After a rough start of losing two out of three to No. 9 Missouri in its season-opening series, the Crimson Tide (8-2) has won seven straight and is participating in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic this upcoming weekend in Columbus, Ga.

Although the Crimson Tide is ranked seventh by ESPN.com, head coach Patrick Murphy thinks Alabama will see a lot of tough competition this weekend. The Tide plays the University of Central Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Maryland and Iowa.

“All five of our opponents are good,” Murphy said. “They have all played in the NCAA tournament in the past three years.”

Murphy also emphasized the parity in college softball today.

“All of the teams we play are capable of beating us if we come out and have a bad game, but we’re just as capable of beating them,” he said. “We need to have a good pitching starter, solid defense, come up with a big hit, and do that for all five games.”

During the Tide’s seven-game winning streak, Murphy said that the team has consistently put the ball in play and played well all around. Sophomore catcher Olivia Gibson said she is hoping the team’s younger players will be able to get a lot more overall experience.

“I’m hoping to watch the freshmen get more experience and become more comfortable throughout the weekend,” she said.

Participating in a tournament with five games in three days, the Tide must be prepared to stay focused and play hard throughout the entire weekend.

“The more we play, the more consistent the message gets through from the coaches to the players about what we need to do,” Murphy said.

The team was on the road for four days, including its 7-3 win over UAB Tuesday night, but Murphy said he feels his team will be well rested and prepared for the tournament this weekend.

Kayla Braud, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, said she also feels like the team is getting better.

“We’re getting better every single time we play,” she said. “We’re working a lot harder and our team chemistry is better. We’re putting in extra work and our pitching is looking good, hitting is better, and so is our defense.”

The Tide is hoping to play well this weekend to set the tone for how the rest of the season will go.

“We’ve usually played well at this tournament and we’re hoping to get on a roll,” Murphy said. “We’re going to see some good pitching, and this tournament is well attended by Alabama fans.”

Alabama opens with Maryland and Iowa today before facing Michigan and Nebraska Saturday and closing play against UCF Sunday.