The Battle Plan
4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | General
A Successful A-Day Weekend on Many Fronts
Last weekend was a great one at The University of Alabama. The A-Day spring football game brought more than 76,000 into Bryant-Denny Stadium and many more into the Tuscaloosa community. The game was nationally televised and ratings showed that more people watched Alabama's spring football game than the NHL hockey playoff game on Saturday. Is that incredible or what?
In addition, our women's golf team fired a 7-under par 281 on Sunday to capture the 2016 SEC Women's Golf Championship at Greystone Golf & Country Club. Our baseball team won its series against eighth ranked Ole Miss in front of sellout crowds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our softball team won its series against Texas A&M on the road, and our gymnastics team came in third at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth. Oklahoma and LSU finished ahead of our team by razor-thin margins. Our president, Dr. Stuart Bell, and his wife, Susan, joined Mary and I as we watched our ladies' valiant effort that came down to the last event.
The A-Club Alumni Association and football staff sponsored an effort to get as many players as possible from the Nick Saban Era back on campus to celebrate Coach Saban's 10th A-Day Game and The University of Alabama A-Club's 100th anniversary. There are letter winners from The University of Alabama scattered all over the world and we are doing our best to reach out to all of them, encouraging them to get engaged, or stay engaged, with the University. We are building a strong network that we believe can help us in many ways in the future. We had more than 100 former letter winners participate in the annual A-Club Golf Tournament. Coach Saban played a hole with every group in last Friday's afternoon session and he was especially glad to see Ryan Kelly, Jake Coker, and Richard Mullaney from our 2015 team playing. On Friday night, the football lettermen enjoyed a social in the South Zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium. We were pleased to see 260 football lettermen and spouses in attendance. Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Ingram spoke for the 40 or so Saban Era players who gathered to honor Coach Saban. They did a great job of telling him what a difference he has made in their lives, on and off the field, through their experience at Alabama under his leadership. They presented him with a golf bag, a custom-made, engraved wedge, and a day at a PGA golf course with a pro to provide lessons. It was a moving experience and one that Coach Saban deeply appreciated.
On Saturday, about 10,000 fans arrived at Bryant-Denny stadium some 2½ hours before kickoff to watch a flag football game played by former Crimson Tide players. More than 40 players volunteered to get back on the field "one more time" to compete in the game. Julio Jones served as Commissioner and oversaw the contest that was won by the Crimson team, 21-20. They stopped a two-point conversion on the last play of the game to seal the win.
The A-Day game itself was a scrimmage that concluded this year's spring practice. Offensive and defensive plays and schemes were limited as coaches were focused on getting as many players as possible to play in game-type conditions so they can be evaluated over the summer. The White Team won, 7-3, in a defensive struggle but coaches will get valuable insight into both technique and effort as they view the tapes. During halftime the fans enjoyed a quarterback challenge in which Jake Coker, Blake Sims, and John Parker Wilson threw passes at moving targets at varying distances. Youth prevailed as Jake took home the trophy. Blake and John Parker vowed to practice more to be ready for next year's competition.
Also during halftime the A-Club presented Coach Saban with an endowed scholarship in his name in appreciation for his contributions to Alabama football. The initial donation was $100,000 and, over the next few years, they will take it to the $300,000 full-scholarship level. Coach Saban expressed his appreciation to the A-Club for this honor in making scholarship money available to student-athletes in the future.
Thanks to Jerry Duncan, the outgoing President of the A-Club, for his work the last two years. J.C. Ranelli is the incoming President, with Kermit Kendrick serving as President-Elect. The A-Club has endowed scholarships in the last few years in the names of Mal Moore, Sarah Patterson, Mic Potter, Jay Seawell, Patrick Murphy and, now, Nick Saban. In addition, the A-Club supports the Susan and Gaylon McCullough A-Club Career and Leadership Development Center in Bryant Hall, and also supports the A-Club Educational and Charitable Foundation managed by Tommy Brooker. The A-Club has given back more than a million dollars over the last few years in scholarships and contributions and continues to grow and impact lives.
That impact is enormous, and all of us are deeply appreciative for that incredible support.
