Alabama
Alabama NFL roundup: Josh Jacobs carries the load in Packers’ win
With six seconds left in the Green Bay Packers’ season-opening game on Sept. 6, quarterback Jordan Love went out with a knee injury. That left Green Bay with Malik Willis at quarterback, and he had started practicing with the team only on Aug. 28 after being acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
With Willis in the lineup for their second game on Sunday, the Packers had a new game plan, and it centered on running back Josh Jacobs.
The former Alabama ball-carrier ran for 151 yards on 32 carries as Green Bay totaled 261 yards on 53 rushing attempts in a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Packers hadn’t run that many times in a non-overtime game since Sept. 3, 1978, when Green Bay had 181 yards on 55 carries in a 13-7 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Jacobs had the third-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing attempts of his career. Jacobs’ day would have been even better, but he lost a 20-yard touchdown run to an offensive-holding penalty in the first quarter and lost a fumble as he was about to cross the goal line in the second quarter.
Only four Green Bay players have had more than 32 rushing attempts in a game, and Jacobs was the first Packers ball-carrier to reach 32 since Oct. 12, 2008, when Ryan Grant had 90 yards on 33 carries.
Jacobs’ biggest game as an NFL ball-carrier came on Nov. 27, 2022, when he ran for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in the Las Vegas Raiders’ 40-34 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Jacobs had 154 yards and one touchdown on 21 rushing attempts in the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 10, 2022.
Jacobs was playing in his second game with the Packers. He joined Green Bay as a free agent in the offseason.
Jacobs was among the 48 former Alabama players who got on the field on the second Sunday of the NFL’s 105th season.
Four other former Alabama players were involved in the Indianapolis-Green Bay game:
· Colts defensive tackle Raekwon Davis made three tackles.
· Colts safety Ronnie Harrison did not record any stats. Indianapolis activated Harrison from the practice squad to make him eligible to play.
· Ryan Kelly started at center for the Colts.
· Xavier McKinney started at safety for the Packers. McKinney made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and intercepted one pass. In the second quarter, McKinney intercepted Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson at the Green Bay 13-yard line and returned it 18 yards. Signed in free agency during the offseason, McKinney has two interceptions in two games for the Packers.
In the other Sunday games:
Las Vegas Raiders 26, Baltimore Ravens 23
· Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (St. Paul’s Episcopal) made one tackle on special teams.
· Ravens guard Darrian Dalcourt is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Derrick Henry started at running back for the Ravens. Henry ran for 84 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries and had a 12-yard reception. Henry scored on a 3-yard run as Baltimore took a 23-13 lead with 12:11 remaining. Henry had 5 yards on seven rushing attempts in the first half.
· Marlon Humphrey (Hoover) started at cornerback for the Ravens. Humphrey reached a career high with 10 tackles. He also had one tackle for loss and intercepted a pass. Humphrey got his 14th career interception when he picked off a pass by Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew at the Baltimore 33-yard line with 5:03 left in the first half.
· Eddie Jackson started at free safety for the Ravens. Jackson made two tackles.
Los Angeles Chargers 26, Carolina Panthers 3
· Bradley Bozeman (Handley) started at center for the Chargers against his team of the previous two seasons.
· Chargers defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Chargers offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Panthers defensive end LaBryan Ray (James Clemens) made two tackles.
· A’Shawn Robinson started at defensive end for the Panthers. Robinson made six tackles.
· Chargers punter JK Scott averaged 43.0 yards on three punts, with a 32.0-yard net. Scott had a 38-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Carolina 13-yard line, a 44-yarder for a touchback and a 47-yarder returned 13 yards to the Carolina 19.
· Bryce Young started at quarterback for the Panthers. Young completed 18-of-26 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and had a 6-yard run.
CAROLINA PANTHERS STRUGGLE AGAIN: ‘BRYCE YOUNG IS OUR QUARTERBACK’
New Orleans Saints 44, Dallas Cowboys 19
· Trevon Diggs started at cornerback for the Cowboys. Diggs made five tackles.
· Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry (Pinson Valley) started at cornerback for the Saints. McKinstry made five tackles and broke up one pass. He made his first NFL start in his second game with New Orleans in the place of Marshon Lattimore, who missed the contest because of a hamstring injury.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Detroit Lions 16
· Terrion Arnold started at cornerback for the Lions. Arnold made one tackle.
· Buccaneers safety Marcus Banks is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Brian Branch started at safety for the Lions. Branch tied for the team lead with six tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another. Branch’s fourth NFL interception came off Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield at the Detroit 43-yard line with 1:52 left in the first half, and he had a 1-yard return.
· Buccaneers outside linebacker Chris Braswell made one tackle and registered one quarterback hit.
· Jahmyr Gibbs started at running back for the Lions. Gibbs ran for 84 yards on 13 carries and caught seven passes for 22 yards.
· Jameson Williams started at wide receiver for the Lions. Williams had five receptions for 79 yards, including a 50-yarder, and a 15-yard run.
Cleveland Browns 18, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
· Browns cornerback Tony Brown is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Browns guard Javion Cohen (Central-Phenix City) was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Amari Cooper started at wide receiver for the Browns. Cooper had three receptions 11 yards.
· Browns running back Jerome Ford ran for 64 yards on seven carries and caught one pass for no gain.
· Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had five receptions for 73 yards.
· Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones dressed but did not play.
· Browns tight end Cameron Latu is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Cam Robinson started at left offensive tackle for the Jaguars.
· Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Dalvin Tomlinson started at defensive tackle for the Browns. Tomlinson made two tackles.
· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. was designated as a game-day inactive. Wills is recovering from a knee injury that caused him to miss the final nine games of the 2023 season. He has been a limited participant in practice and did not play in the season-opening game either.
Minnesota Vikings 23, San Francisco 49ers 17
· Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover) made three field goals and two extra points. Reichard made a 22-yard field goal with 4:45 left in the first quarter for the first points of the game and the first three-pointer of his NFL career. He also had field goals of 39 yards on the final snap of the first half and 27 yards with 3:30 left in the game.
· Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner made two tackles.
Seattle Seahawks 23, New England Patriots 20 (OT)
· Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker did not record any stats in his NFL debut.
· Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is on the non-football illness list and not eligible to play.
· Anfernee Jennings (Dadeville) started at outside linebacker for the Patriots. Jennings made seven tackles.
· Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Jarran Reed started at defensive end for the Seahawks. Reed made six tackles.
New York Jets 24, Tennessee Titans 17
· Jets safety Jaylen Key (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· J.C. Latham started at left offensive tackle for the Titans.
· C.J. Mosley (Theodore) started at linebacker for the Jets. Mosley made three tackles. Mosley left the game with a toe injury in the second quarter and did not return.
· Calvin Ridley started at wide receiver for the Titans. Ridley had four receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown and ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Ridley scored the first points of the game on the first rushing TD of his career with 2:30 left in the first quarter and caught a 40-yard touchdown pass with 3:22 left in the third quarter as Tennessee tied the game at 17-17.
· Quinnen Williams (Wenonah) started at defensive tackle for the Jets. Williams made three tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 18
· Jonathan Allen started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Allen made two tackles and registered one quarterback hit.
· Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis made one tackle.
· Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal dressed for the game but did not play.
· Daron Payne (Shades Valley) started defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne did not record any stats.
· Brian Robinson Jr. (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa) started at running back for the Commanders. Robinson ran for 133 yards on 17 carries and had a 3-yard reception. Robinson reached his career high for rushing yards with his second 100-yard game. Robinson ran for 105 yards on 18 carries in a 19-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 27, 2022.
