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With the NCAA granting all spring 2020 athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic, athletes all around the country have choices to make on if and where they will use that extra year of eligibility. 

All seven seniors on Alabama's 2020 softball roster chose to use the extra year and returned for the 2021 season in Tuscaloosa. Behind the leadership of those seven seniors that team won an SEC Tournament championship and went to the Women's College World Series semifinals. 

However, the same cannot be said for the 2021 team. Some seniors chose not to use their extra year at all, some are transferring, and some will be returning for a fifth season with the Crimson Tide.

This will attempt to sort out all the roster moves for Alabama softball after the 2021 season. As the offseason continues, this list will be updated with any changes.

Returners

Kayla Davis- Outfielder (senior)

  • Davis appeared in 38 games in 2021 and was primarily used as a pinch runner.

Abby Doerr- Catcher (junior)

  • Doerr only started 13 games in 2021, but has shown flashes of power throughout her two seasons in Tuscaloosa including a pinch-hit home run against Arizona at the WCWS.
  • She is the only returning catcher on the roster.

Bailey Dowling- Infielder (sophomore)

  • Dowling started her first 25 games as a true freshman at shortstop and second base before going down with an ACL injury against Tennessee. 
  • Prior to her injury, Dowling was neck-and-neck leading the team in home runs and RBIs.

Montana Fouts- Pitcher (senior)

  • Named the 2021 NFCA Pitcher of the Year
  • 2021 SEC Co-Pitcher of the Year
  • Fouts led the country with 349 strikeouts.
  • Pitched the first perfect game at the WCWS in more than 20 years with her performance against UCLA.

Kat Grill- Outfielder (sophomore)

  • Appeared in 45 games, mainly as a pinch runner, but also had 10 starts in the outfield and as the DP

KJ Haney- Utility (sophomore)

  • Appeared in 10 games as a true freshman with one hit, a three-run home run against Alabama State

Jenna Johnson- Outfielder (junior)

  • Johnson started out the season mainly in the outfield before missing the whole month of March with an injury. Once she returned from injury, she found herself as the designated player in most games down the final stretch of the season. 

Lexi Kilfoyl- Pitcher (junior)

  • Kilfoyl started 16 games in the circle and finished with a 1.62 ERA.
  • She batted for herself in most starts and also served as the DP when she was not pitching.
  • Will continue to provide a solid 1-2 punch with Fouts for the Crimson Tide in the circle

Alex Salter- Pitcher (redshirt freshman)

  • Redshirted in 2021 and should provide some pitching depth in 2022

Jaala Torrence- Pitcher (sophomore)

  • Made 10 appearances in the circle in 2021 with two starts
  • Finished with a .094 ERA

Kaylee Tow- Infielder (fifth-year senior)

  • Tow is the most experienced player returning to Alabama in 2022, and she is a three-time NFCA All-American.
  • She started every game in 2021 and was second on the team in hits (68), home runs (8) and RBIs (51).

Savannah Woodard- Infielder (junior)

  • Woodard stepped up to fill in holes in the lineup when several players went down with injury. 
  • During Alabama's 20 game win streak at the end of the season, she led the team in RBIs for most of the streak. 

*Reminder that anyone who was on the 2020 team has an extra year of eligibility, so just because someone is listed as a senior, it does not mean that 2020 will be their last season.

Departures (due to end of eligibility)

Six of the seven "super seniors" graduated with an undergrad and Masters degree. Krystal Goodman had a double major and will be a graduate assistant at Southern Miss in 2022. 

Elissa Brown- Centerfield

  • Brown has been a mainstay in the Alabama outfield since 2017 with over 200 career starts in centerfield. 
  • Alabama will miss her speed and experience on both offense and defense.

Taylor Clark- Shortstop/Third Base

  • Struggled offensivley after tranferring from Virginia Tech in 2019, but she stepped up to fill holes in the infield after her teammates went down with injuries.
  • Had key home runs against Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals and against Clemson at NCAA regionals.

Sarah Cornell- Pitcher

  • 2019 SEC pitcher of the year
  • Only made nine appearance in the circle in 2021, but she also served as a pinch hitter and runner. 
  • Alabama will miss the depth she gave to the pitching staff.

Krystal Goodman- Pitcher

  • Like Cornell, Goodman provided valuable depth to the Alabama pitching staff, especially in April when Kilfoyl was out with an injury. 
  • Goodman will be a graduate assistant at Southern Miss in 2022. 

Bailey Hemphill- Catcher/First Base

  • Hemphill left her name throughout the Alabama and SEC record books. She is the SEC walks leader with 237, and the all-time Alabama home run leader with 64. 
  • She was a 2021 first-team all-American.
  • The Crimson Tide will obviously miss the offensive production from Hemphill, but also her leadership behind the plate. 

Claire Jenkins- Shortstop/Third Base

  • Started almost 200 games in the infield while battling through injuries on the back half of her career. 
  • Even after missing the last 20+ plus games of the season with an ACL injury, Jenkins finished tied for sixth on the team in RBIs.

Alexis Mack- Outfield

  • 2021 first-team all-SEC
  • A constant presence at the top of the lineup, she led the 2021 team in hits (74), runs (63) and stolen bases (25).

Departing seniors (who chose not to use extra year)

Kyra Lockhart

  • Battled through several injuries throughout her four years in Tuscaloosa and mainly played as a pinch hitter

Maddie Morgan

    • A three-year starter on the infield and was fifth on the team in RBIs in 2021

Transfer out

KB Sides

  • A three-year starter in the outfield, Sides announced on social media that she would be using her extra-year of eligibility somewhere else after graduating from Alabama. Sides is making and inter-conference transference and has announced via social media that she is transferring to Arkansas.

Transfer in

Ashley Prange

  • Prange will have two years of eligibility.
  • The 2018 Indiana Gatorade Player of the year started all 51 games for Ohio State as a true freshman in 2019, primarily at third base.
  • Had 17 home runs in three seasons at Ohio State.

Ally Shipman

  • A talented catcher from Tennessee, the former Lady Vol will provide valuable SEC experience in the Alabama lineup. Shipman will have two years of eligibility remaining. 
  • A career .331 hitter and hit eight home runs in 2021.
  • Shipman started 53 games at catcher for Tennessee in 2021.

M'kay Gidley

  • Gidley is a local product out of Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa and spent her first year of collegiate softball as an outfielder at Shelton State. 
  • She hit .266 with eight RBIs and four stolen bases last season at Shelton.

Incoming freshmen for 2022

Aubrey Barnhart- Catcher/Shortstop

  • Highest ranked player in the class for Alabama (No. 3 overall recruit according to Extra Inning Softball)
  • 2020 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year

Megan Bloodworth- Shortstop

  • 2021 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year
  • Batted .621 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs during her senior season

Dallis Goodnight- Outfielder

  • Top-five player in the 2021 class
  • Selected for the 2021 PGF All-American game alongside fellow signees Bloodworth and Jordan Stephens

Kali Heivilin- Shortstop/Catcher

  • 2021 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year
  • Set the state record with 29 home runs during her senior season
  • She batted .600 with 88 runs scored and 71 RBIs.

Jenna Lord- Utility

  • An in-state prospect from Hewitt-Trussville High School, Lord is a top-20 recruit in the class of 2021.
  • In her senior season, she hit .475 with 12 home runs and 83 RBIs.

Jordan Stephens- Outfielder

  • Top-15 recruit according to Extra Inning Softball
  • Batted .554 with 37 RBIs during her senior season

This tracker will be updated as necessary.