Crimson Choice Awards Banquet
My favorite event of the year is our student-led Crimson Choice Awards Banquet. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) plans and puts on this show annually. This past Tuesday night, senior swimmer Travis Kerner, our SAAC President, led this year's celebration of Crimson Tide excellence. All Alabama athletes are invited, along with our Administrative Staff and selected guests. This is especially meaningful in that the awards and the voting are done by the students and their head coaches.
Awards for the highest team grade point average (GPA) went to gymnastics who earned a 3.74 team GPA. The swimming and diving team took top honors for the men with a 3.25. Crimson Tide athletes gave more than 3,000 hours of community service outreach this year. Our SEC champion women's golf team joined our men's basketball team to capture top honors in community service. The premier awards of this event are the Paul W. Bryant Awards given annually to the top male and female student-athletes. This year's winners are especially deserving of this prestigious honor. Senior All-American softball player Haylie McCleney, who also is an Academic All-American, and Retin Obasohan, our senior All-SEC and SEC Men's Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year, are the Paul W. Bryant Award dinners for 2016.
The other Crimson Choice Awards handed out included:
- Team of the Year - Football (men) and Softball (women)
- Coach of the Year - Pat Murphy (softball) and Nick Saban (football)
- Comeback Athlete of the Year - Kenyan Drake (football)
- Athlete of the Year -Derrick Henry (football) and Emma Talley (women's golf)
- Rookie of the Year - Alexis Osorio (softball) and Calvin Ridley (football)
- Faculty Member of the Year - Angela Billings (communication studies)
- Support Staff Member of the Year - Terry Jones (strength & conditioning)
- Fan Favorite - Derrick Henry (football)
It is a thrill for me to see our student-athletes so dressed up and looking professional after seeing them around our complex in shorts and team gear most of the time. It is also a thrill to learn about their accomplishments, see their professionalism, feel their team spirit and pride, and feeling confident that they will be successful in life after they leave the University.
Remaining among National Leaders in APR
On Wednesday, the NCAA released the latest Academic Progress Rates (APR) and, once again, all 21 of our athletic teams continue to score well above the national cutoff standard. The figures released this week cover the four-year period extending from the 2011-12 through 2014-15 school years. Our continued success in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate is a reflection of our coaches and administrators living our mission to recruit and develop student-athletes to compete at the highest levels in intercollegiate athletics, to educate and prepare our student-athletes to compete at the highest levels in life after graduation, and to accomplish both with honor and integrity.
Overall, 17 of our teams posted scores above the national average for their respective sports, including five that bettered the national average in their sport by 15 points or more. Football scored a 979, which bettered the national average for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams by 15 points. Men's basketball posted a 984 APR, bettering the national average by 20 points. In addition to national recognition, eight Crimson Tide teams ranked among the top three in their respective sports in the SEC, with gymnastics, softball, women's golf, men's cross country and women's tennis all leading the conference. Football and men's swimming and diving were both ranked third among SEC teams. In all, 16 Alabama teams either matched or exceeded their APR score from last year.
Nationally, we are one of only 11 FBS schools to have all of its teams hit the 970 threshold. The other 10 are Temple, Duke, Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Texas, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Washington. Alabama also is one of only two SEC institutions to have more than four teams receive public recognition from the NCAA for their APR scores figuring in the top-10 percentile nationally among teams in those sports. Those include the 2011 and 2012 NCAA champion gymnastics team, the 2012 NCAA champion women's golf team, the 2014 SEC champion women's tennis team and the men's cross country team and women's swimming and diving teams.
I couldn't be prouder of the efforts put forth by our students, coaches, faculty, staff and everyone who works day-in and day-out to achieve academic excellence. It is vital work and we must all keep pulling together to maintain this high standard.
2016 SEC Champions: Alabama Women's Golf
Congratulations to head coach Mic Potter, assistant coach Susan Rosenstiel, and the entire team and support staff of the Crimson Tide women's golf team, which earned the 2016 SEC Women's Golf Championship last weekend at Greystone Golf & Country Club. The title is the third all-time for the Crimson Tide, each coming under the direction of Mic and Susan. Alabama's previous SEC titles came in 2010 and 2013. The Tide finished five shots ahead of Florida to take the title. The victory kept the Tide atop the national rankings, as well, as Alabama now sits atop the Golfstat team rankings at this writing.
