This is Alabama Baseball
Transcription
This is Alabama Baseball
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The Lineup Alex Avila ON THE COVER: Junior Alex Avila, a 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of tbe Year Candidate and Alabama seniors Matt Bentley, Josh Copeland and Will Stroup. CREDITS: The 2008 Alabama Baseball Media Guide is produced by The University of Alabama Athletic Media Relations Office and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the University of Alabama. The book was written and edited by Assistant Director of Media Relations Barry Allen. The media guideʼs cover was designed by Ashley Paulk. All photos are by Director of Athletic Photography Kent Gidley and his student staff. Also, special thanks to Jason Harless (Tuscaloosa News) and the various Major League Baseball teams for their photo contributions. The 2008 Alabama Baseball Media Guide was printed by EBSCO Media of Birmingham, Alabama. This is Alabama Baseball Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Alabama Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Quick Facts and Media Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 Dr. Robert E. Witt, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mal Moore, Director of Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Athletic Department Senior Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Alabama Baseball Support Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 1983 College World Series Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-31 Sewell-Thomas Stadium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-37 2008 UA Scouting Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-41 The Alabama Baseball Staff Head Coach Jim Wells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-47 Assistant Coach Mitch Gaspard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Assistant Coach B.J. Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Assistatnt Coach Dax Norris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Drew French and Joe Hoffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Josh Copeland The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide Crimson Tide Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Alabama Player Bios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-73 Alabama Career Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Alabama Career SEC Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Will Stroup 2008 Opponents Opponents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76-84 Team Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Alabama vs. All-Time Opponents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 All-Time Scores vs. 2008 Opponents. . . . . . . . . . . . 86-94 2007 Season Review 2007 Season Recap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95-99 2007 Final Overall Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100-101 2007 Final SEC Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102-103 Alabama Record Through the Years . . . . . . . . . . 104-105 2007 Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 The Alabama Record Book UA Coaching Records, Records by Decade. . . . . . . . 107 Miscellaneous Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108-110 Records by Class and Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Alabama Team Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112-113 Alabama Individual Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114-116 Individual Single-SeasonTop 10s. . . . . . . . . . . . . .117-119 Individual Career Top 10s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120-122 Team Single-Season Top 10s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Year-By-Year Statistical Leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124-129 Kent Matthes Alabama Honors and Awards All-Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130-132 National Award Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133-139 Individual Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140-143 Post-Season History College World Series Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 NCAA Regional Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 SEC Tournament Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146-147 All-Time SEC Champions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148-149 2008 SEC Tournament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150-151 Ryan Rhoden Major League Baseball UA All-Time MLB Roster/Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152-157 Alabama MLB Draft History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158-159 The Scores Alabama’s All-Time Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160-176 Austin Hyatt Past Players All-Time Letterman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177-180 Brandon May Matt Bentley Alabama Media Relations Staff Barry Allen Assistant Director Media Relations Brenda Burnette Administrative Assistant Karen Deaver Office Associate Chip Dillard Director of Web Communications Kent Gidley Director of Photography Brent Hollingsworth Publications/ Marketing Corey Hoodjer Assistant Director Media Relations Becky Hopf Associate Director Media Relations Skip Powers Assistant Director Media Relations Jeff Purinton Associate AD/ Football Media Relations Doug Walker Associate AD/Director Media Relations Roots Woodruff Associate Media Relations Director Lindsay Frantz Media Relations Assistant Matt Mishoe Media Relations Assistant 19 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Crimson Tide Baseball This is Alabama Baseball *The Alabama Crimson Tide opens 116th season of intercollegiate baseball in 2008. Baseball is the oldest sport on the UA campus. Bama played its very first game on July 1, 1892 at Birmingham’s Lakeview Park as coach Shelby Fletcher’s team posted a 6-3 win over Sewanee. *Since then, Alabama has posted a 2,2421,323-23 (.628) record in 3,594 games. *Alabama became the 17th school in NCAA history to record 2,000 wins with a 12-0 win over Winthrop on March 4, 2001. *In SEC play, Alabama has posted a 815-632-4 (.563) all-time ledger in 1,451 league games. *Alabama has won more SEC Championships (14) than any other school. *UA has also won six SEC Tournament Championships, including five under coach Jim Wells (1995-96-97-99-02). *The Crimson Tide has also played in 18 NCAA Tournaments, winning six NCAA Regional Championships. *As many as five former Tide players saw action in the big leagues last season, including Lance Cormier (Atlanta), Dustan Mohr (Tampa Bay), Andy Phillips (NY Yankees), Paul Phillips (Kansas City) and Taylor Tankersley (Florida). *Three former Tide players have served a big league managers, including Andy Cohen, Butch Hobson and Luke Sewell. Sewell managed the St. Louis Browns to their only World Series title in 19XX. *Craig Shipley (1983-84) serves as the Assistant General Manager for the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. *Alan Dunn (1981-83) is the bullpen coach for the Baltimore Orioles. *Two former members of the Crimson Tide baseballfamilyhavebeenenshrinedintheNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Joe Sewell was inducted in 1977 and broadcaster Mel Allen, who spent 39 years with the Yankees, won the Ford Frick Award in 1978. *Magadan was the 1983 Golden SpikesAward Winner and SEC Player of the Year. *The Crimson Tide also boasts an impressive professionalbaseballhistorysendingwellover 100 former players into the pro ranks. *Dr. Jeff Laubenthal won the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 1993. *Jeremy Brown won the Johnny Bench Award in 2002. 20 *Emeel Salem was also the 2007 recipient of the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Male ScholarAthelte of the Year award. *Salem was also a two-time first-team ESPN theMagazineAcademicAll-Americanin2006 and 2007. In addition, he was the 2006 and 2007 SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and named to the SEC Good Works team both years. *David Magadan (1981-83) is currently the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox. *Alabama has five College World Series appearances and has played in the national championship game in 1983 and 1997. Above: Wade LeBlanc Right: Alex Avila *Wade LeBlanc was named the 2004 National Freshman of the Year after setting UA singleseason freshman records for innings (112.2) pitched, strikeouts (98), wins (8) and complete games (5). Emeel Salem 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The History of Crimson Tide Baseball Jim Wells 1997 National Coach of the Year David Magadan 1983 Golden Spikes Award 1983 Baseball America Player of the Year 1983 SEC Male Athlete of the Year Beau Hearod 2003 NCBWA District Player of the Year *Five College World Series Appearances (1950, 1983, 1996, 1997 and 1999) *18 NCAA Regional Appearances (1947, 1948, 1950, 1955, 1968, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006) *Two NCAA Super Regional Appearances (1999 and 2006) *Five NCAA Regionals at the Joe (1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2006) *SECʼs