Patrick Murphy has been with the Crimson Tide softball program since its inception in 1997. Since taking over as head coach in 1999, Murphy’s biography reads similarly to an Alabama football pregame video.
Murphy has led Alabama to three Southeastern Conference tournament championships, three SEC championships, 13-straight NCAA tournament appearances and seven Women’s College World Series appearances.
But, there is one thing Murphy doesn’t have on that list: a national championship.
Since losing to Florida for a spot in the 2011 championship series, this is the season softball fans have looked to for the Tide to make it over its World Series hump.
With six seniors on the team and sophomore Jackie Traina as the ace pitcher, Alabama has amassed a 42-4 overall record and a 19-3 conference record.
Many, including Chad Haynie, the voice of Alabama softball, have noticed its dominating performance this year.
Haynie said Traina might be the difference maker for this year’s team.
“To me, the most important thing in softball from the two times I’ve been out in Oklahoma City and the two I watched on TV, is having the one dominant pitcher.
“People could say Alabama has had that in the past with Stephanie Van Brakle or Kelsi Dunne, but I don’t think they had the supporting staff around Van Brakle to do it, and Dunne, with the exception of the 2010 SEC tournament, never really had that killer mindset to go out there and dominate in the Women’s College World Series.”
Traina has appeared in 31 of the Tide’s games. With a 27-1 record, Traina’s line includes a 1.56 ERA and 229 strikeouts. Haynie said it’s Traina’s unshakeable demeanor that gives her an edge.
“If you look at last year, closing out games, she came in and she doesn’t let who’s in the batter’s box or what jersey they’re wearing have any affect on her pitching performance,” Haynie said. “That’s my biggest thought on why this is Alabama’s year.”
But Traina isn’t the only star on the team. Alabama had four players on the preseason All-SEC team: Kayla Braud, Cassie Reilly-Boccia, Amanda Locke and, of course, Traina. Reilly-Boccia is also a finalist in the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in softball, awarded to the most outstanding Division I senior student-athlete.
The Alabama senior class has had its share of accolades, and Haynie said having that supporting cast is what completes the 2012 team.
“Obviously you’ll have Traina here for two more years, but you also have a group of six seniors who are huge in the field,” he said. “Reilly-Boccia is the best defensive first basemen in the country.
“Jennifer Fenton is having an All-American campaign. Someone asked me before the season, if I could pick one person to be an All-American on this team that would give Alabama a national championship, I said Jennifer Fenton. Her getting on and doing it in the two-hole, she’s really cut down on her strike count this year. She has been huge.”
Alabama has eight regular season games remaining before postseason play begins, including a home series against Florida.
If Alabama can win that series, Haynie said she thinks this will be the Tide’s year.
“I think Alabama will win that series and if they do, I would be very surprised if we don’t see Alabama and California in the championship series because when they’re playing on their A-game, I think they’re pretty clearly the two best teams in the country.
“What happens in that series, who knows, because Cal’s a great team. We saw that last year, it was a 1-0 great game in Oklahoma City that Alabama won and I think that confidence might be the edge, having the win from last year to give Alabama enough to win in Oklahoma City. If they get there, they have the team to do it.”
