The Battle Plan
4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
My Favorite Event of the Year
We held our annual Student-Athlete Awards Banquet this past Monday evening at the Bryant Conference Center. This has become my very favorite event of the year. This banquet clearly illustrates that the University of Alabama Athletics Department is making tremendous progress in accomplishing it's mission of educating and preparing our student athletes to compete at the highest levels in all sports and, more importantly, in life after graduation.
Our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) develops and runs this event each year. They chose to rebrand the event this year as the "Crimson Choice Awards Banquet". The event focuses on academic performance and community service, but also highlights competitive excellence covering the 2014 calendar year (spring and fall semesters). Our female student-athletes use the occasion to dress in their finest attire. It reminds me of how the ladies dress at the Kentucky Derby, but without hats! As I mentioned last year, our male athletes still need a little coaching regarding dress at this function!
I wish all Alabama fans and supporters could attend this event every year. Each time I attend, I leave inspired and enthused about our student-athletes and what our coaches and administrative staff are doing at Alabama. We taped the event this year and we are exploring ways to get it on television, or at least access online. You may hear more about this in the future. But if you ever get a chance to attend, don't pass it up.
Crimson Tide student-athletes spent almost 3,000 hours in community service activities this year. Our women's swimming and diving team led all women's teams in community outreach hours while baseball earned the honor for the men. Swimmer Travis Kerner and rower Alyssa Drevenak were recognized for their outstanding service to the community. Our SEC champion gymnastics team and the men's tennis squad were honored as the teams with the highest grade-point averages. Gymnastics had a 3.67 team GPA, and men's tennis had a 3.34. Competition for these honors is fierce and it is really cool to watch team spirit as different teams are chosen as winners of the various awards during the evening.
Our exceptional men's golf coach, Jay Seawell, was voted Coach of the Year, while his 2014 NCAA Championship team was named the Crimson Choice Team of the Year. The Crimson Choice Awards Top Play, voted on by student-athletes at the banquet, went to track & field star Hayden Reed, who won the 2014 NCAA discus title as a freshman. Hayden also earned the Rookie of the Year honor.
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee also presented the inaugural John Servati Courage Award, given in the memory of Crimson Tide swimmer John Servati who died last April saving the life of a fellow UA student. Our outstanding volleyball player, Krystal Rivers, was the first recipient after battling cancer last winter and coming back to play at an All-America level this past fall. Krystal also earned the Comeback Athlete of the Year award.
SAAC also honored Dr. Meredith Bagley, a professor in the University's Department of Communication Studies in the area of Sport Communications, with the Finest Faculty Award for her dedication to student-athlete academic achievement.
The keynote award of the event is the Paul W. Bryant Student-Athlete Award. Created by the Tuscaloosa County Chapter of the University of Alabama Alumni Association in 1985, it is the highest honor given by our athletic department as it recognizes one male and one female student-athlete who achieves excellence in athletics, academics and community service. This year's honorees are outstanding representatives of our University and our athletics program: senior Academic All-America basketball player Levi Randolph and senior NCAA Elite 89 Award winner Emily Zabor.
The other finalists for the Bryant Student-Athlete Award were also recognized during the banquet: Michael Oczypok (baseball), Nikki Hegstetter (women's basketball), Arie Kouandjio (football), Tom Lovelady (men's golf), Emma Talley (women's golf), Lauren Beers (gymnastics), Logan O'Neil (rowing), Laura Lee Smith (soccer), Jadyn Spencer (softball), Connor Oslin (men's swimming and diving), Kaylin Burchell (women's swimming and diving), Stuart Kenyon (men's tennis), Hayden Reed (men's track and field) and Sierra Wilson (volleyball).
A Special A-Day Ceremony
I was very impressed with our crowd of 65,175 at the Golden Flake A-Day Spring Football Game on Saturday afternoon. As our weather forecasts all week indicated a high chance of significant rain on Saturday, along with how much rain we did have in the days leading up to the weekend, a smaller crowd would have been understandable.
Once again, our amazing fans showed up and excelled in giving our players and coaches a great atmosphere for the game and throughout the campus. That support is vital, not just to our football program, but to all of our teams as A-Day is a vital recruiting weekend for our entire athletics program. Your continued presence and enthusiasm is much appreciated by our coaches and student-athletes. It makes a tremendous difference.
I hear a constant, familiar refrain from our coaches when it comes to recruiting: if we can just get them to campus, we have a great chance of getting them to sign. That says a lot about the impact that your support has, particularly at A-Day. Thanks to all of you who came out and contributed your time, your enthusiasm and your affection! But, as Coach Saban continues to remind us, Ohio State had more at their game this year than we did, so we still have work to do getting ready for next year!