This year's championship victory is Alabama's eighth consecutive top-five finish in SEC championship play for the Tide, dating back to 2009. Why is Mic Potter one of the finest coaches in his - or any - sport today? One indication could be evident in a quote of his after winning the title, mentioning the team's development over the course of this season. "This is a group of girls, at the beginning of the year, we weren't sure what we had," he said. "Cheyenne (Knight), as a freshman, had a good junior career but hadn't played like she has here. And to be as dominant as she has been as a freshman has made a big difference. At the beginning the year, who knew? But the more we play, the better they get. I had faith they could come out here and shoot a low score. But Florida's a good team and they can, too. All you can do is do your best."
The Tide finished the round with three players under par for the day and the weekend. Cheyenne, whom Mic singled out in his comments, led the Tide with a 3-under par 69 final round and finished third in the individual race with a three-day total of 212. Senior Emma Talley finished fourth overall, one stroke behind Cheyenne at 213, while sophomore Lakareber Abe finished in a tie for fifth, two shots behind Emma at 215. Senior Janie Jackson finished in a tie for 13th with a 4-over par 220 while sophomore Nicole Morales finished in a tie for 27th with an 8-over par 224 (74-76-74).
It was a clutch performance by the entire team on the final day, as the Tide entered the final round tied with Florida for the team lead at 2-over par. Our ladies moved out to a three-shot lead on the front nine before clinching it with a solid final nine holes at 2-under par. Next up for the Tide is the NCAA Regional, which we will host May 5-7 at Shoal Creek Club in Birmingham. Please mark your calendars for that, so you won't miss the chance to come out and support this outstanding group of young women.
Men's Basketball Banquet
Our men's basketball team held its annual awards banquet Thursday night in Coleman Coliseum. I was very pleased to see more than 500 fans in attendance to honor our student-athletes, staff and managers for their efforts during the 2015-16 season. I am grateful for the efforts of the Tuscaloosa Tip-Off Club and Tide Pride for their efforts in making the banquet such a success.
Our fan support was outstanding this season, as we averaged a school-record 13,110 fans per game. That average ranked 22nd nationally as we sold out five games this season, the most sellouts in a single year since the 2006-07 season. These are significant facts that show that Alabama is, indeed, a "basketball school" just as sure as it is a "football school", or a "softball school", or so on. Perhaps it's best just to say that Alabama is an "excellence school".
Two seniors, Retin Obasohan and Arthur Edwards, highlighted the awards last night. Retin, who led the team in scoring (he was the first Alabama player to average more than 20 points per game in SEC play since Buck Johnson in 1985-86), was named the team's outstanding offensive player. Arthur, a transfer from New Mexico, earned the most improved player award. Arthur scored 9.5 points per game and led the team with 171 three-pointers, drastic improvements for him over his numbers at New Mexico prior to joining the Tide. Retin and Arthur also received Commitment to Service awards. Arthur was named to the Southeastern Conference's Community Service team this year, and Retin received the honor last season.
Donta Hall (Outstanding Freshman Award), Riley Norris (Outstanding Defensive Player), Lawson Schaffer (the Coach Avery Award, given in recognition of attitude and effort throughout the course of the season) also earned awards. Retin joined Christian Clark and Jimmie Taylor with a Student Academic Achievement Award after they each earned a spot on the SEC's Winter Academic Honor Roll. The third member of the team's senior class, Michael Kessens, also received special recognition for his contributions to our program.
My warmest thanks to our players, coaches, and staff for their efforts this season!
Fulfilling the Mission: Lauren Beers Earns NCAA Elite 90 Honor
Last week at the NCAA Gymnastics Championship Banquet, a familiar sequence of events played out. During the banquet, the master of ceremonies announced the winner of the NCAA Elite 90 Award. For the seventh time in the seven-year history of the award, an Alabama gymnast, Lauren Beers in this case, heard her named called. Think about that for a moment - in the seven-year history of the Elite 90 Award, presented annually to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships - Alabama is the only school to win this prestigious honor for the sport of gymnastics. Even more amazing is the fact that Lauren earned the award in three consecutive years, or every year she was eligible for it (freshman cannot win the honor). In addition to pushing gymnastics' total to seven, Lauren's honor puts Alabama's total for all sports to 15, the most in the history of the award, one ahead of Stanford.