Arizona Cardinals 41, Los Angeles Rams 10
· Rams tight end Miller Forristall is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Cardinals offensive tackle Jonah Williams is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· Mack Wilson (Carver-Montgomery) started at inside linebacker for the Cardinals. Wilson made four tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Denver Broncos 6
· Steelers cornerback Anthony Averett is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
· Minkah Fitzpatrick started at safety for the Steelers. Fitzpatrick made seven tackles.
· Najee Harris started at running back for the Steelers. Harris ran for 69 yards on 17 carries and had a 5-yard reception.
· Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and not eligible to play.
· Patrick Surtain II started at left cornerback for the Broncos. Surtain made one tackle.
· Broncos cornerback Levi Wallace made one tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs 26, Cincinnati Bengals 25
· Bengals safety Jordan Battle did not record any stats.
· Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton caught only one pass, but it went for a 47-yard gain. Burton’s reception moved Cincinnati to the Kansas City 23-yard line to open a touchdown drive as the Bengals took a 22-17 lead with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
Houston Texans 19, Chicago Bears 13
· Will Anderson Jr. started at defensive end for the Texans. Anderson had four tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks.
· Texans linebacker Christian Harris is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
· John Metchie III was designated as a game-day inactive.
· Henry To’oTo’o started at linebacker for the Texans. To’oTo’o led Houston with 13 tackles. To’oTo’o’s career-high total included the first sack of his NFL career.
Week 2 started on Thursday night, when the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-10.
Week 2 concludes on Monday, when the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. ESPN will televise the game.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
Alabama
Alabama softball No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament: Who does Tide play?
Alabama softball is the cream of the crop heading into the 2026 NCAA softball tournament, cemented as the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in 16 years.
The Crimson Tide’s ranking means it will host a regional and, if it advances, a super regional. The regional field will consist of USC Upstate (36-21), Belmont (40-11) and SE Louisiana (46-14).
The Tuscaloosa Regional is double-elimination. Action will run through May 15-17 on SEC Network.
It marks the 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Alabama and the 21st-straight season it is hosting a regional at Rhoads Stadium, not including the canceled 2020 season. The Crimson Tide has advanced to the Women’s College World Series 15 times and is looking to do so for the first time in two years.
Alabama has one national championship, which came in 2012.
Alabama is coming off a championship game loss in the SEC Tournament. Seven unanswered runs led to a 7-1 fall to Texas, securing the Longhorns their first SEC Softball Tournament title during their second year in the conference on Saturday, May 9.
Friday, May 15
- Game 1: Alabama vs. USC Upstate, noon CT
- Game 2: Belmont vs. SE Louisiana, 2:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 16
- Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, TBD
- Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, TBD
- Game 5: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, TBD
Sunday, May 17
- Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, TBD
- Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (if necessary), TBD
Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.
Alabama
Alabama mom sentenced to life for hiring hitman to kill her child’s father over custody dispute
An Alabama woman was sentenced to life in prison Friday after authorities said she hired a hitman to kill her child’s father in a custody dispute.
Jaclyn Skuce, 43, of Madison, was convicted of capital murder after hiring a man to kill the child’s father in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation, the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office said.
The Hartselle Police Department was dispatched on July 24, 2020, to a residence for a welfare check after Anthony Larry Sheppard failed to appear in court for a scheduled custody hearing.
His attorney had asked officers to check on him, investigators said.
Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.
Officers later found Sheppard dead with multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined that Skuce hired Logan Delp to kill Sheppard in order to prevent him from gaining custody or further visitation with his child.
Prosecutors said Skuce used social media to hire the hitman, who lived in Hartselle, according to the Hartselle Enquirer. She allegedly offered to pay $30,000.
“There are never any winners in a case like this,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Garrick Vickery said following the verdict.
“This jury was incredibly thorough and took their time to make sure they made the right decision, both for Mr. Sheppard and for the defendant.”
Vickery added, “We are glad that they convicted her for the choice she made to take Mr. Sheppard away from his family.”
Skuce was found guilty of three counts of capital murder: murder for hire, murder of a witness, and murder committed by shooting into an occupied dwelling.