Winningest Program with more than 2,100 all-time wins *25 Regular-Season Conference Championsips (1909, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1950, 1955, 1968, 1983 and 2006) *SIAA Championships (1909, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920) *Southern Conference Championships (1924, 1930 and 1932) *SEC Championships (1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1950, 1955, 1968, 1983, 1996 and 2006) *12 SEC Western Division Championships (1950, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1996, 2002 and 2006) *Seven SEC Tournament Championships (1983, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003) *11 First-Team All-Americans *23 Second or Third Team All-Americans *12 Freshman All-Americans *1981 National Coach of the Year (Barry Shollenberger) *1983 National Coach of the Year (Barry Shollenberger) *1997 National Coach of the Year (Jim Wells) *1983 Golden Spikes Award Winner (David Magadan) *1983 Baseball America Player of the Year (David Magadan) *1983 SEC Male Athlete of the Year (David Magadan) *1993 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Jeff Laubenthal) *1999 Dick Howser Trophy Finalist (Andy Phillips) *Two NCBWA District Players of the Year Andy Phillips (1999) and Beau Hearod (2003) *2002 Johnny Bench Award Winner (Jeremy Brown) *2004 Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and SEC Freshman of the Year (Wade LeBlanc) *2007 H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Emeel Salem) *Nine College World Series All-Tournament Team Selections *68 NCAA All-Tournament Team Selections (4 MVPs) *39 SEC All-Tournament Team Selections (6 MVPs) *48 ABCA All-South Region Team Selections *75 First-Team All-SEC Selections *27 Second-Team All-SEC Selections *105 SEC Academic Honor Roll Selections *Nine Academic All-Americans *13 District IV All-America honorees *Five Team and Individual NCAA Champions Team Slugging Percentage (.621, 1997) Bobby Sprowl (11.5 K per 9 IP, 1977) Alan Dunn (12.6 K per 9 IP, 1981) Bret Elbin (1.63 runs per game, 1983) Ben Short (14 Saves, 1991) *Two Members of National Baseball Hall of Fame Joe Sewell (1977) and Mel Allen (1978) *57 Major League Players *Three First-Round Draft Picks (Joe Vitiello, Jeremy Brown and Taylor Tankersley) *Three Major League Managers (Andy Cohen, Butch Hobson and Luke Sewell) *203 All-Time Television Appearances 21 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 2008 Quick Facts University Information Location: .............................................................................................. Tuscaloosa, Alabama Enrollment: ...............................................................................................................25,580 Founded: ....................................................................................................... April 12, 1831 Conference: .............................................................................................Southeastern (SEC) Colors: ....................................................................................................... Crimson & White Nickname: ........................................................................................................ Crimson Tide President: ..................................................................................................Dr. Robert E. Witt NCAA Faculty Representative: ............................................................................ Joe Hornsby Director of Athletics: .............................................................................................Mal Moore Senior Associate Athletic Director/CFO: ............................................................. Finus Gaston Associate Athletics Directors: ................................................Kevin Almond (Support Services) .......................................................................................Jon Gilbert (Director of Major Gifts) .......................................................................................Wendell Hudson (Alumni Relations) ........................................................................................................ Chris King (Compliance) .................................................................................Sarah Patterson (Community Relations) ...................................................................................................Carol Park (Business Office) ................................................................................Jeff Purinton (Football Media Relations) ...........................................................................Marie Robbins (Sr. Womenʼs Administrator) ........................................................................................... Ronny Robertson (Development) ............................................................................................. Doug Walker (Media Relations) .......................................................................................... Larry White (Event Management) Assistant Athletics Directors: ...................................Chris Besanceney (Tickets and Tide Pride) ................................................................................................. Jon Dever (Student Services) ......................................................................... Kimberly Johnson (Eligibility and Life Skills) Special Assistants to the AD: ....................................................................................Joe Kines ..................................................................................... Steve Townsend (Baseball Oversight) Administrative Assistants: ........................................................Judy Tanner (Athletic Director) ........................................................................................................................ Melanie Gray Director of Athletic Facilites: ......................................................................... Thad Turnipseed Director of Compliance: ..............................................................................Jonathan Bowling Director of Donor Incentive Program: .................................................................. Tommy Ford Director of Sports Medicine:..............................................................................Bill McDonald Director of Video Operations: .............................................................................. Don Rawson Director of Athletic Grounds: ............................................................................Scott Urbantke Director of Web Communications: ........................................................................Chip Dillard Director of LifeSkills: .........................................................................................Brandi Stuart Marketing Director: ....................................................................................... Jennifer Martin Assistant Marketing Directors:....................... Rick Burleson, Brent Hollingsworth, Allison West Baseball Academics: ...............................................................................................Tom Buttram Baseball Eqiupment Manager: ...........................................................................Red Leonard Baseball Event Management: .............................................................................Trent Barnes Strength and Conditioning: ............................................................................. Rocky Colburn Baseball Ticket Manager: ..............................................................................Dominic Benetti Associate Media Relations Directors: .....................................Becky Hopf and Roots Woodruff Assistant Media Relations Directors: ......................................... Barry Allen (Baseball Contact) .........................................................................................................................Cory Hoodjer .....................................................................................................................................Skip Powers Director of Athletic Photography .......................................................................... Kent Gidley Baseball Media Relations Director:........................................................................Barry Allen ........................................................................................................ Office Phone: (205) 348-6084 ........................................................................................................ Home Phone: (205) 758-6526 .......................................................................................................................FAX: (205) 348-8841 ...................................................................................................E-Mail Address: [email protected] Administrative Staff: .................................................................................... Brenda Burnette ........................................................................................................................ Karen