What I will always remember about this A-Day was an event that I attended on Saturday morning. Thanks to the efforts of James Sanderson (President of the A-Club Football Committee); 1974 co-captains Sylvester Croom and Richard T. Davis; Shaun Alexander; Ralph Stokes; former A-Club president Thomas Somerville, Jr. and others, three African-Americans who walked onto our football team in the spring of 1967 -- Dock Rone, Andrew Pernell, and Art Dunning -- were elected as honorary members of the A-Club Alumni Association.
They received their official recognition and plaques at an emotional ceremony. They are three of five men who were true pioneers that spring, along with the late Melvin Leverett and Jerome Tucker (now an attorney in Birmingham).
Our A-Club is a vital part of our drive to educate and prepare our student-athletes for life after graduation. We are diligently trying to encourage all former student-athletes to join the A-Club and stay engaged in coming back to campus, getting to know and support our coaches and players, and staying connected to what's happening on campus. If you think about it, if we could connect all former letter winners from all sports throughout the world, we could create one of the most formidable networks in collegiate sports. We could accomplish great things.
As it stands now, our rejuvenated A-Club has established a website (www.alabamaaclub.com) that provides access for all to tune in and stay connected with up to date information on all sports, but also access to other A-Club members. Our A-Club over the past few years has contributed over a million dollars to endowed scholarships. It has also contributed annually to the A-Club Educational and Charitable Foundation, and it supports the Susan and Gaylon McCullough Career Development and Leadership Center, which is still in its infancy, but already making a difference in the lives of current and former student-athletes.
Baseball
Record: 22-18 (7-11 in SEC)
National Rank: Unranked
Last Game: Defeated Mississippi Valley State, 3-1 and 16-5 (Tuesday, April 21, in Hoover)
Next Up: Friday-Sunday, April 24-26, at Ole Miss
The hitting of Mikey White and Casey Hughston has been a key factor in our baseball season to date, as both young men lead the team in a combined total of nine statistical categories. Both have been named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. Mikey, who leads the team in runs (37), doubles, triples, total bases (90), slugging percentage (.600) and on-base percentage (.444), is tied for the SEC lead in triples (6) and is tied for sixth in doubles (13). In the field at shortstop, he leads the team in assists with 127. Casey, a right fielder, leads the Tide in hits (57) and home runs (5), as well as a team-high five outfield assists.
Freshman Cody Henry earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts recently at Samford and in three games vs. Georgia. Cody had an eight-game hitting streak from April 2-17 and has started the last 16 games at first base, leading the team in walks with 18. Another fine young freshman, pitcher Jake Walters, made his first SEC start of the season last Saturday at Missouri, pitching 7.0 innings and striking out five to earn a shutout victory over the Tigers. Congratulations to Coach Mitch Gaspard, who earned his 400th career win as a head coach last Saturday. Mitch has garnered 190 of those wins as head coach at Alabama.
Men's Golf
National Rank: 25th
Last Week: SEC Championships (4th)
Next Up: NCAA Regionals (TBD)
Our men's golf team led the 2015 SEC Championships through 36 holes, and had a six-stroke lead with nine holes remaining in the third and final round, but the Tide struggled down the stretch and finished tied for fourth overall. Sophomore Robby Shelton led the Crimson Tide, placing third overall. It was Robby's ninth top-10 finish, and sixth top-5 result in 10 tournaments this season. Freshman Jonathan Hardee also had a strong performance at the SEC Tournament with a season-low 54-hole score of 2-under par 208 to finish tied for 11th overall. Now head coach Jay Seawell and his team await the NCAA Regionals, which will be announced May 6 and will be contested May 15-17. Thirteen teams and 10 individuals not on those teams will compete at each of three regionals while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals not on those teams. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals.
Women's Golf
National Rank: 25th
Last Week: SEC Championships (4th)
Next Up: NCAA Regionals (TBD)
Coach Mic Potter's women's golf team finished in the top five at the SEC Championships for the seventh consecutive year with a fifth-place finish at this year's tournament last week. Emma Talley was Alabama's top individual finisher with a sixth-place finish. Emma is ranked 14th individually in the country by Golfweek/Sagarin (as of April 19). Sophomore Mia Landegren set a new 54-hole personal best at the SEC Championship (221), and had her first collegiate top-20 individual finish. The young Crimson Tide team moved into the top 25 nationally after finishing ahead of three top-10 teams at the SEC Championships. The Tide will learn its regional tournament assignment on Monday, April 27. The 2015 NCAA Tournament will utilize a four-regional format with the six advancing teams from each regional then playing each other for three rounds of stroke play. After that, the top eight teams will advance to match play to determine a national champion.