Four other defendants have been charged with capital murder in connection with Sheppard’s death.
Delp was convicted of capital murder in October 2025, the DA’s office said. Another defendant has pleaded guilty, and two others are awaiting trial.
Skuce will be imprisoned without the possibility of parole in the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Alabama
Alabama softball vs Texas today: recap, score and highlights
The SEC Tournament championship trophy is headed to Austin.
The Texas Longhorns erased an early 1-0 deficit and never looked back in a 7-1 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC’s title game Saturday at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
Alabama, ranked third in D1Softball’s top 25 rankings, fell to 49-7. Texas, ranked No. 6, improved to 42-10. The Crimson Tide will learn their NCAA tournament seeding and four-team regional draw in Sunday’s selection show, which begins at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Texas starter Teagan Kavan (22-4) was dominant in a complete-game masterpiece against the Tide, holding Alabama to one run on three hits. Her only blemish was a towering home run by Alexis Pupillo with two out in the first inning.
Texas scored three runs in the fourth inning to open up a 5-1 lead. Katie Stewart lined an RBI single in the fourth and would launch her 25th homer of the season two innings later in the sixth to cap the scoring. Stewart was 3-for-5 at the plate as Texas outhit Alabama, 13-3.
Jocelyn Briski (21-3) suffered just her third loss of the season and was tagged for two runs on six hits in three innings. Vic Moten surrendered five runs (three earned) on five hits in 2 1/3 innings. Kaitlyn Pallozzi recorded the final five outs for Alabama.
Texas, the defending national champion, won its first conference tournament trophy since 2005. Alabama was seeking its seventh SEC Tournament title in program history, and its first since 2021.
The Crimson Tide will have to settle for a top-eight national seed in the NCAA Tournament and hopefully a run to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Following are live updates from Alabama-Texas in the 2026 SEC Tournament championship game on Saturday from Lexington.
Kavan finished off a complete-game masterpiece with 108 pitches. She allowed just three hits against an Alabama lineup that had totaled 21 hits in its first two games at the SEC Tournament.
Kavan finished with 12 strikeouts in seven innings. Texas wins it, 7-1, and is your 2026 SEC Tournament champion.
Pallozzi yielded back-to-back singles with two out but escaped without giving up any damage. All the same, Alabama is down to its last three outs against Texas.
Audrey Vandagriff, Ambrey Taylor and Salen Hawkins are due up for the Tide as Kavan looks to finish off a complete game victory.
Kavan picked up her 10th strikeout when she retired Alexis Pupillo to open the bottom of the sixth. Ana Roman flied to left, and Alisa Sneed made a running catch in left on a hard-hit fly ball from Marlie Giles for a 1-2-3 inning.
Texas leads, 7-1, and is three outs away from an SEC Tournament championship.
Reese Atwood drove in the Longhorns’ seventh run of the afternoon with an RBI sac fly to deep left. Hannah Wells flied out to center for the third out.
Texas now leads it, 7-1. Alabama wil look to get something going off Teagan Kavan in the sixth with Alexis Puplilo, Ana Roman and Marlie Giles due up for the Tide.
That home run felt inevitable. Stewart crushed her 25th homer of the season over the scoreboard in left to extend Texas’ lead to 6-1 in the sixth inning.
Texas is still threatening with runners at the corners and one after. Moten just departed after taking a hard-hit line drive to the stomach. Moten was in some obvious pain as Patrick Murphy and the trainers came out to check on her. Hopefully Moten will be OK and just got the wind knocked out of her a bit.
She leaves after 2 1/3 innings. Kaitlyn Pallozzi (8-0, 1.62 ERA) takes over in the circle for Alabama.
Nothing doing for Alabama in the fifth.
Kristen White used her speed to leg out an infield single to shortstop with one down. Teagan Kavan fell behind 3-1 on Jena Young before getting Alabama’s leadoff hitter to swing at a rise ball for the second out. Brooke Wells grounded into a force at second to end the inning.
