Rhoads Stadium is a tough place for opponents.
In the postseason, the Alabama softball team’s home field is downright scary.
Alabama capped off its 40th straight regional win Sunday over Arizona State, 9-8, to send the Crimson Tide to the Super Regionals.
It will host that too.
Alabama (55-7), the No. 8 overall seed, welcomes the Texas Longhorns (45-15), the No. 9 seed, to Tuscaloosa for a best-of-three series starting Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Friday’s Game 2 is at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 and Saturday’s if-necessary game is 1 p.m. on ESPN.
The winner goes to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the Women’s College World Series.
Alabama has hosted a regional tournament since 2007 and its last loss came in 2007 against Tennessee Tech (4-2) in the opener. Since then, Alabama has reeled off 40 straight wins.
“It’s tradition,” Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said. “We’re going to make this the toughest place to play in America. This is our place and we’re going to protect our home field.”
Alabama is impressive at home in super regional play, too. The Crimson Tide has hosted nine super regionals and has failed to advance just once (2010 vs. Hawaii).
Alabama boasts a 16-4 record at Rhoads Stadium in the super regional.
“It starts with our fans,” Murphy said. “They make it the toughest place to play in the postseason. When the rain came (Sunday vs. Arizona State) some of them went up to take cover. As soon as it was gone they all came back. At most places everybody would have left. They would have gotten in their car and went home. The fans make it tough and the players are very reliant.”