Gymnastics
SEC Championships Finish: 1st
National Rank: 4th
Last Week: NCAA Championships (4th)
Up Next: Season Complete
Coach Dana Duckworth's gymnastics team finished a close fourth at the 2015 NCAA Championships last weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. The Crimson Tide is the only program to finish in the top four at the national championships in each of the last seven years. Overall, Alabama gymnastics has finished in the top four nationally 28 times in 33 NCAA Championships appearances. The fourth-place showing capped an impressive debut season for Dana as head coach as the Tide won its ninth SEC title and an NCAA-best 30th regional title. Alabama advanced to its 33rd consecutive NCAA Championship and its NCAA-best 21st Super Six Team Final. Six of our gymnasts earned a total of 10 All-America honors: Kayla Williams (vault and balance beam); Katie Bailey (uneven bars); Lauren Beers (vault, floor exercise and all-around); Carley Sims (vault and floor exercise); Keely McNeer (balance beam); and Mackenzie Brannan (floor exercise).
Rowing
Our women's rowing team continues to develop under Coach Larry Davis. The last time out, at the Knecht Cup Regatta in New Jersey, six of our seven boats competing advanced to day two event finals, highlighted by a second-place finish in the First Varsity 4 Grand Final. That marked the first top-three finish for Alabama in a Varsity Grand Final in three years competing at the Knecht Cup. We're hopeful of continued improvement as a host of talented recruits have added a level of depth to the team that will be key in building a foundation for consistent success down the road.
Next up, the Tide has one final tune-up against SMU in Dallas this weekend before competing in its first Big XII Championship in two weeks. While the championships will take place at a familiar venue in Oak Ridge, Tenn., this will be the first season competing under the Big XII banner after competing as a part of Conference USA for the past five seasons. Rowing is in its second season as an NCAA-sanctioned sport and the move to the Big XII provides Alabama with a great opportunity to grow and compete at the highest level in a sport that is seeing rapid expansion and increased popularity.
Softball
Record: 36-11 (12-7 in SEC)
National Rank: 5th
Last Game: Lost to Tennessee, 3-2 (Thursday, April 23 in Tuscaloosa)
Next Up: Friday-Saturday, April 24-25, vs. Tennessee at Rhoads Stadium
It's hard to believe, but there are only two weeks left in the softball regular season and the race for the SEC regular season title looks like it will be a close one. At this writing (Thursday prior to the start of our series with Tennessee), Coach Patrick Murphy's Crimson Tide is in fourth place, only 1.5 games behind league-leading and No. 1-ranked Florida. Both LSU and Auburn entered this weekend's action one game ahead of us in a tie for second place. Tennessee and Missouri were one game behind the Tide. A finish in the top four of the final regular season standings is important, as the top four teams get a first round bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching among the top teams over the next two weeks.
Our pitching staff recently completed a streak of 42 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run. Over that stretch, opponents earned only 28 hits while striking out 41 times. All three of our starting pitchers earned at least one win over that stretch. Quality depth in a pitching staff is more important than ever in college softball and our pitching staff is certainly one of the nation's deepest. Along with stellar pitching, the Tide offense's power numbers have seen a spike in the last few weeks as Alabama has hit three home runs in five of the last 11 games, and a total of 19 homers in the last 11 games. Sophomore Marisa Runyon has accounted for six of those all by herself. Marisa had two multi-homer games over the last 11 games, making her the first Alabama player to have two multi-homer games in the same season in five years.
Men's Tennis
Record: 17-17 (3-9 in SEC)
National Rank: Unranked
Last Week: Lost to Tennessee, 4-3, in 2nd Round of SEC Championships (Thursday, April 16, in College Station, Texas)
Next Up: NCAA Regionals (TBD)
Coach George Husack's young men's tennis team has struggled much of the way this season, which wasn't surprising considering the 10-man roster consists of four freshmen and three sophomores with only one junior and two seniors competing in the very tough SEC. But there have been some bright spots, one of which occurred this week as Korey Lovett was named to the SEC's All-Freshman Team. Korey has played primarily at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles this season as a true freshman, and he has been ranked nationally in both singles and doubles.
As Coach Husack has alluded, Korey has been in a tough spot this season after missing the fall season with an injury, but he fought through that and returned in the spring to post some big wins and earn those national rankings. Korey not only has a bright future and is a key to the program's development, but the attitude and toughness he displayed was a great catalyst for his teammates. This season Korey has defeated three nationally ranked opponents in singles, and has paired with junior Becker O'Shaughnessey to beat four nationally ranked opponents in doubles.
Women's Tennis
Record: 17-7 (8-5 in SEC)
National Rank: 14th
Last Week: Lost to Vanderbilt, 4-0, in Quarterfinals of SEC Championships (Friday, April 17, in Nashville, Tenn.)