Texas holds a 5-1 lead over Alabama after five innings. Kavan has thrown 86 pitches and surrendered three hits.
Alabama pitching gets its first 1-2-3 inning of the afternoon as Vic Moten needed 10 pitches to retire Alisa Sneed, Jaycie Nichols and Ashton Maloney in order.
Can Alabama build on some momentum from the fourth and cut into this Texas lead? Longhorns are up 5-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Salen Hawkins, Kristen White and Jena Young are due up for Alabama against Texas’ Teagan Kavan.
So much for cutting into the Longhorns’ lead there. After loading the bases with one out, Teagan Kavan struck out Audrey Vandagriff for a big second out. Ambrey Taylor went down swinging to leave the bases loaded.
Alabama drove Kavan’s pitch count up a bit that inning. The Texas starter is at 72 pitches after four innings, but the Horns still lead the Tide, 5-1, headed to the fifth.
Alabama is starting to make more consistent contact. The Tide caught a break when Brooke Wells reached on a fielding error at first to open the fourth inning. Alexis Pupillo then grounded back to the mound to move pinch runner Kinley Pate to second.
Another ball that took a strange bounce, this time off Jaycie Nichols at third, allowed Ana Roman to reach on a single as Pate moved to third with one down. Marlie Giles drew a walk to load the bases.
Audrey Vandagriff is up with the bases loaded and one down in the fourth against Teagan Kavan.
Walks, hit batters, wild pitches, errors, dropped third strikes. They all plagued Alabama in that fourth inning.
Ashton Maloney used a high hop at second base for a single with one out. With two down, a wild pitch from Moten allowed Maloney to reach second. That proved costly as Moten took Katie Stewart to a full count before the Texas slugger lined a single into left for a 3-1 Longhorns lead. Stewart took second on the throw in.
Martinez drew a four-pitch walk, and Moten hit Leighann Goode with a pitch to load the bases for her third free pass of the inning.
Alabama looked to be out of the inning without further damage, but Audrey Vandagriff appeared to lose a fly ball in the sun. Two runs cross the plate to make it 5-1.
Texas scores three runs on only two hits in the fourth as eight batters came to the plate. Moten threw 39 pitches in the fourth inning. She struck out Hannah Wells for the third out.
Still some chances for Alabama to get back into the game with the heart of the order due up, but with Teagan Kavan dealing, the SEC Tournament championship trophy looks headed to Austin midway through this one.
After three shaky innings from Briski in the circle, Vic Moten takes over for Alabama in the fourth. Briski allowed two runs and six hits. Moten is scheduled to face the 9-1-2 spots in the order for Texas: Jaycie Nichols (1-for-2), Ashton Maloney (0-0) and Kayden Henry (0-2).
Kavan is dealing. She froze Salen Hawkins for a strikeout to open the bottom of the third before doing the same to Kristen White on a drop ball at the knees. Jena Young flied out to center for the third out.
Kavan, the Most Outstanding Player in last year’s Women’s College World Series, has struck out six of the first 10 batters she’s faced and has thrown back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. She’s given up one hit, the home run to Alexis Pupillo.
Texas leads Alabama, 2-1, headed to the fourth inning.
Texas strands two in the third after picking up two more hits.
Leighann Goode singled to right with one down, and Reese Atwood fought back from a 1-2 pitch for a single up the middle. After a lengthy at bat, Hannah Wells popped up in foul territory to Ambrey Taylor. Briski then struck out Alisa Sneed for the third out.
That was a 23-pitch inning for Briski, who doesn’t look comfortable at all in the circle today. She’s already thrown 70 pitches through three innings. Texas has had traffic on the bases in every inning. Salen Hawkins, Kristen White and Jena Young are due up for Alabama in the third.
