The Battle Plan
3/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Kudos to Our New SEC Commissioner
I was very pleased to see that Greg Sankey has been named our new Southeastern Conference Commissioner. Greg is perfectly positioned to take over from Mike Slive, who took a terrific conference and made it even better. Greg has been heavily involved in all of the SEC's crucial decisions over the past few years involving issues which have been, and remain, very complex in nature. He will assure continuity in all areas which remain vital to the conference's continued success.
To characterize Greg's hiring as merely a passing of the torch would be dismissive of the incredible job that Mike Slive did as Commissioner, as well as the quality that Greg brings to the position. This wasn't just a good hire, it was an excellent one. Greg has been, and continues to be, at the center of all of the complex issues that are presently affecting collegiate athletics, and which will determine it's future.
In my opinion, and coincidentally that of all 14 Athletics Directors in the SEC, there is no one better suited to lead our league. Greg is smart, his legal background is an asset, and he has a great feel for the entire landscape of college athletics. He has played a vital role, under Mike Slive's leadership, in all major issues in which the SEC has been involved over the past few years.
Greg knows and appreciates the history of college athletics. He also understands that student-athletes are at the core of what we do, and has a tremendous knowledge of what needs to be preserved and what needs to be changed for their benefit. His knowledge of rules and regulations and his ability to communicate them are among his most impressive traits. And he has the ability to make all 14 universities feel like each are the most important member institutions.
He's great at dealing with people. He's consistent in his interactions, whether with Presidents, AD's, head coaches or administrators. He is a pragmatist who understands how to build consensus among disparate factions. Above all, he is very intelligent.
He's a lot like his predecessor, Mike Slive.
I would be remiss if I didn't take another opportunity to praise our current Commissioner. Few people can be truly said to have shaped an era and had an effect on something that will last well beyond their time. Mike Slive has done just that.
Mike took over a conference that had become colossally powerful and used that power to do good. Not just for the SEC and its member institutions, but for college athletics in general, and especially for all of our student-athletes. His successes were about much more than revenues and the bottom line. Almost every major piece of legislation in college athletics since 2002 has involved his influence.
He did it all with what one media member described as a "velvet hammer." He is the type of leader people want to follow, a rare combination of toughness, empathy and intelligence. I am glad he is in office until July 31, and I hope he stays involved for many more years. I'm also glad that he groomed his successor so well to take his place.
Sports Updates
Baseball
Recent Results: March 6-8 vs. Lipscomb (W, 5-1; L, 3-7; W, 3-0)
Up Next: Friday-Sunday, March 13-15, at Mississippi State; March 17 vs. Samford
Our baseball team is going through a tough stretch right now, but one highlight has been the play of Casey Hughston, who remains hot and has reached base in all 15 games this season. A sophomore outfielder, Casey also leads the SEC in batting average, hits and total bases, while tying for the league lead in RBI. He leads the Tide in batting average, doubles, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Mikey White has not skipped a beat from his consistent play in his first two seasons, as he is currently leading the team in runs and ranks second in batting average. In his last 10 games, Mikey is batting .400 with 11 extra-base hits, eight RBI, 12 runs scored and has reached base safely in all those contests. This week, the Tide begins a stretch against tough competition with a succession of SEC series upcoming against highly-ranked opponents. According to this week's Baseball America poll, the Tide will head to No. 15 Mississippi State this weekend, the hosts No. 10 Texas A&M before traveling to No. 2 Florida and then hosting top-ranked LSU in its next four weekend series.
Men's Basketball
Recent Results: March 7 at Texas A&M (W, 61-60); March 12 vs. Florida (SEC) (L, 61-69)
Our senior captain, Levi Randolph, continues to make us proud as he received another richly deserved accolade this week as he was named the 2015 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Levi is only the second Alabama player to earn the honor in program history. Earlier this year, Levi became the program's first Academic All-American. In addition to the Scholar Athlete of the Year, Levi earned second team All-SEC honors - the first all-conference honor of his stellar career. Despite a disappointing record in league play this season, we remain one of the top teams in the league over the last five seasons as Alabama has recorded 48 victories, which ranks third in the SEC. Only Kentucky and Florida have accrued more wins over the same time period. As a program, we need one more victory to reach the 1,600-win plateau as a program (our all-time record is 1,599 wins, 983 losses, for a winning percentage of .619). When the Tide reach 1,600 victories, Alabama will become the 34th program in NCAA Division I to reach the milestone. Alabama would join Missouri State, Georgetown, Ohio State, Arkansas and Michigan State as programs to reach that milestone this season.
Men's Golf
Recent Results: March 9-11 at Southern Highlands Collegiate (14th)
Up Next: Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22, at Linger Longer Invitational (Greensboro, Ga.)
