With Friday’s double shut-out of Stanford by the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team, the lady Tiders advanced to the Women’s College World Series.

After an abysmal showing in their 5-2 loss on Thursday, Alabama took the field determined to crush the Cardinal. That energy translated into a 10-0 win in five innings in the first game of the double- header, invoking the run rule.

However, in the second game Stanford would prove why they were good enough to be there in the first place, Bama managing just one run. That run would be good enough as the Tide’s 1-0 victory in game three took the series for the Tide, in turn taking them to Oklahoma City.

This year’s trip will be the Tide’s seventh trip to the big dance, an amazing feat when considering the program has only been in existence for 15 years. 13 of those 15 years they have made the NCAA tournament field.

Contrast this to the men’s baseball team, which can’t seem to get off the tarmac every year. The Tide limped into the SEC baseball tournament, winning their first game against Arkansas only to be bludgeoned by Florida, and then ousted by the Hogs in the elimination game. Bama managed only two hits in the losing affair, and now wait to hear which regional they will lose in.

One reality I’ll admit is that baseball is different from softball. There isn’t a draft every year taking the top talent from college softball. When you see a college baseball team you’re basically seeing a professional “B-team”, players not good enough to be playing for money (unless they’re in Auburn…I kid because I care).

But still, why can’t the Bama baseball team take note from the softball team and be more of a force? And for that matter, where is the Tide’s women’s basketball team? Do we even have one?

Those questions may not be answered for a while. But what is certain is that Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy is fielding a juggernaut year-after-year, teams to be proud of.

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8 thoughts on “Bama softball setting pace men can’t match”

  1. Yes sir, the ladies are becoming a tradition in the same light as UThug’s womens basketball. Kudos to the ladies and Patrick Murphy. Well if we are disappointed in our baseball team, think about how LSU’s fans must feel. Pitching was our downfall this year and certainly the team can’t be blamed for the pitching coach leaving. But the administration can damn sure be blamed for allowing the batting coach to be made the pitching coach instead of hiring a top notch pitching coach. Both pitching and batting suffered for it. Maybe Patrick Murphy should be the baseball coach? Interesting. RTR!

  2. I just don’t think that is Baseball. It is some bastardized version to satisfy Title 9. Junk Baseball. Let them play it the way Abner invented it.
    I don’t care about being politically correct. I’m going to call it as I see it. Junk Baseball. Just be Honest.

  3. Pluto don’t be an azz. Every guy who is sports inclined has played church league, city league or industrial league softball. And if you have, you know damn well it’s serious business. No the talent level throughout the lineups isn’t there but there are some fantastic xathletes in those leagues and the game is exactly the same. I’ve been to several of the ladies softball games and I’m telling you they are good, they compete, they have to hit, catch and play with a bat and ball just like everybody. I won’t try to compare softball with baseball but I’ll guarantee that those girls on Alabama’s softball team can beat the hell out of any mens amature softball team in the country. RTR!

  4. Thanks Guy. I wonder sometimes if I’m still bringing the smack – but based on most of the calls – the old timers – still have it – like yourself. LOL

  5. I want to address the overall Athletic situation at Bama. I am passionate about believing that all sports – must be competing for league or national championships. Men – Women- just posting a winning record does not get it.
    Hell. I’m starting to miss Jim Wells. This really sucks. When you talk about “The Show” for Baseball – it ain’t the Women. They can win the whole damn thing – and most folks will yawn. It ain’t fair. Life ain’t fair. We have got to have league and national championship Baseball. I betcha those corn dogs ain’t happy either. At least they will do what it takes. Firing Coaches.

  6. Maybe the only good thing about the baseball team not being able to do squat, is that the rest of the league will leave the tournament in Hoover a while longer. Ha ha!

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