Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State and the best matchups this week in College Softball

The Oklahoma Sooners face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a top 25 showdown, but what are the other top games this weekend.

The 2024 softball season is off and running, and tournament play from coast-to-coast continues this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading west for the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for a five-game slate. Additionally, some fantastic matchups are happening in Austin, Raleigh and in Athens.

But what are the best matchups happening this weekend? Here’s a look at eight games we’re looking forward to.

Former Alabama softball pitcher announces transfer to Oklahoma State

Former Alabama softball pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl has announced that she is transferring to Oklahoma State.

On Thursday, former Alabama softball pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl announced that she was transferring to Oklahoma State via Twitter. The news comes a couple of days after former Alabama infielder Megan Bloodworth announced her commitment to the Cowboys as well.

Kilfoyl joined the softball team in 2020 as a freshman. The Florida native would appear in 13 games in a season that was shortened by COVID-19. In eight starts, she maintained a 6-4 record with a 2.42 ERA. Then, in 2021, she would appear in 32 games with 27 of those games being as the starting pitcher. She was named to the All-SEC Newcomer Team after a stellar season, to say the least. Kilfoyl dominated on the mound with a 13-4 record with a 1.62 ERA.

This past season, she pitched in 18 games with 13 as a starter. In the games that she pitched, she maintained a solid 2.36 ERA with a 9-3 record on the year. It wasn’t the ideal scenario for Kilfoyl to be in Tuscaloosa for yet another year with ace pitcher Montana Fouts returning for a fifth season. With an increased opportunity to play elsewhere, Kilfoyl entered her name into the transfer portal.

Now, she will be taking her talents to Stillwater to play for a Cowboys squad that is fresh off a College World Series appearance this past season. Since the end of the season, Patrick Murphy has lost five players already via the transfer portal. Several of the players that have announced transfers are Savannah Woodard (Liberty), Jenna Lord (Ole Miss), Dallis Goodnight (Georgia), Megan Bloodworth (Oklahoma State), and now Lexi Kilfoyl (Oklahoma State).

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Crimson Tide softball and other Alabama athletics.

Alabama Morning Drive: ‘Super Conferences’ are the future of college football

Brace yourselves, more changes are coming to college football.

Good Friday morning, folks! Welcome back to another edition of Alabama Morning Drive. I hope everyone has enjoyed their work week as we head into a long holiday weekend.

Our lead story this morning shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of you who just lightly keeps up with the world of college football. It was announced on Thursday that USC and UCLA would be leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten.

You may be asking yourself, what does this have to do with Alabama? Well, in actual reality, it has everything to do with Alabama. The landscape of college football is drastically changing, and rather quickly I might add. The transfer portal looks like a New York subway, NIL lacks clarity and accountability, and like it or not, major conference realignment is imminent.

Oklahoma and Texas are on their way to the SEC in a couple of years and now with the announcement of USC and UCLA on the move, the future of many conferences is looking bleak. It is only a matter of time before “Super Conferences” become a very real thing in college football.

What that looks like exactly is a little unclear, but I imagine, in less than 10 years, there will most likely just be two major conferences in college football with the SEC and the Big Ten leading the way.

Obviously, this is all still speculation but the writing is on the wall and change is on the way.

Let’s take a quick look at a few other stories to follow this morning.

Alabama Morning Drive: ‘Bama target Nyckoles Harbor displays his elite speed

The latest news and notes involving the Alabama Crimson Tide on Tuesday morning.

Good Tuesday morning ‘Bama nation and welcome back to another edition of Alabama Morning Drive. In today’s edition, we will take a look at one of the most incredible athletes in the class of 2023, recap Alabama’s softball series with the Georgia Bulldogs, and the current SEC baseball standings.

Without further ado, let’s get this thing rolling!

First…SEC baseball standings…

Alabama softball continues hot start, defeats Louisiana 9-1

Team 26 continues to dominate the competition!

The Alabama softball team is off to a blazing hot start here in 2022. On Thursday, the ladies made the trip to Louisiana to take on the Ragin’ Cajuns in a matchup of top-25 teams. Alabama run-ruled Louisiana, cruising to a 9-1 victory in just five innings of work.

Kaylee Tow gave the Tide an early lead thanks to a two-run home run in the first inning. Thanks to a walk and a hit-by-pitch in the third inning, Alabama would plate two more runs before Lexi Kilfoyl knocked in a two-run double to give the ladies a 6-0 lead. By the time the third inning was completed, Alabama held a commanding 9-0 lead. Louisiana would knock in a run in the bottom of the fourth to avoid the shutout. Kilfoyl got the start on the mound and improved her season record to 3-0.

Alabama has now run-ruled six opponents on the young season and improves to 4-0 against ranked opponents.

The Crimson Tide will remain in Lousiana for the “Mardi Gras Mambo” tournament which is being held in Youngsville, LA.

Alabama’s tournament schedule will include, Nicholls, Southeastern Lousiana, Northwestern State, Louisiana Tech, and once again a meeting with the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

 

Alabama Softball dominates Arizona 11-0

Alabama Softball run-rules ninth-ranked Arizona 11-0

Team 26 is off to an excellent start in the 2022 season. On Friday, the Crimson Tide kick-started the season with an 11-0 victory over Southern Utah. Saturday saw the ladies take care of business in their double-header. First Alabama defeated Oregon State 5-1 and in the nightcap, they defeated ninth-ranked Arizona Wildcats 11-0 in five innings via the run-rule.

Junior Lexi Kilfoyl got the start on the mound for the Tide against the Wildcats and delivered a two-hit shutout. Kilfoyl also got the ladies on the board first with a solo home run in the top of the third.

Junior catcher Abby Doerr continued the hot-hitting with a three-run home run that would extend the Tide’s lead to 6-0. The Crimson Tide would hit a flurry of solo shots that eventually gave Alabama a commanding 11-0 lead and forced the run-rule to be applied.

Team 26 sits with a 3-0 record and will wrap up its weekend trip in Tuscon with a matchup with the New Mexico Lobos on Sunday at 12;30 p.m. CT.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

 

WATCH: Alabama softball releases hype video before start of 2022 season

Who else is ready to see Team 26 in action?

We are now less than a month away from the first pitch of the 2022 Alabama softball season.

Expectations are high for Patrick Murphy and the talented ladies of the diamond. Alabama will return star pitcher Montana Fouts who finished the 2021 season with the most strikeouts in the NCAA with 349.

The Tide will also return several other talented players such as Bailey Dowling, Kaylee Tow, Savannah Woodard, and Lexi Kilfoyl just to name a few.

Alabama will get the 2022 season started on Feb. 11 against Southern Utah. As the anticipation builds, the Alabama softball official Twitter account released a preseason hype video to ensure the Crimson Tide faithful are ready.

As you can see there is plenty to be excited about when it comes to the 2022 Alabama softball team.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Alabama softball team!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.