Deaver Media Relations Interns: .................................................................................Lindsay Frantz .......................................................................................................................... Matt Mishoe 22 Media Notes CREDENTIALS: Please direct all media requests for Alabama home baseball games to Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director Barry Allen. Season credentials and single game credentials are available. Credentials will be left at the first base gate of Sewell-Thomas Stadium, located on Paul W. Bryant Drive, two hours prior to the start of each game. Professional scouts will report to the main ticket booth and will be issued a ticket for each game during the 2008 season. INTERVIEWS: Coach Jim Wells and Crimson Tide players are avialable before practice and after each game. Practice usually begins at 2 p.m. each day and is generally open to the media and the general public. Photographers are allowed on the field to shoot b-roll as long as they are accompanied by a memeber of the Athletic Media Relations staff. WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE: Coach Jim Wells will participate in two weekly teleconferences during the season. Alabama will host a teleconference each Thursday, beginning Feb. 21, 2008 at 10 a.m. Please call the Athletic Media Relations Office for the phone number. In addition, the SEC will conduct a weekly teleconference with all 12 head coaches beginning in April. The league also sponsors a teleconference prior to the start of SEC play and the Monday prior to the SEC Baseball Tournament. Please contact Chuck Dunlap (205.458.3010) at the league office for specific dates, times and telephone number. POST-GAME INTERVIEWS: Please arrange all post-game interviews through a member of the Alabama Media Relations staff. Requested players will be available outside the UA dugout approximately 10 minutes following the game. CRIMSON TIDE SPORTS MARKETING: Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, a division of Learfield Communications, is the rights holder for all Crimson Tide radio and television broadcasts. CTSM (205.348.9600) is in its 10th year with the University of Alabama and will provide state-wide coverage of all SEC baseball games this season. In addition, Alabama baseball will be featured weekly on “Hey, Coach!”, a ninety-minute talk show dedicated to Crimson Tide athletics. CTSM airs the show each Monday night live from Bob Baumhower’s Wing’s Restaurant in Tuscaloosa. Veteran broadcaster Tom Roberts serves as the program’s host. Michael Alford serves as the network’s general manager. CTSM will also provide satellite feeds of Crimson Tide baseball throughout the season. Each week a 15-minute feed, consisting of taped interviews, highlights and narrated tape package, is offered September through June. In addition, selected game highlights are fed after the conclusion of each game. Please contact Tom Roberts for more information concerning dates, times and coordinates. To obtain videotaped footage of the Crimson Tide baseball team, please contact Roberts at the above number. CRIMSON TIDE RADIO: For the 10th consecutive season, Crimson Tide baseball will be carried on a state-wide network. Alabama baseball will be distributed this year by CTSM and all games will be aired on the Crimson Tide Sports Network. For a complete listing of affiliates, please contact CTSM or the Athletic Media Relations Office. In Tuscaloosa, the flagship station for Crimson Tide baseball is WACTAM (1420). Chris Stewart begins his ninth season on UA baseball broadcasts. He will team with Vince Ferrara this season. Ferrara hosts “The Sports Breakdown” Monday through Friday 7-9 a.m. on WACT 1420 “The Tusk”. Stewart is also the play-by-play voice for the Alabama men’s basketball team. In addition, all games may be heard via the internet through the University of Alabama’s official web site or through broadcast.com. Stewart is also the host for “Crimson Tide This Week”, a weekly review of Alabama athletics. 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL GAME SERVICES: The Sewell-Thomas Stadium press box is equipped with wireless and ethernet capabilities. The press box contains two working press booths, one television booth, two radio booths and a Crimson Tide Suite that entertains pre- and post-game functions. The press box is open 2 1/2 hours prior to the start of each game. The press box elevator is located to the left of the main entrance of the stadium. Prior to the game, rosters, game notes, statistics and starting lineups are available to all members of the media as well as professional scouts. In addition, lineups will be posted in the media work room located behind the Crimson Tide suite. Following the game, an official NCAA box score, running play-by-play and and post-game notes are available. 2008 Alabama Baseball Head Coach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Wells Overall Record (Years). . . . . . . . . . .747-361 (.674) (18 Years) Alabama Record (Years) . . . . . . . . .553-272 (.670) (13 Years) Assistant Coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mitch Gaspard (Recruiting Coordinator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dax Norris (Interim) and BJ Green Volunteer Coach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Drew French Director of Baseball Operations . . . .Steve Townsend Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Schrimsher and Clint Samuels Athletic Trainer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joe Hoffer Stadium (Capacity) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sewell-Thomas Stadium (6,118) Park Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325ʼ (LF/RF), 400ʼ (CF), 365ʼ (Alleys) All-Time Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,242-1,323-23 (.628) (3,594 Games) All-Time SEC Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .815-632 (.563) (1,451Games) SEC Championships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(14) 1934-35-36-38-40-41-42-47-50-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-83-96-2006 SEC Western Division Titles . . . . . . . . .(11) 1950-55-57-58-68-73-74-81-96-2002-06 SEC Tournament Championships . . . .(7) 1983-95-96-97-99-2002-03 NCAA Regionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(18) 1947-48-50-55-68-83-86-91-95-96-97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98-99-2000-02-03-05-06 College World Series Appearances .(5) 1950-83-96-97-99 2007 Overall Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31-26 2007 SEC Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15-15 2007 SQUAD ANALYSIS: Lettermen Returning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Lettermen Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Position Starters Returning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 (plus DH) Position Starters Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Pitchers Returning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Pitchers Lost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 STARTERS RETURNING (2007 Stats Included): 16 Alex Avila (INF/DH, Jr., 5-11, 210, Pembroke Pines, Fla., 57 G, .296, 14 HR, 61 RBI) 25 Matt Bentley (1B, Sr., 6-3, 230, Hazel Green, Ala., 53 G, .299, 12 HR, 36 RBI) 22 Kent Matthes (OF, Jr., 6-2, 205, Orlando, Fla., 51 G, .307, 8 HR, 45 RBI) 6 Brandon May (2B, So., 6-0, 200, Marietta, Ga., 49 G, .264, 0 HR, 13 RBI) 1 Kyle Moore (INF, Jr., 6-1, 190, Wetumpka, Ala., 31 G, .200, 2 HR, 12 RBI) 34 Ryan Rhoden (OF, Jr., 6-1, 225, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 43 G, .291, 2 HR, 16 RBI) 14 Jake Smith (3B, So., 6-2, 190, Shannon, Ala., 40 G, .246, 6 HR, 29 RBI) Media Services Information Baseball SID: SID Telephone: SID FAX: Allen Home Phone: Athletic Dept. Phone: Baseball Office: Ticket Office Phone: Press Box Phone: UA Website: Mailing Address: Overnight Address: Barry Allen (Alabama, 1989) (205) 348-6084 (205) 348-8841 (205) 758-6526 (205) 348-6161 (205) 348-4029 (205) 348-2262 (205) 348-4927 www.rolltide.com Alabama Media Relations PO Box 870391 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-3091 Alabama Media Relations Coleman Coliseum Room 170A 1201 Coliseum Drive Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 OTHER POSITION PLAYERS RETURNING (2007 Stats Included): 41 Brock Bennett (C, So., 5-10, 150, Tucker, Ga., 3 G, .333, 0 HR, 0 RBI) 45 Brian Clark (C, Jr., 5-8, 180, Indianapolis, Ind., 3 G, .500, 1 HR, 1 RBI) 11 Wes Henderson (1B, Jr., 6-0, 210, Oxford, Ala., 9 G, .167, 0 HR, 1 RBI) 9 Del Howell (OF, So., 6-4, 190, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 25 G, .255, 1 HR, 4 RBI) 10 Jeff Texada (INF, Jr., 6-0, 180, New Iberia, La., 39 G, .277, 1 HR, 12 RBI) 43 Tyler Odle (OF, Jr., 5-11, 190, Vestavia Hills, Ala., 25 G, .130, 1 HR, 4 RBI) STARTING PITCHERS RETURNING (2007 Stats Included): 7 Miers Quigley (LHP, Jr., 6-5, 220, Roswell, Ga., 16 G, 15 GS, 4-7, 4.88 ERA) 16 Will Stroup (LHP, Sr., 5-11, 170, Birmingham, Ala., 24 G, 4 GS, 3-1, 4.65 ERA) OTHER PITCHERS RETURNING (2007 Stats