Baseball
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
- Email:
- hmorris@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Hunter Morris wrapped up his second season at Alabama in 2022-23. Morris joined the Crimson Tide staff in July of 2021 after spending the previous three seasons at UT Martin.
The Crimson Tide hitters made significant progress at the plate under Morris’ direction in 2023. Alabama finished second in the Southeastern Conference for average at .293 while totaling 634 hits, good for third in the league. The team also dotted the SEC’s top-five ranks for runs per game, on-base and slugging percentage, along with walks, runs, home runs and home runs per game.
Alabama’s power numbers went up in a big way in 2023 with the Tide recording 112 home runs on the year to finish 12th nationally and fifth in the SEC. The 112 home runs ranked as the fourth-most in Crimson Tide single-season history and nearly doubled the 2022 mark of 62. Alabama’s ’23 team also set the program record for consecutive games with a home run at 24 from April 18-June 3 and began the season on a 16-game home run streak that ranked as the fourth-longest streak in Alabama history.
Colby Shelton led the power surge, pacing UA in home runs (25) and slugging percentage (.729) to earn himself Freshman All-America recognition from multiple outlets. Shelton’s 25 home runs tied for second in the SEC and seventh nationally while his 0.42 homers per game mark was third in the league and 12th in Division I. The Tide third baseman set the Alabama single-season freshman home run record while matching Georgia’s Charlie Condon for the SEC’s freshman single-season mark. Shelton also tied for third on the Alabama single-season home run list.
In addition to the improved power, the Tide’s patience was on display with the team drawing 340 walks. That number ranked as the second-most walks in Alabama single-season history and was an improvement of 120 from 2022. UA finished fifth in the SEC and 13th nationally for base on balls while averaging 5.31 walks per game to set the program record in that category.
In his first season in Tuscaloosa, Morris helped UA post a .279 average with 555 hits, the most in a single season since 2015 and a 42-hit improvement from the 2021 roster. Alabama also totaled 856 bases while slugging .430 in 2022, the most in their respective categories since 2010.
Prior to joining the Alabama staff, Morris spent three seasons as an assistant coach at UT Martin where he worked with the hitters and position players while also leading the Skyhawks’ recruiting efforts. His impressive 2020 recruiting class produced a pair of Collegiate Baseball News All-Americans in Christian Hall and Wil LaFollette with Hall also earning recognition as the Ohio Valley Conference’s ‘Best Freshman’ by D1Baseball.com.
His efforts with the hitters also paid dividends for the Skyhawks. The 2019 team produced 48 home runs – the third-most homers in a single season in program history at the time. UT Martin’s 2020 roster then homered 14 times through 16 games and was on-pace to top the 2019 total before the season was officially canceled. The Skyhawks picked up right where they left off, continuing that power surge in 2021 to the tune of 58 homers, the second-most roundtrippers in program history.
Prior to his time in Martin, Morris served as a volunteer assistant to then-head coach Casey Dunn at Samford during the 2018 season. He helped guide the Bulldogs to a 37-26 mark and the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. While in Birmingham, Morris oversaw three MLB Draft selections and a pair of 2018 All-Southern Conference performers.
Morris graduated from Grissom High School in 2007 and was selected in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Morris passed up starting his professional career and elected to attend Auburn University where he went on to be named the 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year and eventually the 2010 SEC Player of the Year.
He etched his name in the Auburn record books during his time on the Plains. He ranks in the top-10 of seven single-season categories and holds the program’s records for home runs (23) and total bases (202). Morris also sits in the top-10 ranks in five career categories at AU. He earned Freshman All-America honors in 2008 while also being selected to the USA National Team his first season. Morris was then named an All-American in 2010 thanks to a standout junior campaign.
Following that 2010 season, he was drafted in the fourth round of the MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Morris spent five seasons with the Brewers’ organization before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and finishing up his career in 2015. Morris returned to Auburn in 2017 to complete his degree while also getting his start in coaching as a student assistant coach for the Tigers.
The Huntsville native is married to his wife Macie. The couple has three children – Tripp, Charlotte and Ellie Kate.
