Crimson Tide Baseball Team Ranked 28th in NCBWA Poll

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama baseball is ranked 24th in the preseason baseball poll released today by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA).

Alabama (44-21, 20-10 SEC) is coming off its league-leading 14th Southeastern Conference championship last season, which landed the Crimson Tide a Top 10 final ranking in 2006.

The Crimson Tide returns five starting position players and two of its top five pitchers off the school's 25th overall conference championship team.

Senior centerfielder Emeel Salem (Mountain Brook) is a First-Team preseason All-American candidate by the College Baseball Foundation and the NCBWA. Salem hit .356 last year as a junior with two home runs and 32 RBI. He led the SEC with 36 stolen bases.

Alabama also returns senior shortstop Greg Paiml (Hoover), senior left fielder Brandon Belcher (Ruston, La.), sophomore infielder/designated hitter Alex Avila (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and outfielder/catcher Ryan Rhoden (Tuscaloosa).

Sophomore Tommy Hunter (Indianapolis, Ind.) and senior Bernard Robert (Denham Springs, La.) both logged 100 innings on the mound last season.

Hunter was 10-3 with a 3.30 ERA and set freshman records for wins and innings pitched in 2006. He is a 2007 NCBWA preseason All-American candidate and a member of the Roger Clemens Award watch list, presented annually to the best collegiate pitcher.

Robert was 8-6 with a 4.72 ERA last season at Alabama. He has thrown more than 100 innings in each of his last two seasons.

Alabama opens preseason practice on Monday, Jan. 15 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. All practices and scrimmages are open to the general public. The 2007 season opener is four weeks away as the Crimson Tide prepares for a three-game series with Georgia State, beginning Friday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. (CST).

University of Alabama Athletics

Crimson Tide Baseball Team Ranked 28th in NCBWA Poll

Related News

Players Mentioned

Ryan Rhoden

Related Videos