Marlie Giles struck out swinging on four pitches to open the inning. Audrey Vandagriff, who was 4-for-7 in the tournament entering the day, just missed a double down the left field line before striking out on a rise ball up over the shoulders. Ambrey Taylor grounded to short as Teagan Kavan finished off a 1-2-3 inning.
Vivi Martinez, Leighann Goode and Reese Atwood are due up for Texas in the third. Longhorns lead Alabama, 2-1.
Texas loaded the bases after freshman Jaycie Nichols reached on an infield single to second base with one out. Longhorns coach Mike White used pinch hitter Victoria Hunter to try to capitalize. She reached on a second straight infield single to Jena Young at second as pinch runner Taylor Anderson scored the tying run.
Ambrey Taylor made a terrific stretch at third to field a force out, but Alisa Sneed scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice for a 2-1 Texas lead. Katie Stewart popped up to second base for a big third out.
Texas scores two runs on three hits. That was a 32-pitch inning for Briski in the second. Marlie Giles, Audrey Vandagriff and Taylor are due up for Alabama in the second.
With two down, Alexis Pupillo got a pitch up in the zone and crushed it far out to right for a 1-0 Alabama lead. That’s Pupillo’s 17th home run of the season and her second in three days at the SEC Tournament.
Teagan Kavan threw 19 pitches in the first inning for Texas. Reese Atwood, Hannah Wells and Alisa Sneed are due up in the second inning for the Longhorns.
Take a look at Pupillo’s no-doubt blast.
Katie Stewart won the first battle between SEC Player of the Year and SEC Pitcher of the Year. Stewart hit a sharp single to right off Jocelyn Briski with one out in the first. Stewart advanced to second on a groundout by Vivi Martinez, but Leighann Goode popped up in foul territory to Salen Hawkins for the third out.
Briski retired Kayden Henry on a first-pitch pop up to open the inning, which allowed her to throw 15 pitches in the first. Jena Young, Brooke Wells and Alexis Pupillo are due up for Alabama against Texas starter Teagan Kavan.
Will the Tide keep the bats hot for the third straight day in Lexington?
Kayden Henry, Katie Stewart and Vivi Martinez are due up for Texas against Alabama ace Jocelyn Briski in the first inning. Stewart was named SEC Player of the Year on Friday, while Briski took home SEC Pitcher of the Year honors. Patrick Murphy earned SEC Coach of the Year honors.
The Crimson Tide take the field in their home white jerseys and pants with Crimson pinstripes. Texas is wearing its Burnt Orange jerseys over matching pants.
Chris Nabors is back behind the dish to call the balls and strikes today at John Cropp Stadium. Steve Gould is the third base umpire with Marty Abezetian down at second base. Cam Ellison will be making the decisions at first base.
First pitch for Alabama-Texas is less than 10 minutes away.
For Alabama:
For Texas:
In the circle for the Longhorns today is Teagan Kavan (20-4, 2.72 ERA). Last year’s WCWS Most Outstanding Player, Kavan is making her 27th start of the season, and her third against Alabama.
Kavan held the Crimson Tide to one run on five hits in the opener of the regular-season series back on April 2 in Tuscaloosa. Two days later, she suffered the loss after Alabama tagged her for seven runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.
In the Longhorns’ win over Georgia on Friday, Kavan allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings. All four Georgia runs came in the fifth inning.
Here’s the 1-9 lineup for coach Mike White’s team.
| CF | 21 Kayden Henry | L | .410 |
| 1B | 20 Katie Stewart | R | .429 |
| SS | 23 Viviana Martinez | L | .381 |
| 2B | 43 Leighann Goode | R | .375 |
| C | 14 Reese Atwood | R | .351 |
| DP | 13 Hannah Wells | R | .302 |
| LF | 9 Alisa Sneed | R | .268 |
| 3B | 24 Jaycie Nichols | R | .330 |
| RF | 7 Ashton Maloney | L | .289 |
Alabama’s ace has been nothing short of magnificent in the circle this year. Her 1.38 ERA ranks second best nationally. Briski’s only real blemish in SEC play came against Texas back on April 2 in the opener of a three-game series in Tuscaloosa. She allowed five runs on six hits in three innings, marking only her second loss of 2026.