Current National Ranking: 16th (Golfweek, March 4); 23rd (GCAA, March 13)
Our outstanding sophomore, Robby Shelton, carded a season-low round of 7-under par 65 on Wednesday to cruise to his first medalist victory of the 2014-15 season at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters with a 15-under par 201 (67-69-65). Robby was fantastic throughout the three-day, 54-hole event. Robby entered tournament play ranked 10th in the nation, dominated the field on his way his fourth career victory, winning the individual title by six strokes over Jon Rahm of Arizona State, who is ranked No. 9 in the nation, and Beau Hossler of Texas, who is ranked No. 19, both of whom carded scores of 9-under par 207. The 15-team field featured 12 of the nation's top 25 golfers. Robby's 15-under par was the lowest below-par score he's had in his Alabama career and he finished just one stroke shy of his career-best 54-hole score. As a team, the Tide closed play in 14th overall with a three-round total of 882 on the par 72, 7,510-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club.
Women's Golf
Recent Results: March 6-8 at Darius Rucker Intercollegiate (11th)
Up Next: Friday-Sunday, March 27-29, at Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic (Athens, Ga.)
Current National Ranking: 21st (Golfweek, March 10)
Emma Talley of our women's golf team earned her 11th collegiate top-10 finish at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate earlier this week with a tie for 10th at 5-over-par 218 on the challenging Pete Dye Course at the Long Cove Club in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Emma led the Tide to an 11th-place finish as a team in cold, wet and windy conditions at the Long Cove Club. Junior Janie Jackson was our No. 2 finisher in a tie for 30th at 225. The team is off now until the Tide travels to Athens, Ga., for the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic on March 27-29.
Gymnastics
Recent Results: March 6 at Missouri (W, 197.350-195.275); March 8 vs. Auburn (W, 197.200-197.025)
Up Next: Friday, March 13, vs. Oklahoma
Current National Ranking: 5th (GymInfo, March 9)
Our gymnastics team closes out the regular season with its final home meet of the 2015 season by facing defending NCAA co-Champion Oklahoma tonight at 7 p.m. The Sooners are ranked No. 1 in the nation coming into tonight's event, marking the third top-two team that Alabama has faced in Coleman Coliseum this season. It's also Senior Night for the Crimson Tide, as Kaitlyn Clark, Hunter Dennis, Lora Leigh Frost and Kayla Williams compete in front of the home crowd one last time. These ladies were part of the Tide's 2012 NCAA Championship as freshmen, have won three NCAA regional titles as well as the 2014 Southeastern Conference Championship with the opportunity for more team titles on the horizon. Between them, this senior class has earned a place on the Academic All-SEC Honor Roll, earned All-America and Scholastic All-America honors as well as individual SEC championships. Our team came away with two road wins last weekend after traveling to Missouri for a Friday meet and facing Auburn in Birmingham on Sunday. While the Tide dominated Missouri, the meet against Auburn was tied going into the final rotation. Strong performances on the floor exercise from freshman Mackenzie Brannan, Lauren Beers and Carley Sims clinched the win over the Tigers.
Rowing
Recent Results: None
Up Next: Sunday, March 21, vs. Drake
Rowing begins its spring season this weekend, heading to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Cardinal Invitational Regatta, hosted by Louisville. This year is our first season competing in the Big XII Conference in rowing after moving from Conference USA. Cold weather has limited practice on the water over the last several weeks, but the team has been able to take advantage of their brand new indoor training facility. We have two home regattas upcoming on the last two Saturdays in March: March 21 versus Drake and March 28 against Jacksonville. We'd love to have a huge and enthusiastic crowd down on the water for both regattas. If you come out, you will get a chance to see our new boathouse and support the team. Those will be the only two home competitions we'll have this season.
Softball
Recent Results: March 6-8 vs. Ole Miss(W, 6-0; W, 7-0; W, 10-0)
Up Next: Friday-Sunday, March 13-15, at Georgia; March 18 vs. Georgia State
Current National Ranking: 5th (USA Today/NFCA Coaches, March 10); 5th (ESPN.com/USA Softball
Coach Patrick Murphy's softball team started conference play with a 3-0 record with three shutouts over Ole Miss last weekend in Tuscaloosa. It was the first time we have shut out an opponent in all three games of a three-game series since 2011. Our team had great pitching performances last weekend with each of the three different pitchers throwing complete-game shutouts, including a perfect game on Sunday by Sydney Littlejohn. Our pitching staff has been extremely balanced this year, with no clear-cut ace, so we are able to use the whole staff, much like a baseball team would over a weekend series. The clutch hitting is starting to come, as we have hit six home runs over the last eight games. As the weather warms up, look for the bats to heat up as well. The Tide plays at eighth-ranked Georgia in Athens this weekend. This will be the third top 10 team we've played this season, a pretty tall order considering we're only four weekends into the season. We wanted to play tough competition early in the season to be ready for postseason play, and it looks like our team has responded very well.