Included): 13 Josh Copeland (RHP, Sr., 6-1, 220, Palmetto, Ga., 27 G, 1-2, 4 SV, 2.97 ERA) 27 Austin Graham (RHP, So., 6-2, 195, Hoover, Ala., 1 G, 0-0, 13.50 ERA) 9 Del Howell (LHP, So., 6-4, 190, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 1 G, 0-0, 33.75 ERA) 36 Austin Hyatt (RHP, Jr., 6-4, 200, Marietta, Ga., 16 G, 3 GS, 5-1, 2 SV, 3.07 ERA) 31 Casey Kebodeaux (RHP, Jr., 6-1, 200, Mandeville, La.,18 G, 10 GS, 3-4, 5.06 ERA) TOP NEWCOMERS: 20 Connor Hoehn (RHP, Fr., 6-2, 210, St. Johns College High School - Damascus, Md.) 28 Nathan Kilcrease (RHP, Fr., 5-5, 150, Glenwood Academy - Phenix City, Ala.) 29 Patrick Nappi (RHP, Jr., 5-11, 190, Shelton State CC - Birmingham, Ala.) 40 Jimmy Nelson (RHP, Fr., 6-6, 210, Niceville (Fla.) High School) 26 Robert Phares (RHP, Jr., 6-1, 190, Shelton State CC - Tuscaloosa, Ala.) 2 Josh Rutledge (INF/OF, Fr., 5-11, 175, Cullman (Ala.) High School) 3 Ross Wilson (INF, 5-11, 175, Hoover (Ala.) High School) KEY LOSSES (2007 Stats Included): Brandon Beclcher (OF/LHP, Sr., 44 G, .315, 2 HR, 16 RBI/2 GS, 1-1, 3.52 ERA) Tommy Hunter (RHP, So., 26 G, 11 GS, 7-5, 5 SV, 3.87 ERA, 1st Round Texas) Greg Paiml (SS, Sr., 57 G, .279, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 16th Round Chicago White Sox) Bernard Robert (RHP, Sr., 12 G, 9 GS, 4-5, 3.64 ERA) Emeel Salem (OF, Sr., 57 G, .351, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 6th Round Tampa Bay) 23 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL “The best and the brightest arrive at UA with very high expectations. They expect outstanding academic programs, superior teaching, strong staff support, and first-class facilities. It is imperative as we attract these bright young people that we grow with balanced excellence, and that is exactly what we are doing. Honors College, the Blount Initiative and the honors programs in the various majors across the Universityʼs colleges and schools are fLouisiana Lafayettey meeting the expectations of the best and brighteState” – Dr. Robert E. Witt Dr. Robert E. Witt President The University of Alabama As president of The University of Alabama, Dr. Robert E. Witt has committed the University to an ambitious plan for growth and achievement. His goals include increasing enrollment to 28,000 students by 2010 and stimulating significant growth in research in support of economic expansion for the state and nation. Under his leadership, enrollment has reached record levels and academic quality has increased significantly. The Fall 2006 freshman class included 83 National Merit Scholars, ranking UA 11th nationally among public universities in enrollment of these nationally recognized students. Since its inception in 2003, the University’s Honors College has grown exponentially, enrolling more than 900 freshmen in 2006. A major building program, including academic, athletic and residential facilities, is under way. Private giving to the University is at an all-time high with supporters embracing a capital campaign with a major goal of improving scholarship opportunities for deserving students. The campaign theme is Our Students, Our Future. Four Students Named to USA Todayʼs All-USA College Academic Team - Four students from The University of Alabama have been named to this yearʼs USA Today All-USA College Academic Team. This yearʼs team brings UAʼs total for the last four years to 24, a figure that tops all other colleges and universities. UA had the most students on the list in 2005 with five and in 2003, also with five. In 2004, with four students on the team, UA came in second only to Harvard. A total of 83 students natioNorthwesternide were selected from more than 600 nominees for the 2006 team. Yale, Duke and Northwestern Universities each had three students on the team, the second highest total. >>>> Alabamaʼs USA Today All-USA College Academic Team Honorees (L-R): Kristi Wilcox, Katie Boyd, Jennifer Phillips and Michele McGaha. 244 Dr. Witt’s vision for the University of the future has three cornerstones: ● To be a university of choice for the best and brightest students; ● To be a student-centered tier-1 research university; ● To be an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians. Now in his fifth year as president, Dr. Witt came to UA with 35 years experience in the University of Texas System. He received his B.A. in economics from Bates College, his M.B.A. from Tuck School at Dartmouth College, and his Ph.D. from Penn State University. He serves on the board of directors of the Black Warrior Council Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority, and the Elizabeth Project Care Board. 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Mal Moore Director of Athletics Mal Moore, in his ninth year as the Tide’s Director of Athletics, has put his stamp on one of the nation’s most storied athletic programs. Alabama’s athletic teams have excelled in the competition arena and he has now directed completion of a $125 million facilities campaign that has revitalized the Crimson Tide’s athletic facilities. It has been Moore’s leadership, vision and initiative that has enabled this monumental project to reach fruition. Alabama football competes in the newly expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium which holds 92,138 fans, making it the seventh-largest on campus facility in the nation. With the north end zone expansion completed, this magnificent edifice now houses 120 skyboxes, a new home team locker room, a club level area hosting 1,680 patrons, a new administrative level and approximately 6,800 additional upper deck seats. Moore’s tenure at UA has been marked by unprecedented facility growth for the athletic department but he has also had a national impact as a key member of several prestigious NCAA and college football committees. Moore currently serves on the NCAA Division I Football issues Committee, the SEC AD Bowl Advisory Committee and on the Big Six Conferences Minority Coaches Forum. Moore was rewarded for his successes with a contract extension that will take him through June, 2010. He received unanimous support from the UA Board of Trustees. “This is based on two things: his ability to identify and hire good coaches and secondly, his vision about facilities.” Alabama student-athletes are already utilizing new stadiums for soccer and tennis and football is enjoying a state-of-theart weight facility, locker room and sports medicine area and a Hall of Champions and administrative area that makes it one of top venues in the nation. Crimson Tide student-athletes also benefit from a state-of-the-art academic center that came on line in early 2005 and renovation of Coleman Coliseum is complete. His leadership has been crucial in helping guide Alabama through a period that has, at times, been extremely difficult. It has been his guidance and efforts that have helped Alabama weather the storm, while continuing to move in a positive direction toward a future that will shine as brightly as Alabama’s storied paState Under Moore’s direction Alabama’s athletic teams have produced a number of Southeastern Conference titles, including men’s basketball, gymnastics, baseball and softball and SEC tournament titles in both baseball and softball, and an NCAA gymnastics title. Alabama athletes have earned some of the highest honors the SEC and NCAA have to offer, including SEC Athlete of the Year, SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, NCAA Top VIII, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships and NCAA Sportsperson of the Year. These honors are over and above the individual conference and national titles that Alabama athletes continue to bring home to the Capstone. During his tenure, Moore has also supervised the completion of a number of other facility projects, highlighted by the expansion of Sewell-Thomas Stadium; new lighting systems for Coleman Coliseum, Sewell Thomas Stadium and the women’s soccer field and installation of new artificial turf in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility. Hired on Nov. 23, 1999, Moore’s stint as Director of Athletics is the latest phase of his 30-plus years of service to the Capstone. Well-known in athletic circles, Moore brings a vision of championships and success to the office of athletics director thanks to his three decades of experience in collegiate athletics. As a player and coach at Alabama, Moore was part of seven national championships, 14 SEC championships, and 27 bowl trips. Alabama capitalized on that background, and Moore’s popularity, by naming him as Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs in 1994, a position that required constant travel to speaking engagements around the SoutheaState In his career, Moore has worked with a diversified field of constituents, from fellow coaches to former players, to fans and the business community. All those experiences and relationships make him the ideal person to lead Alabama athletics into the 21st century. A 1963 graduate of the University of Alabama, Moore holds both an undergraduate degree in Sociology and a 1964 Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from the Capstone. A scholarship player for Coach Paul Bryant, Moore was a member of Alabama’s 1961 national championship team. Coaching football for 31 years, 22 of those at Alabama, provided Moore with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the world of college athletics. As a coach, Moore served as Bryant’s graduate assistant in 1964 and then Alabama’s defensive backfield coach from 1965-70. He served as the Tide’s quarterbacks coach from 1971-82 and from 1975-82 took on the additional responsibility and elevated role as the Tide’s offensive coordinator. Alabama won national championships, in 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979 and 1992 with Moore coordinating all the offensive plays for the last four of those championship teams. He is the only man connected with the Alabama coaching staffs, past or present, who was a member of all seven of those title squads. In addition to Alabama, his coaching career included stops at Montana State, Notre Dame and the NFL’s Phoenix Cardinals. Moore was born December 19, 1939 in Dozier, Alabama. He has been married to the former Charlotte Davis of Tuscaloosa since July 20, 1968. They have one daughter, Mrs. Steve (Heather) Cook of Scottsdale, Arizona, a granddaughter, Anna Lee, and a grandson, Charles Cannon. 