Next Up: NCAA Regionals (TBD)
Two-time NCAA Elite 89 Award winner and team captain Emily Zabor, the 2015 Paul W. Bryant Award winner, was honored this week as SEC's Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The honor marks the fifth straight year that a Crimson Tide player has earned that SEC honor in women's tennis. Emily is another tremendous example of a young person who is truly handling her studies and athletics commitments with tremendous maturity, intelligence and effort. She is one of the most decorated careers in the history of our women's tennis program and a consummate student-athlete.
Emily has twice been named the NCAA Elite 89 Award winner for women's tennis -- the first repeat winner in women's tennis -- earning the award presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships. Emily graduated summa cum laude in three years (May 2014) as an honors graduate with a degree in commerce and business administration, earning a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average. She was a fixture on the President's List and Dean's List throughout her undergraduate career and is currently enrolled in the master's degree program in marketing.
Two of Emily's teammates, sophomore Erin Routliffe and junior Maya Jansen, were named first team All-SEC by the conference's coach this week. The honor marked Erin's second straight season to earn first team status while Maya added first team honors to her 2014 second team showing. Erin and Maya finished the regular season ranked as the No. 1 doubles team in the country by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), and remained atop the rankings following the SEC Tournament. Coach Jenny Mainz and the Tide will learn their NCAA tournament destination next Tuesday, April 28.
Track & Field
National Rank: Men -- 9th; Women - 17th
Last Week: Men 3rd, Women 3rd at John Jacobs Invitational (Saturday, April 18, in Norman, Okla.)
Up Next: Saturday, May 2, at LSU Invitational (Baton Rouge, La.)
Coach Dan Waters' track & field team is about to enter the championship phase of its schedule, and is in good shape for a run at a high national finish by both the men's and women's squads. The Tide men's team is ranked 9th while the Crimson Tide women are 17th in this week's edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I National Team Computer Rankings released Monday. The No. 17 ranking for the Tide women's team ties the best ranking ever attained by Alabama in the women's team rankings.
Sophomore Quanesha Burks broke a 28-year-old record in the women's long jump last Saturday at the John Jacobs Invitational at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., as Alabama athletes won seven individual events (five men, two women) and one relay to finish third in both the men's and women's team standings. Quanesha made a record-setting jump of 21 feet, 9 inches (6.63 meters) to better Flora Hyacinth's previous school record of 21-6 1/2 set in 1987. Sophomore Hayden Reed led the men's squad at Oklahoma with a season-best performance in the men's discus, winning the event with a toss of 199-2 (60.70m), a winning mark that was 10 feet farther than the rest of the field. The Tide takes this weekend off before resuming the outdoor season on Saturday, May 2, at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La.
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, April 25
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. CT | Softball | Tennessee | Rhoads Stadium |
| 7 p.m. CT | Baseball | at Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. |
| 9 a.m. CT | Rowing | at SMU | Dallas, Texas |
Sunday, April 26
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 p.m. CT | Baseball | at Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. |
Monday, April 27
No Events Scheduled
Tuesday, April 28
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. CT | Baseball | Southern Mississippi | Hoover |
Wednesday, April 29
No Events Scheduled
Thursday, April 30
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. CT | Baseball | Arkansas | Hoover |
Friday, May 1
| Time | Sport | Opponent/Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. CT | Baseball | Arkansas | Hoover |
| 6 p.m. CT | Softball | at Arkansas | Fayetteville, Ark. |
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: 99.1 FM (http://player.listenlive.co/22751)
Live Stats: Gametracker via RollTide.com
TV (Tuesday - online only): SEC Network +
TV (Thursday & Friday): SEC Network
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
App: TuneIn
Softball
TV (Online only): SEC Network +
Radio: 95.3 FM (http://953thebear.com/listen-live/)
Radio App: Radio Pup
Live Stats: Gametracker via RollTide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB
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, April 25
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Softball vs. Tennessee | SEC Network + |
| 7 p.m. | Baseball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
Sunday, April 26
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. | REPLAY: Baseball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
| 4 a.m. | REPLAY: Baseball at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
Monday, April 27
No Alabama Events Scheduled
Tuesday, April 28
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Baseball vs. Southern Mississippi | SEC Network + |
Wednesday, April 29
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 p.m. | REPLAY: 2014 Football vs. Florida | SEC Network |
Thursday, April 30
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 2 a.m. | REPLAY: 2014 Football at Tennessee | SEC Network |
| 5 a.m. | REPLAY: 2014 Football vs. Auburn | SEC Network |
| 6 p.m. | Baseball vs. Arkansas | SEC Network |
Friday, May 1
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 3:30 a.m. | REPLAY: Baseball vs. Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 12 p.m. | REPLAY: Baseball vs. Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 6 p.m. | Baseball vs. Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 6 p.m. | Softball at Arkansas | 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!
