Alabama Softball Opens Spring Practice Wednesday
1/10/2018 5:19:00 PM | Softball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – With the semester officially underway, Alabama softball began spring practice Wednesday afternoon. The Crimson Tide opens the 2018 season Thursday, Feb. 8 at South Alabama.
The 19 student-athletes and coaching staff took the field for the first time in 2018, though the threat of inclement weather moved the start of practice to the Hank Crisp Indoor Football Facility before moving back to Rhoads Stadium to hit at the indoor softball facility.
"The main thing when we first get going is just fundamentals," UA head coach Patrick Murphy said, entering his 20th season at the helm of the Alabama softball program. "The first couple of days are just about getting the cobwebs off and getting them ready to go."
This year's team includes 13 returnees from last year's squad that won an NCAA Regional title in Tuscaloosa and appeared in the program's 13th-straight NCAA Super Regional. The Tide's six seniors, its second-largest class in program history, includes two-time All-American Alexis Osorio, All-American Demi Turner as well as Rachel Bobo, Sydney Booker, Carrigan Fain and Peyton Grantham.
Six newcomers will don the crimson and white for the first time this season, including junior college transfer Courtney Gettins and freshmen Kyra Lockhart, Maddie Morgan, Madison Preston, KB Sides and Kaylee Tow.
"It's a really cool balance between the old guard and the new kids who are very excited and enthusiastic," Murphy said. "I think the seniors are being really good mentors to the new kids. All six seniors were assigned a new kid to help them through the process and I think we'll see some good stuff coming from that all spring."
A challenging schedule awaits the Crimson Tide this spring, including 14 teams that made the 2017 NCAA Tournament and nine Super Regional participants. Florida, Texas A&M, Washington and Baylor, half of last year's Women's College World Series field, are all on Alabama's slate this season.
The Tide opens play Thursday, Feb. 8 in Mobile, Ala., against South Alabama at 6 p.m. CT. Alabama will be in Gulf Shores, Ala., that weekend at the Sand Dollar Classic, playing five games over three days beginning Friday, Feb. 9.
Alabama makes its home debut hosting the Easton Bama Bash Feb. 23-25, welcoming Georgia State, Northern Iowa and 2017 NCAA Super Regional participant Florida State to Rhoads Stadium.
Alabama is set to play 24 games at Rhoads Stadium this year, including SEC series against Ole Miss (March 23-25), Florida (April 7-9), Tennessee (April 21-23) and Texas A&M (May 4-6). Season tickets are available for purchase at RollTide.com or at the Alabama ticket office, located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum (205-348-1161).
For the latest information on the team, follow @AlabamaSB on Twitter, BamaSB on Instagram and Alabama Softball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
