyone—as shown in that huge win over Oklahoma.
The pitching staff will need to be carefully managed across the weekend, especially if they end up in a five-game grind. Murphy will have to make some smart calls about when to use Briski, Riley, and the rest of the staff.
The good news? They’re at home, and Rhoads Stadium is no picnic for visiting teams.
Schedule + Notes
Friday
Game 1: Belmont vs. Virginia Tech – 2:30 PM CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: Jackson State vs. Alabama – 5:00 PM CT (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: Winners face off – 11:00 AM
Game 4: Losers face off (elimination game) – 1:30 PM
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 (elimination game) – 4:00 PM
Sunday
Game 6: Regional final – 1:00 PM
Game 7 (if necessary) – 3:30 PM
Watch Out For…
Weather: Thunderstorms are possible Saturday and Sunday. Friday looks clear.
TV Woes: Every game is streaming on ESPN+ for now, but a big matchup could bump to cable.
Other Regionals to Track:
Root for Texas Tech and Mississippi State to take down Washington.
Keep an eye on Duke vs. Georgia and Oregon vs. Stanford.
This regional might look manageable, but with Virginia Tech’s grit, Belmont’s ace, and JSU’s speed, Alabama’s path to the Super Regional is anything but easy.