25 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Athletic Department Senior Support Staff Finus Gaston Senior Associate Athletics Director/ Chief Financial Officer Crimson ties are a family tradition for Finus Gaston, Senior Associate Athletic Director. His father, the late Finus C. Gaston, was sports information director at Alabama from 1953-61. His mother, the late Jewell Gaston, was a long-time UA departmental employee in the Tide Pride office. Gaston joined the University of Alabama Athletics Department in 1996 after serving the University for 22 years. The Tuscaloosa native was Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary and Support Services before joining the Crimson Tide athletics staff. His duties as the department’s Chief Financial Officer encompass management of the athletics business office, budgeting, human resources, contract negotiation and administration, long range strategic planning, team travel for all sports, capital projects, and general maintenance of facilities and grounds associated with athletics. During the fall of 1999, Gaston served as the University’s interim athletics director. His ties run deep with the department. The 1969 Tuscaloosa High School graduate continued his education at the University of Alabama, working his way through school as Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s head football manager. In 1973, Gaston earned a degree in business education, then went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in trade and industrial education in 1975. In 1984, Gaston received his Doctor of Education Degree in administration and higher education. His doctoral dissertation, “Administrative Decision Making: A Study of Collegiate Trademark Licensing Programs”, was the first documented research on the collegiate licensing industry. He is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi honorary fraternities. Upon graduation, Gaston’s career flourished at the University. Working in the Financial Affairs Division, he held positions as Buyer, Assistant Purchasing Manager, Purchasing Manager and Director of Licensing, Associate Director of Business Services, and Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary and Support Services. Gaston and his wife, Martha, have two children: a son, Will Wagner, a 1995 graduate of Alabama and a 2001 graduate of UAB Dental School and his wife Berkley (UA ’95); a daughter, Curri Dichiara, a 1998 graduate of the Capstone and her husband Neal (UA ’2001), and four granddaughters, Anna Carson Wagner, Allie Wagner, Martie Will Dichiara and Maggie Dichiara. 26 Kevin Almond Chris Besanceney Associate AD Support Services Assistant AD Ticket Office/TIDE PRIDE Jon Dever Assistant AD Student Services Jon Gilbert Director Major Gifts Development Wendell Hudson Associate AD Alumni Relations Kim Johnson Assistant AD Eligibility and Lifeskills Carol Parks Associate AD Business Chris King Associate AD Compliance Sarah Patterson Associate AD Community Relations Ronny Robertson Associate AD Development Marie Robbins Associate AD Sr. Woman Administrator Thad Turnipseed Director Athletic Capital Projects Doug Walker Associate AD Media Relations Larry White Associate AD Event Management 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Baseball Support Staff Trent Barnes Event Management Jonathan Bowling Director of Compliance Rodney Brown Director of Rehabilitation Services Rick Burleson Assistant Director of Marketing Tom Buttram Advisor Academic Program Gary Cramer Director FCA Vince Ferrara Radio Play-by-Play Allan Guenther Public Address Announcer Joe Hornsby Faculty Representative Red Leonard Assistant Equipment Manager Jacob Long Student Manager Jennifer Martin Director of Marketing And Trademark Licensing Bill McDonald Director of Sports Medicine Patrick McDonald Assistant Director Video Services Don Rawson Manager of Video Services Jake Schrimsher Student Manager Chris Stewart Radio Play-by-Play Scott Urbantke Director of Athletic Grounds Troi Lane Wallace Baseball Administrative Assistant 27 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 25th Anniversary: 1983 CWS Team 1983 NUMERICAL ROSTER 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ted McClendon, DH 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fermin Lake, 2B 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Fleming, Grad. Asst. 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roger Smith, Coach 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rob Skates, OF 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bret Elbin, 3B 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Turek, SS 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Umphrey, 2B 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dee Smithey, OF 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy Brauchle, RHP 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Allan Stallings, OF 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Dietrich, OF 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dean Hayes, RHP 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darnell Sims, OF 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Edwards, C 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Magadan, 1B 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Kerr, RHP 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ivan Snyder, RHP/OF 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Craig Antush, RHP 22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Craig Shipley, SS 23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Greg Freel, C 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Brewer, RHP 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick Wiggins, Grad. Asst. 26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Mathison, RHP 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jones Tubb, Grad. Asst. 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Meacham, RHP 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Velleggia, C 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Payne, LHP 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wiley Morgan, RHP 32. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bart Elbin, LHP 33. . . . . . . . . Barry Shollenberger, Head Coach 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Browne, LHP 35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Dunn, RHP 36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete Ferrer, RHP Student Managers Terry Conkle and Chris Allman Trainer Henry “Sang” Lyda Student Trainer Tom Molay Sports Information Director J.D. Rutledge Play-By-Play Announcer John Ferry 28 One of the greatest teams in Alabama baseball lore will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season. The 1983 Crimson Tide baseball team captured the SEC Championship and won the NCAA South Regional on its way to the school’s best finish at the College World Series. The 1983 CWS team will be honored during the Alabama-Youngstown State series March 7-9, 2008 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The team will hold an autograph party at the Joe prior to the game on March 8. In addition, the team will be recognixed on the field before the game and members of the team will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. After the game, the team will have a reception in the A-Club Suite at Bryant-Denny Stadium to cap the weekend’s festivities. The season began with a bang as the Tide won 15 of its first 17 games en route to a 46-11 final record and runner up spot to Texas at the College World Series. Of course, the Tide’s success story started with All-American and Golden Spikes recipient David Magadan, who led the nation with a school and SEC record .525 batting average. He also slapped a UA and then-SEC record 31 doubles and added a record 95 RBI. Alabama lost its first two SEC games at