| UAB Blazers | |
|---|---|
 2026 UAB Blazers softball team | |
 | |
| Founded | 2000 (26 years ago) |
| University | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Athletic director | Mark Ingram |
| Head coach | Anna Shelnutt (acting) |
| Conference | The American |
| Location | Birmingham, Alabama |
| Home stadium | Mary Bowers Field (capacity: 1,100) |
| Nickname | Blazers |
| Colors | UAB Green and UAB Gold[1] |
| NCAA super regional appearances | |
| 2013 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 | |
The UAB Blazers softball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The team is a member of the American Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. UAB's first softball team was fielded in 2000. The team plays its home games at Mary Bowers Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
History
The UAB softball program began competition in 2000 under its first head coach, Marla Townsend.[2] The team competed in Conference USA and recorded 39 wins in 2002, when Townsend was named Conference USA Coach of the Year.[3] Early highlights for the program included a notable 2003 victory over No. 8 Oklahoma.[4] Throughout its first decade, the Blazers focused on building a consistent presence within the conference, amassing over 250 wins by the end of the 2009 season.[5]
From 2010 to 2014, UAB made five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Mary Bowers Field opened in 2010 as the program’s home venue.[6] In 2013, UAB captured its first Conference USA regular-season title.[7] Also, in 2013, the team reached the NCAA super regionals and finished the season ranked No. 16 in national polls.[5][8]
Following Marla Townsend’s tenure, Amanda Ellis and Jimmy Kolaitis each served as head coach.[9][10]The 2020 season was shortened to 26 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] Joe Guthrie was named head coach in July 2020, and coached the team for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.[12] A.J. Daugherty was named head coach prior to the 2023 season, preceding the program’s move to the American Conference.[5][13] A.J Daugherty resigned following the 2024 season, with Taylor Smartt being selected to replace him.[14]
Taylor Smartt stepped away from the program on April 28, 2026 amid misconduct allegations.[15] While not named the interim head coach Anna Shelnutt would handle head coaching duties for the remainder of the season.[16]
Conference affiliation
NCAA
- Conference USA (2000-2023)
- American Conference (2023–present)
Head coaches
Record through the 2026 season.[17]
| Coach | Years | Seasons | Overall | Pct. | Conf. | Pct. | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marla Townsend | 1999–2017 | 19 | 532–507 | .512 | 211–214 | .496 | 5 NCAA (1 Super Regional) |
| Amanda Ellis (Interim) | 2018 | 1 | 26–32–1 | .449 | 10–13–1 | .438 | — |
| Jimmy Kolaitis | 2019–2020 | 2 | 34–42 | .447 | 12–19 | .387 | — |
| Joe Guthrie | 2021–2022 | 2 | 56–43 | .566 | 28–15 | .651 | — |
| A.J. Daugherty | 2023–2024 | 2 | 52–54 | .491 | 30–21 | .588 | — |
| Taylor Smartt | 2025–Pres. | 2 | 45–64 | .413 | 18–36 | .370 | — |
| Total | 5 NCAA Berths | ||||||
Year by year results
UAB softball history year-by-year results.[5][18]
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference USA (2000–2023) | |||||
| 2000 | Marla Townsend | 23–38 | 6–12 | 5th | — |
| 2001 | Marla Townsend | 27–35 | 10–11 | 5th | — |
| 2002 | Marla Townsend | 39–22 | 14–10 | 4th | — |
| 2003 | Marla Townsend | 28–28 | 10–14 | T–6th | — |
| 2004 | Marla Townsend | 20–36 | 7–17 | 9th | — |
| 2005 | Marla Townsend | 21–37 | 6–18 | 9th | — |
| 2006 | Marla Townsend | 31–22 | 15–9 | 3rd | — |
| 2007 | Marla Townsend | 27–35 | 10–14 | 6th | — |
| 2008 | Marla Townsend | 26–31 | 9–15 | 7th | — |
| 2009 | Marla Townsend | 21–34 | 8–16 | 8th | — |
| 2010 | Marla Townsend | 37–22 | 15–9 | 3rd | NCAA Regional |
| 2011 | Marla Townsend | 39–19 | 17–6 | 2nd | NCAA Regional |
| 2012 | Marla Townsend | 37–22 | 17–7 | 2nd | NCAA Regional |
| 2013 | Marla Townsend | 40–19 | 19–4 | 1st | NCAA Super Regional |
| 2014 | Marla Townsend | 32–27 | 15–8 | 2nd | NCAA Regional |
| 2015 | Marla Townsend | 32–19 | 15–7 | 2nd | — |
| 2016 | Marla Townsend | 26–33 | 12–12 | 3rd (West) | — |
| 2017 | Marla Townsend | 21–32 | 12–12 | 5th (West) | — |
| 2018 | Amanda Ellis | 26–32–1 | 10–13–1 | 4th (West) | — |
| 2019 | Jimmy Kolaitis | 19–31 | 8–15 | 5th (West) | — |
