9 Innings with Coach Gaspard
6/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Construction Photos This is the sixth inning of my blog "9 Innings", which will be featured on RollTide.com. My purpose in writing this is to allow fans an inside look into the Alabama baseball program. When I thought of putting this blog out, I wanted to be sure that each installment would cover a wide range of topics, giving fans an inside look at things that only people close to the program can personally provide. I feel responsible for making sure that people involved with the program, past and present, are well-represented as we move forward together and continue to grow that Alabama baseball tradition.
It has been a busy summer for us so far. There is no real offseason for our current guys, with 15 of them heading off to play summer ball in some of the most prestigious collegiate leagues across the country. Our players continue to excel with their summer teams and are putting in the work to prepare for next season's huge year inside the new Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Moving up a level, the main concourse is continuing to progress with much of the outfield walking area forming around the field. On the outside of the stadium, all of the walk-up trellises are built and have their tops on them. The brick work on the exterior has also started, giving fans a preview of how special this stadium will look once it's complete.
The final major change people will notice is the covering around the stadium. All of the roofing panels have been added around the upper concourse with lighting bays on top. Taking a walk around the top concourse gives you the full picture of what this stadium is going to look like upon completion, and I cannot wait to welcome our fans inside come February. I know the team is looking forward to the stadium and have been telling me about how excited they are to get inside what will surely be one of, if not the nicest stadium in all of college baseball.
The six draftees from our current roster is the most since 2010, when we had seven players selected in the draft. The five players who were taken before the start of the 15th round was our most ever taken in those first 14 rounds, an honor that I am very proud of.
Mikey was selected 63rd overall by the Oakland A's in the second round of the draft. He was the 11th player in Crimson Tide history to be taken in the first or second round of the draft and deservedly so. For three years, Mikey was a staple in our lineup at short and started every contest of his 184-game career at UA. Not only did he provide us stability in the field, but he also gave us a reliable bat in the middle of our lineup. He finished with a career average above .300 and accumulated more than 130 runs and nearly 100 RBI across his three seasons with the Tide.
Casey was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 96th overall pick of the draft in the third round. With that pick, he became the second-highest Alabama outfielder drafted in the program's storied history. He spent last season as our primary cleanup hitter and started all 60 games in right, finishing the season as the team's leader in hits and total bases. Casey wrapped up his two seasons with a .300-plus average and added 69 RBI and 50-plus runs across his 112 games of action. His stats aren't the only thing that will be missed, as he was one of strongest personalities in the locker room, and we will miss his contributions away from the game as well.
Guilbeau was taken in the 10th round, going to the Washington Nationals with the 314th overall selection. Taylor faced the dilemma of heading to the majors a season ago or returning for his final year at Alabama, and I believe he made the right decision by returning. Not only did he succeed athletically this year, but he also graduated with a degree in criminal justice and put in numerous hours of community service on his way to being named to the 2015 SEC Community Service Team. Taylor is a great kid who was one of our leaders this season and all four years with the Crimson Tide. He stepped up in the fall to earn the Friday night starter job and excelled in the role, providing us a chance to win in every series-opening game.
Overstreet and Carter were both selected in the 14th round of the draft, just five picks apart from one another. Overstreet, taken by the San Diego Padres, is one of the most recognized names with Alabama baseball and across the SEC the past three seasons. In his junior campaign, he received All-SEC Defensive Team honors for his standout play at second base, while also improving his stats in nearly every offensive category. He closed out his three-year stint at UA with 105 RBI and just one run short of 100 total. Carter, a member of the New York Yankees organization now, spent one season with the Tide and made an immediate impact. He helped us in some huge situations down the stretch coming out of the bullpen and his effort in the season finale against Vanderbilt helped us secure a berth in the SEC Tournament. Both guys will be missed, and I wish them the best of luck as they move forward with their playing careers.
Although Georgie was selected, he is still weighing his options about returning to Alabama for his senior season. He put together a solid year for us on the field in 2015, but equally as important were his efforts in the classroom. Pursuing his degree with a double major in business management and marketing, he worked his way to a perfect 4.0 in the spring and is the true embodiment of what we hope our student-athletes will become while here at the Capstone. Overall, he has maintained a cumulative grade-point average above 3.50, and has worked hard on his academics all three years in Tuscaloosa.
It's been a busy summer so far, but we're getting close to the arrival of all of our new players for next season. Our incoming freshman will arrive soon in Tuscaloosa, and the process of prepping for another season of Alabama baseball will begin once again. We're looking forward to building these freshman athletically, but equally as important is the academic side of their first week at the University. Once they arrive on campus, they will be set up with our academic advisor, Jenny Sanders, and they will be educated on all the academic support Alabama has to offer its students. We put each one of our athletes on the track to graduate, and with the early arrival they will be able to get a head start on preparing to become a successful member of this university.
The new season and new stadium are quickly approaching, and I can't wait to share this new era of Alabama baseball with all our fans and supporters. Roll Tide!
