Alabama Softball Freshman Q&A: Bailey Hemphill
1/19/2017 4:12:00 PM | Softball
Rolltide.com will be posting Q&As with each of the four freshman on this year's Alabama softball team so the fans can get to know the newest members of our Crimson Tide family heading into the 2017 season. The third Q&A is with Bailey Hemphill, a power-hitting catcher from Lafayette, La., who was a two-time NFCA High School First Team All-American and the top-rated prep catcher by FloSoftball.
How did you get your start playing softball?
"I started in tee ball and really liked it, so from there I went on to coach pitch and we had a local travel team. It kept getting more competitive and I just stuck with it. I was probably four or five when I started. I could hit the ball well and figured I'd just stick with it."
Did you play any other sports growing up?
"I played basketball, soccer and volleyball. I stopped soccer before high school and then I didn't play basketball my freshman year since I was still playing volleyball, but I switched back to basketball the next year and kept playing that along with softball."
At what point did you realize you wanted to play the sport at the college level?
"I was just playing with friends at the start. When I got to about 12 or 13 years old, our team was pretty good and that's when we started competing with really good teams at national tournaments. I switched to an even more competitive club team and went to my first tournament in Colorado and saw all the coaches there and thought 'this is insane, maybe I can actually play in college'. [UA Head Coach Patrick] Murphy came to one of our games and he wasn't even there to watch me but I did awful, I think I was hitless. My coach came up to me and told me Coach Murphy liked what he saw. I was like 'are you kidding me'. That's when I realized coaches were actually watching me play."
Was that your first exposure to Alabama softball?
"I always watched them on TV and thought it would be a dream to play there. When Coach Murphy told my coach he liked what he saw, it was amazing. I started going to camps and they kept coming to watch so it just went from there."
Growing up in Lafayette, did you have any prior allegiance to Louisiana-Lafayette or even LSU?
"It seems like everyone in Louisiana supports LSU no matter where they're from. I'm from Lafayette and I always like to go against the grain so I rooted for ULL. I remember going to basketball camps, softball games and both of my parents went there, but I wasn't a die-hard fan."
What was your recruiting process like and what set Alabama apart?
"I wanted to narrow it down to four schools from the start. I didn't want to go far, so I looked at Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU and Mississippi State. I went on all my visits but there was something different when I came here. Even before that, the Alabama coaches really did their homework on who I was as a person and as a student. They saw me play and knew my skills as a player but they went even beyond that. They called a lot of people to see who I was as a person. A lot of other schools don't know anything about you besides how you play. The Alabama coaches really cared and wanted me to be a part of this family."
Was Alabama always the front-runner?
"Absolutely. I told myself it probably wasn't realistic and that I wouldn't be good enough to play there. It was my dream school. They kept showing interest though and with [UA Associate Head Coach] Aly [Habetz] being from Louisiana, it was a great connection and it made it easier to know that was where I wanted to go."
When did you make your commitment?
"Alabama was my last unofficial visit and right when we finished the visit, I told my mom I knew I wanted to come here. We had both agreed that we weren't going to commit to anyone on campus. We were going to go home and think about it, but there wasn't much to think about. I called Murph and Aly two days later and told them Alabama was where I wanted to be."
Was it a relief to get the recruiting process done or did it add some pressure during the rest of your high school career?
"It was a relief for me and my parents to know where I was going but it was also added pressure. Being from Lafayette, people were wondering why I'd want to go to Alabama and it did put some expectations on me. They were like 'she's going to Alabama so she has to hit four home runs this game' though it was more made-up pressure in my mind probably. There are some expectations but it was more me putting pressure on myself to live up to some standard."
What has the transition to college life been like so far?
"The experience has been great so far. I'm a pretty awkward person so I didn't know how I'd interact with everyone. I didn't really know the other freshmen that well so I wondered how the rooming situation would work out but it's been great. We're all best friends and hang out all the time. I was more surprised how easily all of us freshmen clicked with the rest of the team. I didn't know if being freshmen meant we couldn't hang out with the other ones or whatever but the upperclassmen have been great. It's awesome to see how much we get along on and off the field."
Describe the emotions of being on the field during your first fall game
"I remember when I first went to hit, I was in the batter's box and I could feel my bat shaking. I looked over and my hands were shivering and I was like 'why?'. I was nervous but in a good way. It sounds cliché but my dream was finally happening. It was insane that I was playing on that field for the team I've always wanted to play for. My family was there and it was great. Thank goodness I got walked and when I came back in the dugout, I asked the other freshmen 'are your hands doing this'? We all were and we figured it was pretty normal. I never get that nervous but it was good."
Alabama plays a preseason series in Lafayette this year. Are you excited for that trip?
"I went home for break and saw a bunch of friends and they want to know when individual tickets go on sale. A lot of my friends go to school there and plan on getting in with their student ID but will wear an Alabama shirt. It's good to know that I'll have fans cheering for me and it'll be a lot of fun. It's my hometown and my family and friends will all be there."
Looking ahead to the season, what are some of your goals?
"Individually I just want to contribute in whatever way I can, whether it's on the field or on the bench. I just want to have fun. A lot of people I've talked to say that during their freshman year they were timid and they've told me to just enjoy it. You're going to strike out, it's bound to happen, so just accept it and enjoy the experience. Team goals, we obviously want to win the SEC and the national championship."
