Although the Crimson Tide continues their 2024 campaign, the transfer portal season is in full swing as well. For some impractical reason, the NCAA decided the portal should open on May 19th and close it June 17th.
So for teams that are still alive, it is double duty trying to win post-season games and recruit. Evidently, Bama coach Patrick Murphy has been able to juggle these two tasks and he did not have to look further than the opposite dugout in late February to pick up his first transfer for next year’s team. Alexis Pupillo of Northern Iowa announced via social media that she will be joining the Tide next season.
So excited to announce that I will be continuing my education and softball career at the University of Alabama. I would like to thank GOD, my family, and Coach Murphy along with his entire coaching staff for blessing me with this opportunity! ROLL TIDE ❤️@UACoachMurphy pic.twitter.com/uRCMQpeho6
— Alexis Pupillo (@AlexisPupillo) May 28, 2024
As a freshman, Pupillo hit .442 with 14 doubles and 16 home runs and 44 RBI. This past season her BA dropped to a still impressive .324 but with more power of 19 HR and 54 RBI.
On the season, her on base percentage of .466 was the equal to that of Oklahoma All-American Tiare Jennings. Her slugging percentage of .779 is 31st best in the nation and also 338 points higher than Bama’s leading hitter, Kenleigh Cahalan (.441).
At this point, you are asking yourself “Great, but can she hit Power pitching?”
There are not a lot of players who can say that they got hits off Alabama’s Kayla Beaver and Auburn’s Maddie Penta this season. Pupillo can. She actually hit a four bagger against Penta. She also knocked one out of the park against Arkansas. In one game against Arizona, she produced an RBI sac fly and stole two bases. In six games against those four teams, she hit .308 with two home runs and five RBI. Oddly enough, she was also hit by five pitches in those games.
Uncoincidentally, Northern Iowa is the alma mater of Murphy. He has always held a torch for his old school and often schedules them as they did for this season, a 1-0 Bama win. UNI won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season this year but were upset in the Tournament Championship 3-2 and missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
Pupillo started all 50 games for UNI this season. She was the Panthers’ main catcher. Alabama will likely have both Riley Valentine and Marlie Giles back next year as catchers. One of these three rising juniors will likely be moving to first base, especially with Emma Broadfoot out of eligibility. Like Valentine and Giles, Pupillo has two years of eligibility remaining.