Make no mistake, the first part of the formula for athletic success is that players win games.
The second part is that good coaches put good players in the position to win games.
The University of Alabama softball program has both of those in place. But there is also a third element at work, especially in the postseason. As much as anywhere in softball -- perhaps as much as anywhere, any venue in college athletics, the Crimson Tide crowd is part of the equation.
The numbers aren't football-sized, or basketball. They don't compare to the biggest college baseball crowds, like LSU's, or the gymnastics crowds at Alabama. They are, however, bigger than any other softball crowds in the country, other than those at the Women's College World Series itself. Besides, it's the intimacy, the feeling that the crowd is right on top of you whether you are the catcher or the right fielder, that creates the atmosphere.
Washington felt it, and heard it, in Alabama's 5-2 win to clinch another Super Regional on Saturday.
Close calls are debated, with gusto. Two-strike pitches, if Alabama is in the field, sound like a giant firecracker fuse approaching an inevitable explosion that will come with strike three. Players are never booed, as far as I've witnessed, although umpires do not enjoy such diplomatic immunity.
The fans know the players, who they can see close up. There's a relationship built over a long season with a loyal season-ticket base, although the outfield areas still let young fans -- the key to growing the sport -- attend games. The ambience is friendly but not cliquish.
"It's amazing that the college sports capital has adopted college softball," Crimson Tide head coach Patrick Murphy said. "I asked one of the Washington coaches if she ever believed she would see 3,500 people pay to see a college softball game. It's huge."
A quality program helps, obviously. Winning makes teams popular. But Murphy hasn't taken that for granted. The team still pushes ticket sales. Players still deliver season tickets to purchasers. Murphy promotes games, relentlessly, never turning down a feature story or a radio interview.
It's not just a one-year fad, either. Over the course of 11 College World Series trips, Alabama has been the leader in contributing to the growth of softball in the state. Programs are good at Auburn and Samford, Jacksonville State and North Alabama, but the real growth is at the grassroots level.
"When we started, there were maybe five summer programs in the state," Murphy said. "Now, there are 12 in Tuscaloosa. The coaching is better. And the athletes are there."
The facility is good, probably the best thing that Bob Bockrath did in his tenure as athletics director. The stadium is nearly 15 years old, still functions well and came in at a cost of just under $2.5 million. With the exception of every dime paid to Nick Saban since he was hired, it's been the best return on investment that Alabama could have ever expected. At some point, perhaps not in the far distant future, there will be improvements and additions but any potential changes need to keep a close eye on preserving the atmosphere.
Things will be different in Alabama's next game. Oklahoma City is basically home away from home for the Oklahoma Sooners, UA's opening opponent at the WCWS, but it's a situation Alabama has faced before.
That's the other thing about a great home atmosphere. It prepares you for a great road atmosphere. So Alabama should be ready.
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.
