The Alabama softball team didn’t have Auburn on its 2014 schedule, originally. The rivals weren’t supposed to meet due to the rotating SEC schedule.
So when Alabama and Auburn weren’t slated to play each other, Alabama coach Patrick Murphy called then-Auburn coach Tina Deese about scheduling an out-of-conference game.
She agreed, but it still wasn’t set in stone.
Clint Myers took over as the Tigers’ head coach in June of 2013, and Auburn softball’s Director of Operations Jim Beitia talked with Murphy about the schedule. Murphy said the new coaching staff agreed to play the game, but they didn’t have to.
“I think it’s just good for meeting in the middle, good for the state, good for softball,” Murphy said. “It’s a win-win for both sides.”
(See also “UA softball team earns 4th SEC sweep“)
Myers won two national championships at Arizona State before taking the job at Auburn. This will be his first taste of the in-state rivalry.
“We’re a situation where we’re a team full of freshmen of various ages,” Myers said. “This is our first year for us to be with them and them to be with us, so everything is a first for us. I mean, this is the first time we’re playing Alabama. This is the first time we’re playing in Montgomery.”
It’s Myers first year experiencing the rivalry, but it isn’t his team’s. Alabama owns a 42-14 all-time record against the Tigers. The last win for Auburn over Alabama came last season in the second game of a three-game series.
“It’s just actual tradition – not even softball, it’s just Alabama versus Auburn in general,” Auburn outfielder Morgan Estell said. “It’s just a fun rivalry that, I mean, at least personally as a team, we get to drive out there and play the game we love against our biggest rival, so it’s a lot of fun.”
For Crimson Tide junior shortstop Danae Hays, the rivalry isn’t as big as it is between Tennessee or Florida, but it’s still a rivalry.
“It’s definitely a game that we want to win even though it’s not an SEC, it doesn’t count as SEC. It’s still a huge game, and there’s a lot of bragging rights still left in the matchup, so I’m really excited about it,” Hays said.
(See also “Alabama softball team extends winning streak to 7“)
It’s not just about bragging rights for the universities. Estell and Hays know each other from high school, but Estell said that it doesn’t really change the nature of the game.
“It’s the same game,” Estell said. “I’m not going to treat it like any big game. Yeah, there’s a lot of rivalry, and there’s going to be a lot of people I know there, but at the end of the day, it’s about teamwork for us, and it’s about executing, getting on base, moving runners. And that’s how we’re going to win.”
It’s the first time the two teams will meet for a single-game regular season matchup. The game is also a break from both teams’ conference schedules. Alabama is coming off its first SEC series loss of the season at the hands of Mississippi State, and Auburn has been swept twice in a row in SEC play.
“It’s another game, really in our eyes,” Estell said. “Just going to take the opportunity to break this streak that we’re on. Luckily it comes against a great team, so we’re going to get to see what we’re made of.”
The Tigers are looking to end a seven-game skid with the midweek matchup. Each loss was by two or fewer runs.
Alabama’s losing streak stands at two, tying the longest of the season.
“When you get into conference, anything can happen, and you’ve got to play really, really well to win any game, so it’s tough,” Murphy said.
The Wednesday night matchup isn’t just between in-state rivals but between two top-25 teams. Alabama dropped to No. 6 after losing the series at Mississippi State. Auburn fell to No. 23 in each poll.
“To me, late in the year, you’re not going to find this kind of non-conference with the crowd, with the pressure, with the excitement. It’s going to feel like a regional game or SEC Tournament game for sure,” Murphy said.
(See also “Softball team ends South Alabama’s winning streak“)