Salute the SEC Champs by Giving to the Women's Golf Gift Fund
The Alabama women's golf team earned another SEC championship last week! Alabama Athletics is very proud of the hard work and accomplishments of Coach Mic Potter and his golfers. Since his arrival in 2006, Mic has built Alabama into a perennial national contender. The 2016 SEC championship is another addition to an impressive history of regional and national championships. In 2010, Alabama won the SEC Women's Golf Championships and posted a then school-best third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2011, the Crimson Tide won its first NCAA Regional title in school history and qualified for the NCAA Golf Championships. In 2012, the Tide won its first NCAA championship. That title was the first for the University of Alabama in a sport other than football or gymnastics. The Crimson Tide continued its success by winning the SEC championship in 2013 and, now, in 2016.
Support this winning program and congratulate the team and Coach Potter on the 2016 SEC Women's Golf Championship by contributing to the Women's Golf Gift Fund. Your contribution provides for operational needs of the golf team that may not otherwise be met. Funds can be used for anything from equipment or facility needs to uniforms and travel. By supporting the Women's Golf Gift Fund, you provide additional opportunities to elevate this championship program. Give now or call the CTF at 205-348-9727.
Nationally Ranked Teams This Week
Currently, four of our 11 teams currently in season are ranked in the top 25 nationally: men's golf, women's golf, softball and men's track & field. This week, three of the four are ranked in the top 10 nationally. Here's a glance at this week's rankings:
- Men's Golf - 12th (Golfweek, April 18); 18th (Golfstat, April 20); 11th (GCAA Coaches, April 1)
- Women's Golf - 3rd (Golfweek, April 18); 1st (Golfstat, April 20)
- Softball - 4th (ESPN.com/USA Softball, April 19); 4th (USA Today/NCFA Coaches, April 19)
- Men's Track & Field - 9th (USTFCCCA, April 18)
Sports Updates
Baseball
Coach Mitch Gaspard's team is in College Station this weekend for a three-game set against third-ranked Texas A&M. This is the Tide's second of three straight weekend series against top 10 opponents. All three games will air live on SEC Network + (online streaming). The Tide is receiving votes in this week's NCBWA and USA Today Coaches polls. Last weekend, the Tide took two of three from eighth-ranked Ole Miss, then took a loss to South Alabama on Wednesday night following a 5-3 win over Troy on Tuesday night. Our starting pitchers compiled a remarkable 0.45 earned run average (ERA) in the three games against the Rebels. Our three starting pitchers combined to allow two runs (one earned) on 12 hits and six walks with 15 strikeouts over the course of the Ole Miss series. Sewell-Thomas Stadium was sold out for all three games as 18,689 fans entered through the turnstiles. That total for a three-game home series ranked as the second most all-time in Alabama baseball history, behind only the 19,224 that attended the March 28-30, 2003, series against LSU.
Men's Basketball
Last week, Coach Avery Johnson announced the hiring of John Pelphrey as the associate head men's basketball coach at The University of Alabama. John, who brings more than 20 years of assistant and head coaching experience to the Tide, replaces former assistant coach Scott Pospichal. John's addition to our staff not only adds someone who boasts multiple years as an assistant coach in the SEC, but also brings nine years of head coaching experience. John has spent 14 of his 22 years as a coach in the SEC. Guard Retin Obasohan produced an excellent three-game performance at the Portsmouth Invitational last weekend on his way to being named to the All-Tournament team. Retin was one of 11 players of the 64 who were invited to participate in the event to earn the recognition, and he was the only one from his team to do so. Playing for the Portsmouth Partnership team, Retin led the way with 16.7 points per game, while also collecting 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals a contest.
