Alabama softball ultimately came up short in the Women's College World Series with a semifinal loss to Texas Tech, but Patrick Murphy and the Crimson Tide restored the program to where it belongs near the top of the sport, after a few years of not being a true contender.
The next step is getting over the hump and capturing the program's second national title. Alabama has significant talent expected to return to Tuscaloosa, and Murphy will look to supplement that talent with some strategic portal additions this offseason.
Murphy has made some excellent portal additions in recent years, including the Tide's top three hitters in the lineup last season: Jena Young (Iowa), Brooke Wells (Houston), and Alexis Pupillo (Northern Iowa).
He'll look to find some similarly impactful players this offseason.
The softball Transfer Portal window runs from June 8th through June 22nd.
Alabama softball outgoing transfers:
None
Alabama softball incoming transfers:
- LHP Kailey Plumlee, RS Freshman (Tennessee)
- OF Noelani Livingstone, Junior (Florida Southwestern State)
The first portal addition was Tennessee's Kailey Plumlee, who redshirted this past season with the Volunteers, but was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Tennessee the year before. Adding a pitcher might be seen as a bit of a curious move for Murphy, considering Alabama will return its top three arms in Jocelyn Briski, Vic Moten, and Kaitlyn Pallozzi. But Plumlee is a lefty, which will allow Murphy and pitching coach Lance McMahon to give hitters a different look. She'll join what may be the best pitching staff in the country.
The second addition is a big one. Murphy landed a commitment from the top JUCO player in the country, Noelani Livingstone from Florida Southwestern State. Livingstone brings speed and power to the Alabama lineup. She had 32 stolen bases last year while hitting .526 at the plate with seven homers and 57 RBIs. She projects to replace outgoing senior Kristen White in centerfield, and should replicate her speed while giving Alabama more at the dish.
Alabama softball incoming freshmen:
All rankings from On3
- C Torynn Slaughter (Phoenix, AZ): No. 6 overall
- IF Liv Keiter (Littleton, CO): No. 40 overall
- IF Ava Briski (Phoenix, AZ): No. 82 overall
- IF Paige Stanfield (Overland Park, KS): No. 105 overall
- OF Ava Bush (Columbia, MO): No. 125 overall
Alabama softball outgoing seniors:
- IF Abby Duchscherer
- C Marlie Giles
- P Alea Johnson
- OF Kinley Pate
- OF Larissa Preuitt
- DP Alexis Pupillo
- OF Kristen White
Add us as a preferred source on Google