TUSCALOOSA | Patrick Murphy has taken the University of Alabama softball team to Arizona, California, Texas and even Hawaii in search of top-flight competition in recent years.

Next season, the Tide head coach is letting the competition come to him.

Alabama, coming off its third Women’s College World Series appearance in the last four years, will host three tournaments at the Alabama Softball Complex in 2007, and each event will have one marquee opponent.

Big Ten member Michigan State will play in the Bama Bash! on Feb. 16-18. Defending Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tournament champion North Carolina State will play in the Crimson Classic on Feb. 23-25. Louisiana-Lafayette, a long-time softball power, will play in the Easton Spring Fling March 2-4.

The 2007 season will mark the first time Alabama will have ever hosted three tournaments in the same season.

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By Tommy Deas