Alabama softball wrapped up a dominant opening weekend at the Buzz Classic with wins over Villanova (9-3) and host Georgia Tech (7-2) to start the season 5-0.
Patrick Murphy's club rolling to start the season is nothing new. All-time, Alabama is 114-24 on opening weekend and has only suffered five losses since 2011, per UA Athletics.
But it's the way they arrived at 5-0 that is all the more encouraging for Crimson Tide supporters. In the five games, Alabama outscored its opponents 51-6 in the aggregate. They rarely faced adversity. When they did, they smacked a home run out of the park.
And it's that power hitting that is the most encouraging in Alabama's 5-0 start. A lack of pop in the lineup has been the biggest Achillies Heel for recent Murphy teams. Last season's team only hit 60 homers in 58 games. To open the 2026 season, Alabama hit 18 out of the park over the first weekend, nearly getting to a third of last season's total in just five games.
Alabama set a new program record for opening weekend after just three games. With six more dingers on Saturday, the Crimson Tide nearly doubled the previous record of 10.
Alabama softball's newfound power in the lineup could be a major development
There will be a lot tougher games on the horizon for Murphy's club, but the start to the season is nevertheless encouraging. A change in offensive philosophy seemed necessary to get the Crimson Tide back to the upper echelon of the sport, and early returns on 2026 make it appear that Murphy finally recognized it.
Salen Hawkins and true freshman Ana Roman led the way with three home runs each. Senior Alexis Pupillo hit a pair herself and led the team with 11 runs batted in through five games.
Also encouraging has been the debut of true freshman pitcher Vic Moten, who looks like she might already be the ace of the rotation immediately. She threw 15 impressive innings over the weekend, giving up just two runs while striking out 19 and earning three wins in as many appearances.
Alabama will look to keep the momentum alive in its home opener next weekend for the Easton Bama Bash, with games on tap against Purdue, Liberty, and Georgia Southern.