Men's Golf
The Tide, which entered the SEC Men's Golf Championships ranked ninth nationally, finished 11th in the final standings at the conference tournament with a three-day total of 880. Next, Coach Jay Seawell's team will host the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, scheduled to be played May 16-18 at the Ol' Colony Golf Complex. The NCAA will announce the rest of the regional field in early May. Robby Shelton was named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2016 Ben Hogan Award presented by the Colonial Country Club, Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). It marks the third consecutive year that Robby has been a semifinalist and marks the ninth consecutive season that an Alabama player has made the semifinals, dating back to 2008. Robby, a junior, was ranked No. 6 in the Golfweek/Sagarin performance index entering the SEC Championships. He holds the school record with seven career tournament victories. After claiming three titles during the 2015-16 season alone, he is one win away from matching the Alabama single-season tournament victories record of four set by Justin Thomas in 2011-12. Robby, who leads the Tide with a 70.08 per round stroke average this season, has captured medalist honors at the DICK's Collegiate Challenge Cup, the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate and the Puerto Rico Classic. He has finished among the top 20 in eight of the nine tournaments he has played in this season and has 29 top-20 results in 31 career tournaments played at Alabama.
Gymnastics
Coach Dana Duckworth and our gymnastics team capped off a tremendous championship-season run this past weekend with a third place finish at the NCAA Championships. The top four teams in the Super Six Team Final were within .20 of one another going into the final rotation and Mary and I watched in awe as Dana and her ladies competed on the always tough balance beam to close out the championship. Our gymnasts were absolutely fearless, attacking the beam and producing the highest beam score of the night, pulling ahead of Florida and finishing behind LSU by just a fraction. While Oklahoma came away with the team title, our ladies competed like champions throughout the postseason and I couldn't be prouder. Their second-place SEC finish (by a razor-thin margin) and this strong NCAA finish continues their tradition of excellence, as it marked our 23rd top-three NCAA finish - the most in collegiate gymnastics history. The day before the team finals, junior Katie Bailey was spectacular on the vault, winning the individual NCAA title, becoming our 26th individual gymnastics champion and fifth on the vault. Katie, senior Lauren Beers and sophomores Mackenzie Brannan and Kiana Winston earned All-America honors. And as I mentioned earlier in this blog, Lauren won our seventh NCAA Elite 90 Award for gymnastics and the 15th overall for the Tide.
Rowing
Coach Larry Davis' team made its annual trip to Mercer, N.J., for the Knecht Cup on April 9-10, battling through adverse weather conditions that forced a number of schedule changes. Despite the bad weather, the Tide advanced all seven of its entered boats to event finals, including four appearances in Grand Final rounds. This improves on last year's total, where Alabama sent six boats to event finals and competed in three Grand Finals. Alabama's Freshman/Novice 8+ had its schedule changed due to weather, forcing the crew to race twice on Sunday. It won its heat in the semifinal early in the day to advance to the afternoon's Grand Final, where it finished with a weekend-best time of 6:56.14 to place second and take home the silver medal. This is the second-straight year that Alabama has medaled at the Cup, following last year's silver-medal finish by the Varsity 4+. The Tide will have one final tune-up before the Big 12 Championships, hosting SMU for races in Tuscaloosa on the Black Warrior River on Saturday, April 30. The event is the final home regatta this season for the Tide and the team will honor its 15 seniors as well as the Power of Pink initiative.
Softball
Coach Patrick Murphy's team hosts Kentucky this weekend at Rhoads Stadium for a three-game series. We are welcoming back a large contingent of alumni this weekend, celebrating the softball program's 20th anniversary season. Alums from the program's 20-year history will be back, including 2013 graduate Kayla Braud who will be in the booth during Saturday's SEC Network broadcast. Since the program's inception in 1997 Alabama has totaled over 1,000 wins, the most of any team that began in 1997, the first year the Southeastern Conference began sponsoring softball. Senior outfielder Haylie McCleney and junior pitcher Sydney Littlejohn are in contention for the USA Softball's Player of the Year award. The National Pro Fastpitch league held its annual draft last Thursday and Haylie was selected by the USSSA Pride with the 13th overall pick. She is the 11th Alabama player to be drafted by the NPF, our first since 2011. Haylie will play alongside former Tide All-American Kelly Kretschman (1998-2001) with the Pride, while two other former Tide stars, Kelley Montalvo (2006-2009) and Jaclyn Traina (2011-14), also will play in the league this summer.
