Trio Of Northport Natives Reach College Softball’s Biggest Stage

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Three Tuscaloosa County natives are set to take softball's biggest stage this week as the 2026 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) kicks off Thursday in Oklahoma City.

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Northport natives Kinley Pate and Holly Beth Brooks are members of the University of Alabama softball team, while Alyssa Faircloth, another local product, helped pitch Mississippi State into its first Women’s College World Series appearance in program history.

Pate, a Northside High School graduate, has carved out a key role for the Crimson Tide as a speed specialist during Alabama’s memorable postseason run.

This year's trip to Oklahoma City will be the second time Pate has played in a WCWS, after scoring a pivotal run against UCLA in the 2024 WCWS.

Before arriving at Alabama by way of a transfer from Samford, Pate starred at Northside High School, where she hit .523 as a senior with 25 RBIs and 68 stolen bases while earning First Team All-State honors.

She was a four-year leadoff hitter for the Rams and posted eye-popping prep numbers that included a .540 batting average, .649 on-base percentage and 64 runs scored during her final high school campaign.

Earlier this season, Pate recorded the first RBI of her Alabama career during the Crimson Tide’s Senior Day win over Oakland.

Brooks, a freshman catcher from Tuscaloosa County High School, has appeared in 11 games for Alabama this season.

The right-hander made her Crimson Tide debut in the season opener against Villanova and collected her first collegiate hit March 28 against North Dakota State, driving in two runs with a fourth-inning single.

The Northport native was also one of West Alabama’s top prep players before signing with Alabama. During her high school career for the Wildcats, Brooks compiled a .403 batting average with 132 hits and a .971 fielding percentage.

She also played travel ball for Fury Platinum X Hutchins/Helton before committing to the Crimson Tide.

Faircloth has etched out the most successful 2026 campaign among her Tuscaloosa County counterparts, emerging as one of the top pitchers in the Southeastern Conference during her first season at Mississippi State after transferring to Starkville from Troy.

The left-handed junior from Northport earned 2026 SEC Newcomer of the Year honors, was named Second Team All-SEC and collected NFCA Second Team All-South Region recognition while helping lead the Bulldogs to Oklahoma City.

Faircloth has been one of the nation’s most effective pitchers this season, averaging roughly 1.5 strikeouts per inning across more than 175 innings pitched while posting a sub-2.50 ERA.

Before transferring to Mississippi State, Faircloth was an All-Sun Belt performer at Troy, where she won 15 games as a sophomore and ranked among the Trojans’ strikeout leaders.

Faircloth spent her first three high school seasons at Holy Spirit Catholic School before graduating from Tuscaloosa County High School.

She was a 2023 MaxPreps Second Team High School All-American and four-time all-state selection, leading Holy Spirit to the Alabama Class 1A state championship as a junior while earning Pitcher of the Year, Player of the Year and state tournament MVP honors.

She also led the nation with 444 strikeouts that season and finished her prep career with Holy Spirit’s all-time strikeout record at 1,094.

As a senior at Tuscaloosa County, Faircloth was named Alabama 7A Pitcher of the Year after posting a 0.92 ERA with 402 strikeouts in 182 innings pitched.

No. 5 seed Mississippi State will kick off the WCWS Thursday with a first-round matchup against No. 3 Texas Tech on ESPN, while No. 1 seed Alabama will face off against No. 2 UCLA at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

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