The University of Alabama softball team’s expectations are high this season, as the team went 53-11 last year, including its third consecutive trip to the final four of the Women’s College World Series.

“If nothing else came out of last year, it gave everyone experience,” senior Jazlyn Lunceford said. “I think that does a lot for our confidence.”

Lunceford said the team is using last year as their motivation for this year. One strength the team has is the amount of talented players returning.

“This year, we have so much depth,” Lunceford said. “We have two or three deep players in every position and 20 good hitters on the team.”

Head coach Patrick Murphy said this year’s schedule is going to be tough as the team faces quality opponents throughout the schedule, with a very tough first two weeks.

“I think I would have preferred a couple of gimme’s, but I told the team that I can’t think of one on the schedule,” Murphy said.

Even though the Tide beat South Alabama, Memphis and Jacksonville State last year, Murphy said they will be tough competition this year.

“Whenever we play an in-state school, it’s like we’re playing in a world series,” Murphy said.

The Tide has made 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with Murphy.

“I think it sets a certain level of respect, but at the same time, we have to stay humble and be ready for everyone’s best game,” Lunceford said.

With five incoming freshmen this season, Murphy has assembled his largest roster as a coach, with 20 players on the team this season.

“This is the biggest team I’ve ever been a part of,” senior Cassie Reilly-Boccia said. “We have a great freshman class that brings a good mix that will all come together when we play.”

Lunceford said the team is ready to see how well they will do when they face their opponent in the first games as a team this year.

“We are coming together greatly, and we’re itching to play,” Lunceford said. “We’re getting kind of tired of playing each other, so we’re really ready to beat someone else.”

While the team always wants to win, they said they want to grow as a team first.

“We’re just trying to focus on the process,” Reilly-Boccia said. “We can’t always control if we win or not. If we practice hard and focus on ourselves, then hopefully the wins will come.”

The Tide will face Jacksonville State, Lipscomb, Memphis and South Carolina at the Mardi Gras Invitational Friday to Monday.

“We’re not going to look forward to anything but the first game we have right now,” Reilly-Boccia said. “We’re going to do everything we can to prepare ourselves for that one game with one pitch at a time.”