| 2020 | Jimmy Kolaitis | 15–11 | 4–4 | N/A | Season cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2021 | Joe Guthrie | 31–19 | 15–5 | 2nd (West) | — |
| 2022 | Joe Guthrie | 25–24 | 13–10 | 4th (West) | — |
| 2023 | A.J. Daugherty | 25–25 | 16–8 | 2nd | — |
| American Conference (2024–Present) | |||||
| 2024 | A.J. Daugherty | 27–29 | 14–13 | 6th | — |
| 2025 | Taylor Smartt | 24–31 | 10–17 | 8th | — |
| 2026 | Taylor Smartt | 21–33 | 8–19 | 9th | — |
| Total | — | 5 NCAA Berths | |||
| Conference regular season champion | NCAA Tournament appearance |
Post-season results
2010 NCAA Tournament (Tuscaloosa Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21 | Lipscomb | Loss | 4–1 |
| May 22 | Alcorn State | Win | 10–1 |
| May 22 | Lipscomb | Loss | 7–6 |
2011 NCAA Tournament (Athens Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Florida State | Win | 2–0 |
| May 21 | Georgia | Loss | 9–2 |
| May 21 | Florida State | Loss | 13–1 |
2012 NCAA Tournament (Knoxville Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | Virginia Tech | Loss | 4–1 |
| May 19 | Tennessee | Loss | 8–0 |
2013 NCAA Tournament (Louisville Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17 | UCLA | Win | 6–3 |
| May 18 | Louisville | Win | 7–4 |
| May 19 | UCLA | Loss | 4–1 |
| May 19 | UCLA | Win | 3–2 |
2013 NCAA Tournament (Gainesville Super Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | Florida | Loss | 4–3 |
| May 26 | Florida | Loss | 1–0 |
2014 NCAA Tournament (Athens Regional)[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16 | NC State | Loss | 4–0 |
| May 17 | Chattanooga | Win | 9–2 |
| May 17 | Georgia | Loss | 3–0 |
Facilities
Mary Bowers Field
In 2010, the team moved to an on-campus stadium. Before moving to the on campus stadium UAB played their games at George Ward Park[6] The facility was renamed Mary Bowers Field in 2016 in recognition of gifts from Mary and Keith A. Bowers.[19]
References
- UAB Brand Refresh - Toolkit. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- "On this day in Alabama history: Marla Townsend became UAB's first softball coach - Alabama NewsCenter". Alabama NewsCenter. 2019-08-09. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- "UAB Head Softball Coach Marla Townsend Named C-USA Coach Of The Year, Six Blazers Earn All-C-USA Honors". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- Communications, Athletics (2026-04-18). "UAB Bounces Sooners, 6-5". University of Oklahoma. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- "2021 UAB SB Media Guide" (PDF). UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- Champlin, Drew (2013-05-22). "UAB softball has benefited from on-campus facility". al. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- "2013 Softball Standings". conferenceusa.com. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- "UAB Softball Ranked No. 16/17 To Finish 2013 Season". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- Champlin, Drew (2017-08-08). "UAB head softball coach Marla Townsend moving into senior athletics administration". al. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- "Jimmy Kolaitis Named UAB Head Softball Coach". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- "Conference USA Cancels Spring Sport Competition". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- "SB: Joe Guthrie Named UAB Softball Coach". conferenceusa.com. 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
- Turrentine, Caleb (2022-07-01). "UAB names Alabama native A.J. Daugherty as new softball coach". WBMA. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- "UAB softball announces Taylor Smartt as head coach". CBS 42. 2024-08-07. Archived from the original on 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- "Allegations Against UAB Softball Coach Taylor Smartt Include Abuse, Racist Remarks and NCAA Violations". Softball On SI. 2026-05-06. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
- "UAB Softball Coach Taylor Smartt Taking 'Step Back' From Program". Softball On SI. 2026-04-28. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- "2025 Softball Schedule". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- "2026 Softball Standings". theamerican.org. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
- "UAB Facilities - Mary Bowers Field". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 2026-04-22.