Patrick Murphy and Alabama softball are headed back to the Women's College World Series for the 16th time in program history. The Crimson Tide completed a two-game sweep of LSU in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 win on Saturday in a marathon afternoon/evening thanks to two lengthy lightning delays.
From the very first moment of the 2026 season, it's been clear that this Alabama team was different. This group was never going to be content with just hosting a Regional or Super Regional, or just advancing to Oklahoma City. They're legitimate national title contenders, and they know it.
Alabama will head to the Women's College World Series with a 54-7 record and a real chance of capturing the program's second national championship.
Murphy has been effusive in his praise of this group all year long, and he was all smiles in the postgame press conference in the aftermath of the Crimson Tide punching its ticket to OKC.
"This team has just been unbelievably selfless," Murphy said after Saturday's win over LSU. "They've been full of gratitude. They've been competitive. They've been hardworking, gritty. I mean, all the words you love as a coach - this has been this team. You don't want to jinx it or whatever because anybody can beat anybody, you guys all know that, and so I'm thrilled as can be that this group gets to go to the Women's College World Series.
Patrick Murphy 'thrilled' with Alabama softball getting to the WCWS
It's been an incredible season for Alabama softball. This is the first one since 2021 that feels like a legitimate contender, too.
Despite making the WCWS in 2023 and 2024, Alabama never seemed like a real threat to be the last team standing. Over the past three seasons, the Crimson Tide was exactly .500 (36-36) in SEC play. This year, Alabama ran through the SEC at 19-5, finishing one game behind Oklahoma for the regular season SEC crown.
With a workhorse ace in Jocelyn Briski, and a stellar freshman in Vic Moten, Alabama has the pitching that can carry it to a national championship.
The success of the team next weekend in Oklahoma City will come down to whether or not the lineup can produce. Alabama's offensive numbers have been much improved this year, and it'll need to bring forth its best effort in the WCWS against what will be an incredibly difficult slate of teams joining.
Alexis Pupillo and Audrey Vandagriff are on fire in the postseason, and if Brooke Wells can snap out of a funk she fell into during the Supers, then Alabama has plenty of firepower to take home the hardware.
Murphy knows he has the team that can bring him his second national title, though he's already more than pleased with how far they've gotten, regardless of what happens in OKC.
"There's no such thing as a bad day at the Women's College World Series," Murphy said.
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