Softball Opens Fall Practice Sunday

Alabama softball will play four doubleheaders at Rhoads Stadium during the month of October, UA head coach Patrick Murphy announced Tuesday.

“We’re really excited for everyone to be back,” junior Elissa Brown said. “We practiced a little this summer before we left for Japan but now we have everyone. We’re all excited to come together and practice, especially with the newcomers that didn’t make the Japan trip.”

This year’s team includes 13 returnees from the 2018 squad that made its 20th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, winning a regional title for the 14th-consecutive season and maintaining its streak as the only program to appear in every NCAA Super Regional since the round’s inception in 2005. Joining them are seven newcomers, including freshmen Kloyee Anderson, Kayla Davis, Montana Fouts and Skylar Wallace and transfers Taylor Clark, Sarah Cornell and Krystal Goodman.

“A lot of the first day is going over the basics,” senior Merris Schroder said. “Learning the everyday drills and getting back in the swing of things. We’ve done some individual work but this is our first day together as a team. We’ve already meshed well with the newcomers so we’re just really excited to get them out here with the team.”

The Crimson Tide opens its fall slate of games in two weeks, starting Sunday, Oct. 7 against Auburn University-Montgomery at 1:30 p.m. CT. Next, West Alabama comes to Tuscaloosa on Friday, Oct. 12 for a 6 p.m. CT contest before the weekend concludes with a doubleheader against Wallace State Sunday, Oct. 14 at 1:30 p.m. CT. The final fall contest is a split doubleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 23 facing Marion Military Academy at 5 p.m. CT and Shelton State at 7 p.m. CT.

Admission for fall games is $5 and tickets will be sold at the gate. All proceeds from fall softball games benefit the Bama Softball Walk-Off Club, the official booster club for Alabama Softball. Fans who have not joined the club will have an opportunity to sign up at the fall games.

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.