eventual SEC Western Division champion Mississippi State, but went three weeks without another loss. Late in March, Alabama gained national spotlight with a No. 24 ranking by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. But not until the students began studying for final exams did the Crimson Tide hit full stride. On April 30, the Tide dropped the first game of doubleheader at Ole Miss, but rebounded to win the next game, 5-4, to begin a string of 15 consecutive wins that stretched all the way to Omaha. “We felt like the Ole Miss series turned the season around for us,” former Alabama head coach Barry Shollenbeger said. “From that point in the season, we knew he had a good team.” The Tide finished second in the SEC Western Division with a 14-7 league record, but charged through the SEC Tournament at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss., with wins over Florida (15-2), Tennessee (8-6) and Mississippi State (10-9) to win the school’s first SEC title since 1968. Magadan went 10-for-11 (.909) in the three games to earn Most Valuable Player honors. He had five hits, including a pair of doubles and home runs, in the first-round rout of the Gators. Third baseman Bret Elbin, catcher Frank Velleggia and pitcher Tim Meacham were also named to the All-SEC Tournament Team. Next up was the NCAA South Regional at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., where Alabama, Florida State, Miami and South Alabama comprised one of the toughest four-team regional fields in the nation. Dean Hayes six-hitter was good enough to stop the Hurricanes, 6-2, in the opener. The Tide then beat FSU, 7-5, to advance to the championship game. Miami then beart Floirda State to earn a rematch with the Crimson Tide in the finals. The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but held off a furious UM rally for an 11-9 win a the school’s first trip to Omaha since 1950. Afterwards, Miami head coach Ron Fraser climbed on the jubuliant Alabama bus to again offer his congratulations and some encouraging words. “Coach Fraser told us we had the team that could win in Omaha,” Shollenberg- 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 1983 College World Series Remembered er recalled. “That meant a lot to us. We knew we had a special team, a good team, then to hear that from him made it even more special.” Designated hitter Ted McClendon was named the South Regional Most Valuable Player. Alabama was off to Omaha where it would play in one of the most star-studded fields in CWS lore. The field conisted of four-time national champion Arizona State (Barry Bonds, Oddibe McDowell and Don Wakamatsu), Michigan (Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo and Scott Kamienicki), Texas (Roger Clemens, Calvin Scharaldi and Billy Bates) and Maine (Billy Swift). Alabama took down the Arizona State in the opener as Craig Shipley’s RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning plated the winning run in the 6-5 win. Magadan was 4-for-4 in the win. The Crimson Tide had another nail-biter in its second CWS game, beating Michigan, 6-5. The Tide built a 6-0 lead on three straight singles by Magadan, Rob Skates and Velleggia in a three-run fourth inning. Michigan answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame and tallied single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but could get no closer and Bama relief ace Troy Brauchle notched his 12th save to advance the Tide in the winner’s bracket. Magadan went 4-for-4 in the win over Michigan to set the CWS record with eight straight hits in the series. The Tide met Texas in its third game at the CWS and suffered its first loss since April 30 with a 6-4 setback in 10 innings. Magadan’s solo home run in the eighth forced extra innings, but Texas plated two runs in the top of the 10th to snap the Tide’s then-school-record 15-game winning streak. David Magadan was the 1983 Golden Spikes Award winner and SEC Player of the Year after leading the nation with a school and SEC record .525 (114-for-221) batting average his junior season. Calvin Scharaldi earned the win in relief for the Longhorns. Alabama fell into the loser’s bracket, where a rematch with Arizona State awaited. 29 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 1983 College World Series Remembered Behind the pitching of Alan Dunn and Tim Meacham and the hitting of Frank Velleggia the Sun Devils were no match for the Tide this time around. Dunn and Meacham combined on the one-hit shutout in the Tide’s 6-0 win. Lew Kent, the former head coach at Radford University, pinch-hit for freshman Barry Bonds and broke up the no-hitter with a seventh-inning single. Texas tied the game in the top of the sixth inning and took a 4-2 lead in the seventh on consecutive hits by Mike Brumley (single), Kirk Killingsworth (triple) and Jose Tolentino (single). Magadan batted .550 (11-for-20) in the College World Series and was named to the All-Tournament Team along with Meacham. Magadan doubled and scored on Allan Stallings’ RBI single in the eighth to cut the deficit to 4-3, but the Tide could get no closer. Velleggia’s sixth-inning grand slam highlighted a five-run inning for the Tide offense. Following the win, Alabama was back on the field in less than 24 hours for another meeting with Texas. Alabama took a 2-0 lead through five innings with single runs in the third and fifth innings. Bret Elbin’s sacrfice fly scored Shipley with the first run and Dee Smithey homered in the fifth for the tworun lead. Tim Meacham takes over for starter Alan Dunn in the Tideʼs 6-0 win over Arizona State. Dunn and Meacham combined on the one-hit shutout as the Tide advanced to the 1983 College World Series Championship Game. 30 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 1983 College World Series Remembered Top: Craig Shipley tags out Oddibe McDowell at the College World Series. Far Left: Alabama celebrates the 1983 SEC Championship. Left: Alabama catcher Frank Velleggia. 31 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Alabamaʼs Sewell-Thomas Stadium There is no place like home. And, Sewell-Thomas Stadium (aka “The Joe) is the place to be in 2008, as the Crimson Tide’s ballpark celebrates its 60th birthday. The Crimson Tide baseball team played its home games at University Field until the end of the 1947 season. The Tide moved to its present day site when land aquired from Coach Frank Thomas’ family was used to create a new field for the Tide baseball squad. Frank Thomas Field opened on March 26, 1948 as a 2,000-seat facility, which attracted many overflow crowds in the 1950s and 1960s under Coach Tilden “Happy” Campbell and Coach Joe Sewell. The inaugural game was played on March 26, 1948 with the Crimson Tide beating the Bradley Braves 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. Pitcher Clarence Flack delivered the first pitch at 2:02 p.m. (CT) on that afternoon in the Tide’s new baseball home. Dick Dill recorded the first hit at Thomas Field and Jack Rutledge swatted the first home run. Flack was the winning pitcher that afternoon for the Tide. Marvin Blemker also pitched and earned what is known today as a save. Since the inaugural game in 1947, SewellThomas Stadium has seen plenty of changes, both on and off the field. The stadium was renamed Sewell-Thomas Field in 1978, honoring former Alabama 32 football and baseball standout and Major League Hall of Famer Joe Sewell. Alabama played the first night game in school history on March 00, 1981 with a 13-8 victory over Western Kentucky. The ballpark has undergone two major renovations since it was erected in 1947, with the last coming in 1999. In addition, there are additional plans for future renovations on the both the inside and outside of the stadium. The original grandstand was completed in time for the 1991 season and the Tide’s new ball park held 2,700 fans. Wesley Construction of Talladega, Ala., built the new facility for $2.1 million and the completion of the permanent grandstand changed the name of the facility to SewellThomas Stadium. In 1996, bleachers were added down the right field line to raise the stadium’s capacity to more than 4,000 as the Crimson Tide hosted its first NCAA Regional in 1996. N.C. Morgan Construction of Tuscaloosa, Ala., is responsible for the most recent additions at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The $4 million expansion project gives the Tide one of the finest home facilities in all of college baseball. The project, which was completed prior to the 2001 season, involved extending the grandstand down the right-field line. The addition of 2,000 seats raised the stadium capacity to 6,118 seats. The bench seats that filled the upper level of the grandstand were moved to the new addition. Chairback seats, similar to those in the lower level, were installed in the upper level. The stadium also received three new ticket booths, five new concession stands and five new restrooms for men and women. Two “hawker” stands were added to allow for concession sales in the grandstand. The players and coaches benefited from the 2001 renovations, too. The Crimson Tide moved into its spacious clubhouse in 2001. The expansion also included three indoor batting cages and pitching machines, a meeting room, training room, equipment room and coaches offices. A new stadium entrance was created in the fall of 2005 and a new sound system from All Pro Sound was installed prior to the start of the season. The ball park also got a general facelift with new paint, signs and handrails as part of this $175,000 project. During the last two seasons, Alabama had added a new sound system and stateof-the-art video board and scoreboard. 