The University of Alabama is ranked No. 5 in both preseason softball polls heading into the 2016 campaign.
The Crimson Tide, which received one first-place vote in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll, will be looking to make its third straight trip to the Women’s College World Series, its fifth in the last six years and 11th in the program’s history.
Alabama finished 48-15 last season and ended up with a No. 6 national ranking.
Defending national champion Florida is ranked No. 1 in both preseason polls. The Gators are followed by Michigan, LSU and Oregon in the ESPN.