Alabama softball’s 2022 fall schedule was announced on Monday, as well as the hiring of Lance McMahon as the Crimson Tide’s new pitching coach, per the Tuscaloosa News.  

McMahon replaces former longtime pitching coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro, who left Alabama for the head coaching job at Memphis after spending the past 10 years in Tuscaloosa.

“We are very excited to welcome Lance [McMahon] to the Alabama softball family,” Murphy said. “He has done great things at Illinois, and we look forward to having him work with our pitchers. His experiences in Champaign and at LSU, Mizzou and the NPF have more than prepared him for this position.”

McMahon spent the past six seasons as the pitching coach at Illinois. With the Fighting Illini last season, McMahon’s pitching staff recorded a school record for most total strikeouts in a season with 428. During his Illinois tenure, he saw three different pitchers earn all-Big Ten honors.

“First, I would like to thank Illinois Head Coach Tyra Perry for giving me the opportunity to help elevate Illini softball during our six-year run in Champaign-Urbana,” McMahon said. “I’m so thankful for everything she has done for my life, not only professionally but personally as well. I look forward to her continued friendship and mentorship.”

McMahon will inherit an Alabama pitching staff that boasts three-time All-American Montana Fouts entering her fifth and final season of eligibility. The pitching staff was thinned with the transfer of Lexi Kilfoyl to Oklahoma State, but Alex Salter and Jaala Torrence will both return to the fold for their redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, respectively. Alabama also added LHP/UT Lauren Esman, a Michigan transfer, to bolster the depth of the pitching staff.

“Having degrees from two different SEC member institutions, it was always my dream to coach in the SEC and I would like to thank Alabama Head Coach Patrick Murphy for making that dream a reality,” McMahon said. “It was clear from our early conversations that we had similar values and are invested in building relationships in pursuit of competitive excellence both on and off the field for our student-athletes. It is my absolute privilege to join the rest of the staff here and compete in the best softball conference in the country.”

Crimson Tide fans will get to see McMahon’s first pitching staff in action during its 2022 fall slate, which includes the rescheduled Sand Mountain Showdown against Jacksonville State after it was delayed twice due to inclement weather. 

Additional games on the fall schedule include a bout with Georgia Tech, who made the 2022 NCAA Tournament, and games against in-state schools Wallace State and Birmingham Southern.  

The full schedule can be found below: 

Wednesday, Oct. 12 vs. Jacksonville State – Albertville, Ala. (Sand Mountain Showdown) – 6 p.m. CT 

Saturday, Oct. 15 vs. Georgia Tech (DH) – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1:30 p.m. CT 

Sunday, Oct. 23 vs. Copiah-Lincoln (DH) – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1:30 p.m. CT 

Saturday, Oct. 29 – Tuscaloosa, Ala. –  

• Wallace State vs. Birmingham-Southern – 12 p.m. CT 
• Alabama vs. Wallace State – 2 p.m. CT 
• Alabama vs. Birmingham-Southern – 4 p.m. CT 

Friday, Nov. 4 vs. Emory University – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 6 p.m. CT

Questions or comments? Email Austin Hannon (Sports Editor) at [email protected]