Tide Softball Inks Local Star
11/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Crimson Tide softball team, who signed a group of five prep stars in its most recent recruiting class, has included a local standout among its stellar group of incoming freshman next season. Olivia Gibson, a catcher for Tuscaloosa Academy, has signed a letter of intent to play for the Tide beginning in 2009.
“We are very excited that Olivia decided to play softball at Alabama,” said Tide head coach Patrick Murphy. “We have known her and her family for several years and have been impressed with how they handled the entire recruiting process. Olivia has a chance to be a great catcher and power hitter for us before her career is over. She has been a winner her entire career after having won three straight state championships under coach Billy White at Tuscaloosa Academy.”
Gibson has been a part of one of the most dominant prep teams in the state of Alabama in her high school career. The Knights have won three consecutive state titles with Gibson in the lineup, including 2A championships in 2005 and 2006 and the Class 3A crown in 2007.
A right-handed hitter, Gibson has lettered all three years at Tuscaloosa Academy and has been named the team’s Offensive MVP three times. She served as the team’s captain the past two seasons. A three-time All-State selection, Gibson also earned All-Tournament honors at the state softball championships in each of the last three seasons.
Gibson was named as The Birmingham News Player of the Week after hitting three home runs in a game last season and earned Tuscaloosa County Super 10 honors after her sophomore and junior seasons. She also starred at the University of Alabama softball camps and was named “Catcher of the Camp” in 2006 and Camp MVP in 2007.
The 5-9 catcher hit .496 as a sophomore and .467 as a junior and finished her last two prep seasons with 14 home runs, 113 RBI and 108 runs scored. Gibson had 128 total hits, 43 extra-base hits and logged slugging percentages of over .750 in each of her last two seasons. She hit 11 homers in 2007.
A member of the Alabama Pride club team, Gibson also has competed on two teams that have advanced to ASA National competition under coach John Owens.
Gibson was also active outside of softball. She is a member of the Beta Club, the Civinettes Service Club and has been a three-time president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Gibson has also earned three letters in volleyball at Tuscaloosa Academy.
She is the daughter of Rick and Linda Gibson of Tuscaloosa. Rick is a 1978 graduate of the University of Alabama. Her brother, Grant, and sister, Natalie, are also students at the Capstone. Gibson’s first cousin, Eric Dubose, pitched for Mississippi State University and was selected in the first round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics.
