Three Takeaways from Alabama Softball's Final Weekend before SEC Play

Alabama softball continues to roll through an undefeated start. For the first time since opening weekend, the weather played nice over the weekend, and the Crimson Tide was able to get in all six games at the Crimson Classic in Rhoads Stadium, winning all six games.

The Crimson Tide opened the tournament Friday with a 2-0 win over St. Thomas behind a seven-inning shutout from Jocelyn Briski. The bats came alive in Game 2 with an 8-0 run-rule victory over USF in five innings. Saturday and Sunday were similar stories for Alabama.

Alabama opened play on Saturday with an 8-1 win over Kent State before again run-ruling USF 8-0. The final two games saw the Tide beat St. Thomas 7-0 and Oakland 8-1.

There are still a few non-conference matchups in the midweek plus two games against North Dakota State on March 27 and 28, but this was the final full weekend of non-conference play before Alabama opens SEC play against Ole Miss this Friday.

Here are three of my biggest takeaways from the weekend.

Pitching continues to be elite

Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski pitches in the Crimson Classic game against USF on Feb. 28, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

As a staff, Alabama's ERA is 0.68. That is not a typo. Over 20 games and 124 innings pitched, the Tide's pitchers have only allowed 12 earned runs (and 14 runs total.) The skill and talent level of the opponents will continue to increase when Alabama enters SEC play, but regardless of who the Tide has faced thus far, the pitching has been dominant.

Four of the six games this weekend were shutouts, and in the two non-shutout games, the opponent only managed to score one run. This weekend was the most free passes given up by the pitchers so far, but even with an increased number of baserunners, they buckled down when they needed to in order to keep runs from crossing the plate.

Alabama has four starters hitting above .400 heading into SEC play

It hasn't just been the power numbers that have been impressive for Alabama so far this year but also just the offensive consistency as a whole. Every qualifying player (minimum requirement of 2 plate appearances a game and 75 percent of games played) in the lineup is batting above .300.

Four of those players (Brooke Wells, Marlie Giles, Alexis Pupillo and Lauren Johnson) are hitting above .400 with Wells leading the way at .468. Reserves Kristen White and Ambrey Taylor are hitting .471 and .462 respectively.

Alabama's lineup is difficult to pitch to, especially once the pitcher is facing the Tide for the second or third time through the order. Because the entire lineup poses such a threat, it makes it extremely difficult for opponents to pitch around any one player.

No Alabama player has finished a season above .400 since Bailey Hemphill hit .422 in 2021. Two seasons ago, no Tide qualifying batter hit above .300. While it's unlikely that the Crimson Tide will still have four above .400 at the end of this season, it shows the progression at the plate and depth of talent.

Senior day success

Alabama outfielder Kinley Pate smiles after she gets a base hit in the Crimson Classic game against Oakland on Mar. 1, 2026. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

Alabama was able to successfully celebrate three separate seniors over the weekend. Kristen White was honored on Friday. Alea Johnson's senior day was Saturday, and Kinley Pate's was on Sunday. The Crimson Tide obviously won each game as part of the senior celebrations, but more importantly got to individually honor those players for their contributions to the program.

Pate has primarily been used as pinch runner since transferring to Alabama from Samford in 2024, but she got the start in the outfield on Sunday against Oakland and had her first RBI in a Tide uniform with a single in the sixth inning.