Men's Tennis
Our resurgent young team was edged in the second round of the SEC tournament by Ole Miss, 4-3. In the loss to the Rebels, redshirt freshman Langford Hills picked up his first career win against an SEC opponent to give Alabama its third point of the match. Sophomore Korey Lovett and freshman Mazen Osama moved up to No. 4 in the nation in doubles, the highest ranking in program history. Keep an eye on the NCAA selection show on May 3 for the team tournament announcement.
Women's Tennis
After a very disappointing regular season, our ladies stayed at it and earned their first victory over an SEC opponent this season by beating Missouri, 4-0, in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The win was the Tide's first since Feb. 26 after a lot of close calls throughout the conference season, losing six matches by a 4-3 score. The season ended in the SEC Tournament's second round with a 4-0 loss to Texas A&M. Both Erin Routliffe and Andie Daniell are ranked in the top 50 nationally in singles and have a shot of making the NCAA singles tournament, which begins May 25.
Track & Field
Coach Dan Waters' men's and women's track & field teams have once again earned a spot on the nation's Top 30 list in the third week of U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rankings released Monday, April 18th. The men's team land at the No. 9 spot and the women round out the Top 30 list at No. 30. Junior Lakan Taylor won the women's pole vault and freshman Will Herrscher finished fourth in the men's pole vault at the South Alabama Invitational in Mobile on April 15. Will was named the SEC Men's Freshman of the Week on April 11 after the native of Rockwall, Texas, won the pole vault at the Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, La. on April 9. The Tide currently has 16 athletes (nine men, seven women) and two women's relay teams (4x100, 4x400) ranked in the top 25 on the combined national lists. Of these athletes, seven (six men, one woman) rank in the top 10. Senior sprinter Ahmed Ali leads the way with top-10 rankings in the 100 meters and the fastest time among collegians in the 200. The throws squad continues to dominate the field by holding nine spots on the national top 25 lists, including four positions in the discus throw (three men, one woman). The team is competing today and tomorrow at the Auburn War Eagle Invitational at the Hutsell-Rosen Track. If you are in the Auburn area, Saturday's competition will kick off with the field events at 10:30 a.m. and the running events at 12 p.m.
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 is Eastern Time, MT is Mountain Time, PT is Pacific Time):
Saturday, April 23
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | at Texas A&M | College Station, Texas | 2 p.m. CT |
| Softball | vs. Kentucky | Rhoads Stadium | 5 p.m. CT |
| Track & Field | at Auburn War Eagle Invite | Auburn, Ala. | All Day |
| Men's Tennis | at SEC Championships | Columbia, S.C. | TBD |
Sunday, April 24
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | at Texas A&M | College Station, Texas | 1 p.m. CT |
| Softball | vs. Kentucky | Rhoads Stadium | 1:30 p.m. CT |
| Men's Tennis | at SEC Championships | Columbia, S.C. | TBD |
Tuesday, April 26
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | at Samford | Birmingham | 6 p.m. CT |
Thursday, April 28
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Mississippi State | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 6:30 p.m. CT |
Friday, April 29
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Mississippi State | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 7 p.m. CT |
| Softball | at South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | 6 p.m. ET |
Saturday, April 30
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Mississippi State | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 3 p.m. CT |
| Softball | at South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | 5 p.m. ET |
| Women's Rowing | vs. SMU | Black Warrior River | 9 a.m. CT |
| Track & Field | at LSU Invitational | Baton Rouge, La. | All Day |
Sunday, May 1
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softball | at South Carolina | Columbia, S.C. | 1 p.m. ET |
Thursday, May 5
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's Golf | at NCAA Regional Championships | Shoal Creek, Ala. | All Day |
Friday, May 6
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Auburn | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 7 p.m. CT |
| Softball | vs. Georgia | Rhoads Stadium | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Women's Golf | at NCAA Regional Championships | Shoal Creek, Ala. | All Day |