Swimming and Diving
Up Next: Thursday-Saturday, March 19-21, at NCAA Women's Championships
Current National Ranking: Men - 23rd (CSCAA Coaches, Feb. 23)
Six members of our swimming and diving men's team have earned individual berths at the NCAA Championships, including 2015 SEC champions Kristian Gkolomeev and Connor Oslin. Coach Dennis Pursley will add four relay swimmers to its championship roster later this week. Kristian is the defending NCAA 50 freestyle champion and the No. 1 seed in both the 50 and 100 freestyles going into this year's national championships after producing dominating wins in both events at last month's SEC Championships. All-Americans Anton McKee and Brett Walsh are both making return visits to the championships while freshmen Luke Kaliszak and Christopher Reid will be making their NCAA debut. All five of our relays qualified for the NCAA meet. Alabama is seeded first in the 400 medley relay, second in the 200 freestyle relay and in the top 10 in both the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. Our 400 medley relay posted the nation's fastest time on the way to setting the SEC record at the SEC Championships. We finished 12th at last year's men's NCAA Championships after qualifying five individuals and taking four more on relays. This year's contingent will total 10 with six individuals and four relay swimmers. Last week, I recognized the women's team for being recognized for academic excellence by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). This week, the men's team has been so honored as the men's swimming and diving team earned the Team Scholar All American honor, awarded to college and university swimming and diving teams who have achieved a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Congratulations to Coach Dennis Pursley and his outstanding scholar-athletes!
Men's Tennis
Recent Results: March 7 vs. Ole Miss (W, 4-2); vs. Alabama State (W, 4-1; W, 5-0)
Up Next: Friday, March 13, at Auburn; March 15 at Florida; March 20 vs. LSU
Our men's tennis team went 3-1 last week, highlighted by a big victory over No. 9 Ole Miss. The Tide also picked up two victories over Alabama State, 4-1 and 5-0, after being edged at Arkansas, 4-3. Nikko Madregallejo extended his winning streak to seven matches in singles, while Becker O'Shaughnessey pushed his streak to six, including the clincher versus the Rebels on Saturday. Korey Lovett had the biggest win of his rookie season thus far against Ole Miss, topping three-time All-American and reigning SEC Player of the Year Nik Scholtz, 6-2, 6-2, at the No. 1 spot.
Women's Tennis
Recent Results: March 6 vs. Georgia (W, 5-2); March 8 vs. Tennessee (W, 4-0)
Up Next: Friday, March 13, at Ole Miss; March 15 at Mississippi State; March 20 at LSU
Current National Ranking: 6th (ITA, March 10)
Last weekend was action-packed for coach Jenny Mainz's women's tennis team as the Tide took a pair of SEC victories over No. 6 Georgia and Tennessee. We knocked off Georgia, 5-2, on Friday, then took a 4-0 win over the Volunteers on Sunday, our sixth shutout win of the season. We hosted our women's tennis alumni reunion over the weekend. Teams from the 1970's through the 2000's were represented at the reunion. Our crowds on Friday and Sunday were the two largest crowds of the season. Earlier this week, Alabama passed Georgia in the ITA national rankings, climbing from ninth to sixth and matching our highest ranking of the season. Sophomore Erin Routliffe was named the SEC Player of the Week after earning a pair of singles victories and a doubles win over the weekend. She also earned her best singles victory of her career to date, knocking off Georgia's Lauren Herring, who was ranked No. 6 nationally entering the match.
Track & Field
Up Next: Friday-Saturday, March 13-14, at NCAA Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, Ark.) Current National Ranking: Men - 11th (USTFCCCA, March 9); Women - 28th (USTFCCCA, March 9)
Congratulations to our excellent senior sprinter, Remona Burchell, and Arkansas distance runner Dominique Scott are co-recipients of the 2015 SEC Runner of the Year honor for Indoor Track & Field by virtue of a vote of the conference's head coaches, the SEC office announced on Monday, March 9. Remona also has been named the NCAA South Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year and has been selected to the Pre-Indoor NCAA Championships edition of the women's Watch List for the 2015 Bowerman Trophy, collegiate track & field's highest individual honor. She is undefeated on the track in 2015 and leads 11 Alabama athletes (9 men and 2 women) who will compete tonight and tomorrow at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Joining Remona on the men's side, junior Cameron Hudson is entered in a team-best three events - the 60-meter dash, long jump and 4x400-meter relay - while three other Tide men are entered to compete in two events: Alex Amankwah (men's 800 and 4x400 relay), Steven Gayle (men's 4x400 relay and distance medley relay) and Jacopo Lahbi (men's 800 and 4x400 relay). Joining them will be Matt Airola in the men's distance medley relay (DMR), Robbie Farnham-Rose (men's DMR), Justin Fondren (men's high jump), Jeremiah Green (men's long jump), Marlon Humphrey (men's 4x400 relay) and Lakan Taylor in the women's pole vault.