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 “Joe” The Sewell-Thomas Stadium Timeline March 25, 1948 - The opening of the Tideʼs new baseball park, Frank Thomas Field, was postponed one day due to rain. March 26, 1948 - Alabama opens Frank Thomas Field with a doubleheader against the Bradley Braves. The Crimson Tide took the opener, 5-2, but lost the nightcap, 5-3. Right-hand pitcher Clarence Flack pitched the Tide to victory in the 1948 home opener, while Marvin Blemker notched the save. Dick Dill is credited with the first hit at Thomas Field, while Jack Rutledge swatted the first home run. April 5, 1948 - Alabama defeated Ole Miss, 5-2, in the first SEC game played at Thomas Field. May 24, 1950 - Alabama hosted its first SEC Playoffs at Thomas Field with a pair of wins over Kentucky. The Crimson Tide took the bestof-five series, three games to one, including 4-1 and 13-0 wins in Tuscaloosa. The Tide won the 1950 SEC Championship and became the first UA team to play in the College World Series. May 15, 1955 - Alabama defeated Georgia 12-2 in the first game of the SEC Playoffs at Thomas Field. Alabama swept the best-of-three series with a 6-4 win in Athens two days later. March 16, 1964 - Alabama defeated St. Bernard 4-3 in Coach Joe Sewellʼs first game as the Tideʼs head coach. May 16, 1968 - Alabama hosts Florida in the 1968 SEC Playoffs, the first at Thomas Field since 1955. After dropping the first game in the best-of-three series in Gainesville, Alabama returns home and posts back-to-back shutout wins (5-0 and 3-0) to win its first SEC Championship since 1955. May 10, 1969 - Alabama suffers a 3-2 loss to Ole Miss in Coach Sewellʼs final home game as head coach. May 9, 1970 - Alabama posted its 200th win at Thomas Field with a 4-0 victory over LSU. May 5, 1973 - Alabama hosted Vanderbilt in the 1973 SEC Playoffs. Vandy swept the best-of-three series from the Tide. May 8, 1974 - Alabama hosted Vanderbilt in the 1974 SEC Playoffs. Vandy swept the best-of-three series from the Tide. April 5, 1975 - The Tide notched its 300th win at Thomas Field with a 5-4 win over Ole Miss. February 28, 1978 May 17, 1957 - Georgia Tech beat Alabama 5-4 at Thomas Field en route to the 1957 SEC Championship. March 23, 1961 - Alabama won its 100th all-time game at Thomas Field with a 20-5 win over Virginia Tech. May 6, 1963 - In Coach Tilden “Happy” Campbellʼs final home game as head coach, Alabama beats LSU, 10-3. - Alabama Director of Athletics Paul Bryant and Associate Director of Athletics Sam Bailey rename Thomas Field to SewellThomas Field to honor the former Tide All-American and Head Baseball Coach. Sewell, who played 14 years with Cleveland and the New York Yankees, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in July, 1977. Following the dedication, Alabama swept Livingston, 5-4 and 5-3. April 6, 1978 - Behind the keen pitching of future Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish” Hunter and Sparky Lyle, the defending World Champion New York Yankees no-hit Alabama 6-0 in a exhibition game at Thomas Field. May 6, 1979 - Alabama closes out the 1979 season and Hayden Riley era with a 4-3 win over arch-rival Auburn. Feb. 26, 1980 - Dr. Barry Shollenbergerʼs first home game as head coach of the Crimson Tide ends with a disappointing 3-2 loss to Livingston State. March 3, 1981 - The Crimson unveiled its new 17ʼ X 32ʼ scoreboard in left-center field during its home opener. The scoreboard was donated by Ziegler Meats and the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. March 14, 1981 - In the first night game at Sewell-Thomas Field, Alabama defeated Western Kentucky, 13-8. The original lighting system cost $210,000. March 24, 1981 - The Tide records its 400th all-time win at Thomas Field with a 4-0 win over Mercer. March 26, 1981 - True freshman David Magadan extends his school-record hitting streak to 21 games with a pair of hits in the 10-1 win over Georgia Southern. April 13, 1981 - Alabama defeated Ole Miss, 4-3, in the first televised baseball game from Sewell-Thomas Field. ESPN televised the game on a tape-delayed basis. March 10, 1983 - The scheduled exhibition game between Alabama and the New York Yankees was postponed due to snow. March 12, 1984 - Alabama and the New York Yankees played to a 7-7 tie in an exhibition game. Future Hall of Famer Dave Winfield swatted a pair of home runs in the game for the Bronx Bombers. Feb. 27, 1985 - Gordie Hershiser, Paul Mirocke and Greg Hibbard combined on a seven-inning no-hitter against Jackson State. Alabama won the game, 9-0. March 26, 1985 - Jack Dietrich became the first player in school history to play all nine positions in the same game as the Tide beat Alabama State, 13-4. Dietrich opened the game as the starting pitcher and moved to a different position on the field with the corresponding inning (2nd inning - catcher, 3rd inning - first base, etc.). 33 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The Joe - Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 May 4, 1985 - Sophomore catcher Doug Duke belted his 25th home run of the season to set the UA single-season record. He finished the year with 27 home runs, a record that still stands today. May 5, 1985 - The Tide beat No. 1 ranked Miami (Fla.), 12-6, to earn a series win over the Hurricanes. March 4, 1986 - The Crimson Tide beat Ferris State 14-13 for the 500th win at Thomas Field. April 7, 1986 - Alabama defeated the Birmingham Barons 11-8 in an exhibition game at Thomas Field. Mike Yastremski (2-for-4, 4 Runs), the son of Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend, Carl, had two hits and scored four runs in the loss. The Barons also used future Major Leaguers Ron Karkovice and Bobby Thigpen in the loss. May 4, 1987 - Director of Athletics Steve Sloan and Head Baseball Coach Barry Shollenberger announce the plans for a 2,700-seat grandstand and the Tideʼs new baseball facility will be called SewellThomas Stadium. April 30, 1989 - Alabama defeats Ole Miss, 4-3, in the final game at SewellThomas Field. August 15, 1989 - Construction begins on Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The 2,700-seat grandstand also called for new restrooms, new concession stands and press box. THe cost of the project was $2.1 million. The project was handled by Wesley Construction Co., of Talladega, Ala. March 21, 1989 - Alabama hosted a day-night doubleheader at Thomas Field with Towson State and Georgia Southern. The Tide beat Towson State, 5-0, in the first game and lost to Georgia Southern, 4-2, in the nightcap. Feb. 23, 1990 - The Crimson Tide opens the 1990 season in the partially renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Numerous weather delays forced the delay in the opening of the stadium and there was only limited seating for the first four home games. The entire 1990 season was played with a make-shift press box due to more construction delays. March 9, 1990 - Sewell-Thomas Stadium is open with all 2,700 seats as the Tide beats Ohio State, 9-0. Joe Vitiello was the star with two home runs and seven strong innings on the mound to earn Collegiate Baseball newspaper “National Player of the Week” honors. Alabama State Senator Bert Bank, Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner and Paul “Bear” Bryant before the Alabama-Yankees exhibition game in 1978. March 14, 1990 Feb. 15, 1992 - Dr. Barry Shollenberger becomes the schoolʼs all-time winningest coach with his 349th career win, surpassing Tilden “Happy” Campbell. Alabama beat Murray State, 3-0, to make Shollenberger the winningest Tide coach. March 24, 1990 - Alabama defeated Mississippi State, 7-4, in the first SEC game at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. - A computer driven matrix board (36ʼ X 24ʼ) is installed in left-center field at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. May 2, 1990 - In one of the zaniest scenes in sports history, the AlabamaWest Florida baseball game was delayed due to a beehive that had been built in the on-the-field batting cage. After several unsuccessful attempts to destroy the nest, a specialist was dispatched to Sewell-Thomas Stadium The beekeeper arrived and removed the nest from the cage. The delay was more than three hours and the scheduled doubleheader was reduced to one, nine-inning game, which began at 8 p.m., more than three hours after the scheduled start time. Alabama ripped seven doubles in the game in route to a 9-5 win. March 3, 1981 - Alabama notches its 600th all-time win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with an 8-7 win over Illinois State. April 6, 1991 - Director of Athletics Cecil “Hootie Ingram, along with members of the Sewell and Thomas families dedicate Sewell-Thomas Stadium prior to the Tideʼs doubleheader with Ole Miss. Alabama swept the twinbill winning, 4-3 and 10-1. April 10, 1991 - Mick Kerns became the only player in Alabama history to hit an inside-the-park grand slam in the Tideʼs 12-5 win over Murray State. 