Alabama softball earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but its path through the Tuscaloosa Regional is far from a reward.
The Crimson Tide (49-7) will open against USC Upstate, while Southeastern Louisiana and Belmont meet on the other side of the bracket. All three teams bring high-caliber experience, but Belmont may have the most dangerous weapon in the regional.
Belmont ace Maya Johnson is one of the most dominant pitchers in college softball this season. If Alabama and Belmont meet, Johnson could be the biggest obstacle between the Crimson Tide and a super regional berth.
Here are three things to know about Johnson before the Tuscaloosa Regional.
Maya Johnson is one of the most dominant pitchers in college softball
Johnson enters the Tuscaloosa Regional as one of the top pitchers in the country, and statistically, she has been dominating more than almost anyone in the NCAA this season. Johnson (27-2) leads the NCAA in pitching with a 0.66 ERA and 381 strikeouts. She also leads NCAA softball in complete games (29) and shutouts (14).
Her strikeout-to-walk ratio of 11.91 leads the NCAA, with fellow USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 finalist Jocelyn Briski of Alabama in second at 9.21. Briski (21-3) holds a 1.45 ERA and 175 strikeouts across 30 appearances.
Belmont has beaten two SEC teams, with wins over Georgia and Mississippi State. In two complete-game performances, Johnson struck out a combined 25 hitters and gave up just one run.
Maya Johnson has managed lupus while pitching
Johnson’s rise has come while managing lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with at 15. Her condition has shaped the way she trains and recovers from the grind of a college softball season.
Johnson was turned away by major programs for medical reasons before becoming one of the country’s most dominant pitchers at Belmont, according to ESPN. She briefly entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season, but returned to Belmont, where she has continued softball while balancing graduate nursing work.
Maya Johnson was drafted No. 3 overall by the AUSL’s Oklahoma City Spark
Johnson has secured a coveted professional softball opportunity. The Oklahoma City Spark selected her No. 3 overall in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League College Draft, making her the highest professional draft pick in Belmont history across any sport.
She will leave Belmont as one of the most decorated pitchers in program history. Her so-far career 1,170 strikeouts lead all active NCAA softball players.
Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Maya Johnson: What to know about Belmont ace ahead of Tuscaloosa Regional