Across all three games of the series, Briski surrendered seven runs on 14 hits over 7 2/3 innings.
Murph is going with the same lineup and batting order for the third straight day at the SEC Tournament. That’s hardly a surprise. Alabama produced a combined 16 runs on 21 hits in its two games against Arkansas and Florida.
Jocelyn Briski (21-2, 1.38) is in the circle for the Crimson Tide and is seeking her 22nd win. She went the distance in Thursday’s 8-1 victory over Arkansas, surrendering one unearned run on three hits. Briski struck out seven and walked two.
2B
4 Jena Young
L
.331
1B
15 Brooke Wells
R
.412
DP
31 Alexis Pupillo
L
.404
RF
21 Ana Roman
L
.326
C
34 Marlie Giles
R
.388
LF
12 Audrey Vandagriff
L
.314
3B
36 Ambrey Taylor
R
.340
SS
47 Salen Hawkins
R
.292
CF
3 Kristen White
L
.328
Surely there won’t be any “co-champions” in the SEC Softball Tournament this year. Today’s forecast for Lexington, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville:
“Sunny, with a high near 75. West wind around 7 mph.”
It’s currently sunny and 71 degrees in Lexington with first pitch roughly 90 minutes away. No chance of rain in the forecast either Saturday afternoon or evening, per the National Weather Service.
Where to watch Alabama vs Texas softball today: TV channel, streaming for SEC Tournament championship game
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Livestream: Fubo, ESPN+
Alabama-Texas will broadcast nationally on ESPN in Week 14 of the 2026 NCAA softball season. Beth Mowins, Michele Smith and Jessica Mendoza will call the action from the broadcast booth at John Cropp Stadium. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Alabama vs Texas softball start time today
- Date: Saturday, May 9
- Start time: 4 p.m. CT
Stream Alabama vs. Texas
The Alabama-Texas game starts at 4 p.m. CT Saturday from John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
SEC Softball Tournament 2026: full bracket, final scores
First-round games, Tuesday, May 5
- Game 1: Auburn 6, Missouri 2
- Game 2: Mississippi State 4, Kentucky 3
- Game 3: Ole Miss 2, South Carolina 0
Second-round games, Wednesday, May 6
- Game 4: Auburn 11, Texas A&M 8
- Game 5: Arkansas 3, Mississippi State 0
- Game 6: Ole Miss 4, Tennessee 1
- Game 7: Georgia 7, LSU 3
Quarterfinals, Thursday, May 7
- Game 8: Florida 10, Auburn 9
- Game 9: Alabama 7, Arkansas 1
- Game 10: Texas 6, Ole Miss 0
- Game 11: Georgia 10, Oklahoma 5
Semifinals, Friday, May 8
- Game 12: Alabama 9, Florida 1
- Game 13: Texas 5, Georgia 4
SEC Championship Game, Saturday, May 9
- Game 14: Alabama vs. Texas, 4 p.m., ESPN
Follow us at @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook, for ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
-
San Francisco, CA4 minutes agoMother’s Day Gamethread: Giants vs. Pirates
-
Dallas, TX10 minutes agoCaitlin Clark Responds to Dallas Wings Win Over Indiana Fever
-
Miami, FL16 minutes agoJarvis Landry Doesn’t Hold Back on Dolphins Offseason
-
Boston, MA22 minutes agoOle Miss softball to play Boston in NCAA tournament Lubbock Regional
-
Denver, CO28 minutes agoNew video shows trespasser on Denver airport runway before deadly collision
-
Seattle, WA34 minutes agoGrowing memorials honor young employee found dead at North Seattle beer garden
-
San Diego, CA40 minutes agoPadres come back, walk off with win over Cardinals to split series
-
Milwaukee, WI46 minutes agoWSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com