Upcoming Action
Here's a summary of athletic events over the next several days (times listed are for the location of the event: CT is Central Time. ET in Eastern Time):
Saturday, March 14
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. CT | Baseball | at Mississippi State (DH) | Starkville, Miss. |
| 3 p.m. ET | Softball | at Georgia (DH) | Athens, Ga. |
| All Day | Rowing | at Cardinal Invitational Regatta | Oak Ridge, Tenn. |
| All Day | Track & Field | at NCAA Indoor Championships | Fayetteville, Ark. |
Sunday, March 15
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. ET | Men's Tennis | at Florida | Gainesville, Fla. |
| 1 p.m. CT | Women's Tennis | at Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. |
| 1 p.m. ET | Softball | at Georgia | Athens, Ga. |
| 1:30 p.m. CT | Baseball | at Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. |
| All Day | Rowing | at Cardinal Invitational Regatta | Oak Ridge, Tenn. |
Monday, March 16
No Events Scheduled
Tuesday, March 17
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. CT | Baseball | Samford | Hoover |
Wednesday, March 18
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. CT | Softball | Georgia State | Rhoads Stadium |
Thursday, March 19
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. CT | Track & Field | John Mitchell Alabama Relays | Sam Bailey Track Complex |
| All Day | Swimming & Diving | Women's NCAA Championships | Greensboro, N.C. |
Friday, March 20
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 p.m. CT | Women's Tennis | at LSU | Baton Rouge, La. |
| 5 p.m. CT | Men's Tennis | LSU | UA Tennis Complex |
| 7 p.m. CT | Baseball | Texas A&M | Hoover |
| All Day | Swimming & Diving | Women's NCAA Championships | Greensboro, N.C. |
| 10 a.m. CT | Track & Field | John Mitchell Alabama Relays | Sam Bailey Track Complex |
(DH) - Doubleheader
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams via TV, radio, rolltide.com, Twitter and Facebook:
Baseball
Listen: 94.5 FM (http://player.listenlive.co/22751)
Live Stats: Gametracker via RollTide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Men's Golf
Twitter: @AlabamaMGolf
Women's Golf
Twitter: @AlabamaWGolf
Gymnastics
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WVUA-FM 90.7/RollTide.com
Live Stats: RollTide.com
Twitter: @BamaGymnastics
Softball
TV (Online Only): SEC Network +
Radio: 95.3 FM (http://953thebear.com/listen-live/)
Live Stats: Gametracker via RollTide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB
Men's Tennis
Twitter: @AlabamaMTN
Women's Tennis
Twitter: @AlabamaWTN
Track & Field
Live Results: http://www.branchsportstech.com/
Twitter: @AlabamaTrack
Catch Alabama Athletics on the SEC Network
Here's a summary of our athletic events to be televised over the next week on The SEC Network and its platforms. Read this schedule closely as some events can be seen via SEC Network +, which is available online via ESPN3 here. If you can't make it to our games in person, catch us on radio or TV.
(All times listed are Central Time)
Saturday, March 14
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. | REPLAY: Alabama Football Pro Day | SEC Network |
| 2 p.m. | Softball at Georgia | SEC Network |
| 2 p.m. | Baseball at Mississippi State | SEC Network + |
Sunday, March 15
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Softball at Georgia | SEC Network |
| 1:30 p.m. | Baseball at Mississippi State | SEC Network + |
Tuesday, March 17
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Baseball vs. Samford | SEC Network + |
| 9 p.m. | REPLAY: Alabama Football Pro Day | SEC Network |
Wednesday, March 18
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | REPLAY: Alabama Football Pro Day | SEC Network |
| 6 p.m. | Softball vs. Georgia State | SEC Network + |
| 8 p.m. | 2015 SEC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships | SEC Network |
| 9:30 p.m. | 2015 SEC Women's Swimming & Diving Championships | SEC Network |
Friday, March 20
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Baseball vs. Texas A&M | SEC Network + |
Our teams need your support, so please plan to attend to do your part! A rising tide lifts all boats and it's up to all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Roll Tide!
