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The 30th season for Alabama gets under way on Thursday, Feb 5 in Atlanta, GA. While the Crimson Tide is ranked nationally, they are ninth in the conference.
Preseason All-SEC Softball Rankings
- Texas (9)
- Oklahoma (6)
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Arkansas
- Texas A&M
- LSU
- Georgia
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- Mississippi State
- Auburn
- Ole Miss
- Missouri
- Kentucky
BUZZ CLASSIC
The Tide heads three hours across I-20 to the campus of Georgia Tech for five games against the Yellow Jackets, Villanova, and East Carolina. The on-campus Tech softball complex is a few blocks away from Bobby-Dodd Stadium, located in Midtown Atlanta.
SCHEDULE
Fortunately, four of the five Alabama games are during daylight hours.
- Thursday, Feb 5 Villanova 2 pm CT – no TV
- Friday, Feb 6 East Carolina 12:30 pm CT – no TV
- Friday, Feb 6 Georgia Tech 5 pm CT – ACCNX Streaming
- Saturday, Feb 7 Villanova 12:30 pm CT – no TV
- Saturday, Feb 7 Georgia Tech 3 pm CT – ACCNX Streaming
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
Oh, boy. Here we go again.
Only the games against Georgia Tech will be broadcast and they can be seen only on ACC Network Extra. ACCNX is a digital streaming platform owned and operated by ESPN who also runs the SEC Network. It would seem VERY simple to stream the other Bama games. It is probably a safe bet that they could find some local journalism students that would be willing to run the productions.
ACCNX can be streamed through many services (click here to see what is best for you).
GEORGIA TECH
The Yellow Jackets are an improving program, having achieved a winning record in three of the last four seasons as well as making the Regionals in the 2022 and 2025 seasons. However, they have a ways to go before they return to the level they were in the 2000s and early 2010s when they had 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances 2002-2012.
The ACC rankings have Georgia Tech as the No. 8 team in the conference with no players on the Preseason All-ACC Team.
The Jackets hit only 40 homers last season and hit .286 as a team. GT scored 4.9 runs per game – which by comparison is not a bad number, but it isn’t great either. Bama scored 5.7 rpg in 2025.
A big issue for Tech is that they lost their top two pitchers in the off-season. They will be relying on a pair of transfers who have bloated ERAs and some young-uns.
VILLANOVA
The Wildcats were 27-26-1 last season and finished third in the Big East. They are picked fourth this season. ‘Nova returns 2025 All-Big East First Team selections Maranda Runco and Kat Gallant. Last season, Runco set the conference single-season home run record (12) while leading the league in slugging percentage (1.029). Gallant led the conference in earned run average (2.37) and conference games only ERA (1.84).
EAST CAROLINA
The Lady Pirates finished 31-26 last season. The highlights were beating Michigan and took a pair from Boston U. This year’s team is picked 6th in the AAC. OF Anna Sawyer hit .363, had 6 homers and knocked in 22. Taylor Apple returns to the circle as the No. 1 after going 13 – 8 with a 3.01 ERA
WEATHER
Thursday will be a cold one. Friday and Saturday will have highs in the upper 50s. Sunny days are expected with no expected precipitation.
LOWDOWN
None of these foes are on the level of Alabama. The Tide offense should be able to put up some crooked numbers on the scoreboards led by All-American Audrey Vandagriff (as long as Patrick Murphy has not ruined her by trying to teach her to slap). For the pitchers, it will be audition time. Is Jocelyn Briski ready to take that next step to elite pitcher? What other Tide hurlers will step up? Anything less than leaving Atlanta 5-0 would be disappointing.