Saturday, May 7
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Auburn | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 6 p.m. CT |
| Softball | vs. Georgia | Rhoads Stadium | 11 a.m. CT |
| Women's Golf | at NCAA Regional Championships | Shoal Creek, Ala. | All Day |
Sunday, May 8
| Sport | Opponent/Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | vs. Auburn | Sewell-Thomas Stadium | 3 p.m. CT |
| Softball | vs. Georgia | Rhoads Stadium | 1:30 p.m. CT |
Where to See, Listen and Follow Alabama Sports
Here's how to follow Crimson Tide teams in action via TV, radio, rolltide.com and social media (access a complete listing of Alabama Athletics social media platforms):
Baseball
TV: April 28 vs. Mississippi State (ESPNU), May 7 vs. Auburn (SEC Network), May 8 vs. Auburn (SEC Network)
Radio: Tide 99.1 FM
Online Streaming: April 23-24 at Texas A&M (SEC Network +), April 29 vs. Mississippi State (SEC Network +), April 30 vs. Mississippi State (SEC Network +), May 6 vs. Auburn (SEC Network +)
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Women's Golf
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaWGolf
Rowing
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaRow
Softball
TV: April 23 vs. Kentucky (SEC Network), April 30 at South Carolina (SEC Network), May 7 vs. Georgia (ESPN)
Radio: The Bear 95.3 FM
Online Streaming: April 24 vs. Kentucky (SEC Network +), April 29 at South Carolina (SEC Network +), April 30 at South Carolina (SEC Network +), May 1 at South Carolina (SEC Network +), May 6 vs. Georgia (SEC Network +), May 8 vs. Georgia (SEC Network +)
Live Stats: rolltide.com
Twitter: @AlabamaSB
Track & Field
Live Results: April 23 at War Eagle Invitational (www.deltatiming.com); April 30 at LSU Invitational (www.deltatiming.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. 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 23
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Baseball at Texas A&M | SEC Network +) |
| 5 p.m. | Softball vs. Kentucky | SEC Network |
Sunday, April 24
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 1 p.m. | Baseball at Texas A&M | SEC Network +) |
| 1:30 p.m. | Softball vs. Kentucky | SEC Network + |
Monday, April 25
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | SEC Women's Golf Championship | SEC Network |
Tuesday, April 26
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | SEC Men's Golf Championship | SEC Network |
Wednesday, April 27
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 8 p.m. | REPLAY: Football Spring Game | SEC Network |
Thursday, April 28
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 3:30 a.m. | REPLAY: Football at Mississippi State | SEC Network) |
| 6 a.m. | REPLAY: Football vs. Tennessee | SEC Network) |
| 8 a.m. | REPLAY: Alabama Pro Day | SEC Network |
Friday, April 29
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 5 p.m. | Softball at South Carolina | SEC Network +) |
| 7 p.m. | Baseball vs. Mississippi State | SEC Network +) |
| 9 p.m. | REPLAY: Football Spring Game | SEC Network |
Saturday, April 30
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | REPLAY: SEC Men's Golf Championship | SEC Network) |
| 11 a.m. | Softball at South Carolina | SEC Network +) |
| 3 p.m. | Baseball vs. Mississippi State | SEC Network +) |
| 4 p.m. | Softball at South Carolina | SEC Network |
Sunday, May 1
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. | SEC Women's Tennis Championships | SEC Network) |
| 11 a.m. | SEC Men's Tennis Championships | SEC Network) |
| 12 p.m. | Softball at South Carolina | SEC Network + |
Wednesday, May 4
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 4 a.m. | SEC Women's Golf Championship | SEC Network) |
| 5 a.m. | SEC Men's Golf Championship | SEC Network) |
| 8:30 a.m. | SEC Men's Tennis Championship | SEC Network) |
| 1 p.m. | SEC Women's Tennis Championship | SEC Network |
Friday, May 6
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Softball vs. Georgia | SEC Network +) |
| 7 p.m. | Baseball vs. Auburn | SEC Network + |
Saturday, May 7
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Baseball vs. Auburn | SEC Network |
Sunday, May 8
| Time | Event | Network |
|---|---|---|
| 12 a.m. | REPLAY: Baseball vs. Auburn | SEC Network |
| 4 a.m. | REPLAY: Baseball vs. Auburn | SEC Network |
| 1:30 p.m. | Softball vs. Georgia | SEC Network + |
| 3 p.m. | Baseball vs. Auburn | SEC Network |
| 9 p.m. | REPLAY: Football Spring Game | SEC Network |
Your support is crucial to our athletics success. We need your attention, presence and spirit for all of our teams and student-athletes. It takes all of us to Keep the Tide Rising!
Roll Tide!
