ALEX WILCOX TOURNEY: Third-annual event features 20 teams, opens Friday
Austin, which won the 2022 Alex Wilcox Tournament, is back to defend its title. (File Photo)
By TIM GAYLE
Twenty teams make up this weekend’s field for the third FCA Alex Wilcox Memorial Softball Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Lagoon Park Softball Complex.
The tournament is now in its fifth year after its initial run in 2019 but the second tournament was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the third edition was rained out.
The tournament was created in 2019 to honor the life of Alex Wilcox, who led Brantley High to three consecutive softball state championships at Lagoon Park, the last two after she was diagnosed in 2016 with ovarian cancer. She was signed by Mississippi State coach Vann Steudeman and played sparingly as a freshman in 2018 while undergoing chemotherapy treatments. She passed away in June, 2018.
Brantley has participated in each of the first two tournaments, won in 2019 by G.W. Long and in 2022 by Austin. All three teams will be participating in this year’s tournament.
The original field in 2019 included 32 teams divided among eight pools, but lingering COVID travel restrictions limited the field to 19 teams in seven pools in 2021. Last year’s field included 21 teams, while this year has 20.
The winner of each of the six pools will advance to Gold Bracket play, while the runners-up will advance to Silver Bracket play. Both brackets will crown champions on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
While many of the area’s top teams participated in the inaugural tournament in 2019, only two area teams -- Catholic and Prattville -- will be participating in this year’s tournament. Catholic will play Brantley in the tournament’s first game on Friday at 1 p.m., while Prattville will face defending tournament champion Austin at the same time on an adjoining field.
THIRD ANNUAL FCA ALEX WILCOX MEMORIAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Lagoon Park Softball Complex
FRIDAY
Catholic vs. Brantley, 1 p.m.
Austin vs. Prattville, 1 p.m.
Brantley vs. Abbeville, 2:30 p.m.
Andalusia vs. Highland Home, 2:30 p.m.
Luverne vs. G.W. Long, 2:30 p.m.
Satsuma vs. Beauregard, 2:30 p.m.
Theodore vs. Austin, 2:30 p.m.
Baker vs. Tuscaloosa County, 2:30 p.m.
Abbeville vs. Catholic, 4 p.m.
Highland Home vs. Orange Beach, 4 p.m.
G.W. Long vs. Maplesville, 4 p.m.
Beauregard vs. Saraland, 4 p.m.
Prattville vs. Opp, 4 p.m.
Mary Montgomery vs. Auburn, 4 p.m.
SATURDAY
Opp vs. Theodore, 9 a.m.
Orange Beach vs. Andalusia, 9 a.m.
Maplesville vs. Luverne, 9 a.m.
Saraland vs. Satsuma, 9 a.m.
Baker vs. Auburn, 9 a.m.
Tuscaloosa County vs. Mary Montgomery, 9 a.m.
First-round bracket play, 10:30 a.m.
Quarterfinals, noon
Semifinals, 2:30 p.m.
Championship, 4:30 p.m.