34 March 15, 1992 - Brad Oliver and Juan DeBrand each hit a grand slam in the Tideʼs 15-1 win over Middle Tennessee. Oliverʼs came in the third inning, while DeBrand added a grand slam in the seventh inning. March 10, 1994 - Alabama plays its 1,000th game at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in a 5-2 loss to Notre Dame. May 14, 1994 - In Barry Shollenbergerʼs final home game, Alabama lost to Auburn, 6-3 to end the regular season. Feb. 18, 1995 - The Jim Wells era began in thrilling fashion with a 2-1 win over Middle Tennessee in 11 innings. Brett Taftʼs infield single in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Anthony DuBose with the winning run. April 5, 1995 - Coach Wells became the winningest first-year coach in school history with a 15-2 win over Samford. Wells 22nd win broke the old mark of 21 wins held by JWH Pollard in 1907. Wells finished the year with 42 wins. May 7, 1995 - Alabama beats Arkansas, 7-4, for the 700th all-time win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The Joe - Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 Matt Frickʼs 10th inning home run beat Southern California in 1997. May 10, 1996 May 22, 1997 Feb. 10, 2000 - An additional 1,600 bleacher seats were added down the right field line to rosie stadium capacity to 4,107 for the final regular season series with Auburn and the NCAA post-season. In addition, the visitorʼs bullpen was moved into foul territory to make room of the additions. - Alabama hosts the NCAA South II Regional and defeats Troy, Wichita State, North Carolina State and Southern California in consecutive days to earn its second straight trip to the College World Series. - In front of the largest crowd in stadium history (6,118), Alabama defeated BYU, 11-1, to open the 2000 season. The Crimson Tide sold its entire allotment of season tickets and finished second in the national in total and average attendance. May 25, 1997 March 5, 2001 - Matt Frick hits walk-off, two-out home run in bottom of the 10th inning as Alabama beat Southern Cal, 10-9, to earn its second straight trip to the CWS. - Alabama became the 17th NCAA Division I school to win its 2,000th all-time baseball game with a 12-0 win over Winthrop. May 12, 1996 - Alabama clinches a share of the SEC Championship with a 4-0 win over Auburn in the regular season finale. It was Alabamaʼs first SEC Championship since 1983 and first Western Division crown since 1981. May 23, 1996 - Alabama defeated Princeton, 15-2, in the first-ever NCAA Regional game at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Joe Caruso was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI in the win. The NCAA Regional attracted more than 80,000 fans to the Joe for the four-day event with the Tide playing in front of record crowds each day. May 26, 1996 - Alabama defeated Virginia, 18-8, to win the NCAA South I Regional championship and advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1983. Dustan Mohr had four hits and scored four runs in the win. Corey Spiers (3-for-4, 4 RBI) and Rusty Loflin (2-for-2, RBI) were a combined 5-for-6 with seven RBI in the DH spot in the lineup. Feb. 14, 1997 - A number of renovations awaited the Tide in the 1997 home opener. For the first time, Alabama played with a padded outfield wall, which measured 8-feet high and was made of 16-gauge steel. A new sound system was installed and “Click Effects” was used for the first time in enhance the atmosphere at games. March 2, 1999 - Alabama defeated Austin Peay, 6-2, to earn its 800th all-time win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. May 28-30, 1999 - Alabama defeated Navy and Southern Miss (twice) to secure the Tuscaloosa Regional Championship and advance to the first-ever NCAA Super Regional. June 4-5, 1999 - Under the new NCAA Tournament format, Alabama is one of eight teams to host the newly created NCAA Super Regional at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide swept LSU in the bestof-three series, 13-6 and 13-5, to advance to Omaha for the third time in four years. Feb. 10, 2000 - The second major expansion of Sewell-Thomas Stadium is completed as 2,000 permanent seats were added down the right field grandstand and bleachers were added to the left field foul line. Also, new locker rooms, coaches offices, training room and team meeting rooms were added. The cost of the project, completed by N.C. Morgan of Tuscaloosa, was $4 million. April 5, 2002 - Alabama defeated Florida, 4-1, for the schoolʼs 900th all-time win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. March 24, 2006 - Alabama defeated Ole Miss, 12-2, to earn the schoolʼs 1,000th all-time win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. June 2-4, 2006 - The Crimson Tide captured the 2006 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional with wins over Jacksonville and Troy (twice) to advance to its first NCAA Super Regional since 1999. June 9-10, 2006 - Alabama hosted North Carolina in the NCAA Super Regionals and lost both games to the Tar Heels, 11-5 and 8-7. May 13, 2007 - Alabama topped the 2,000,000 mark in all-time attendance on the final day of the regular season against Arkansas. The Tide closed out the 2007 season with 2,004,908 fans since the park was dedicated in 1991. 35 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The Joe - Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 Sewell-Thomas Stadium Fact Sheet Original Opening: Dedication: Stadium Opening: Dedication: All-Time Record: All-Time Attendance: Capacity: Surface: Dimensions: Outfield Wall: Construction: March 26, 1948 Alabama 5, Bradley 2 April 23, 1948 Florida 4, Alabama 2 March 9, 1990 Alabama 9, Ohio State 0 April 6, 1991 Alabama 4, Ole Miss 3 1,039-446-2 (.699) (1,488 Games) Sewell-Thomas Stadium Firsts Thomas Field First Game: March 26, 1948 Alabama 5, Bradley 2 First SEC Game: April 5, 1948 Alabama 5, Ole Miss 2 First Pitch: Clarence Flack vs. Bradley (2:02 p.m.) Dick Dill vs. Bradley, 1948 First Hit: First Home Run: First Winning Pitcher: Clarence Flack vs. Bradley, 1948 First Save: Marvin Blemker vs. Bradley, 1948 2,004,908 (Since 1991) 2,000 (1947-89) 2,700 (1990-96) 4,107 (1996-1999) 6,118 (2000-Present) Natural Grass 325ʼ (LF and RF) 365ʼ (LCF and RCF) 400” (CF) Sewell-Thomas Stadium First Game: March 9, 1990 First SEC Game: March 24, 1990 Alabama 9, Ohio State 0 Alabama 7, Mississippi State 4 8ʼ padded wall 30ʼ batters eye in CF First Night Game: March 17, 1981 Alabama 13, W. Kentucky 8 Wesley Construction Co. Talladega, Ala. (1990) N.C. Morgan Tuscaloosa, Ala. (2000) First Pitch: Joe Vitielo vs. Ohio State (7:02 p.m.) First Hit: Nick Durant, Ohio State 1st Inning Single John Farrell, Alabama 1st Inning Double First Home Run: Joe Vitiello, Alabama Solo HR (4th Inning) First Run Scored: Joe Vitiello, Alabama Solo HR (4th Inning) First Winning Pitcher: Joe Vitiello, Alabama First Save: Ben Short, Alabama 36 Jack Rutledge vs. Bradley, 1948 vs. Murray State March 14, 1990 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL The Joe - Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2008 Milestone Wins Year-By-Year Attendance 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 5, Bradley 2 (March 27, 1948) 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alabama 20, Virginia Tech 5 (March 23, 1961) 200. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 4, LSU 0 (May 9, 1970) 300. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 5, Ole Miss 4 (April 5, 1975) 400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 5, Mercer 0 (March 24, 1981) 500. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 14, Ferris State 13 (March 4, 1986) 600. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 8, Illinois State 7 (March 3, 1991) 700. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 7, Arkansas 4 (May 7, 1995) 800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alabama 6, Austin Peay 2 (March 2, 1999) 900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alabama 4, Florida 1 (2002) 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alabama 12, Ole Miss 2 (2005) Year 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 TOTALS Top 10 Crowds (Series) Rank 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7, 8. 9. 10. Attendance 19,224 19.004 18,839 18,772 18,630 18,561 18,557 18,514 18,512 18,480 Opponent LSU Mississippi State Auburn Central Florida BYU Purdue Ole Miss Tennessee Auburn Kentucky Date March 28-30, 2003 March 24-26, 2000 May 5-7, 2000 Feb. 25-27, 2000 Feb. 10-12, 2000 March 3-5, 2000 April 21-23, 2000 April 7-9, 2000 April 26-28, 2002 March 10-12, 2000 Opponent Mississippi State LSU LSU Mississippi State Mississippi State Central Florida Mississippi State Auburn Auburn Georgia Southern Date April 1, 2006 March 29, 2003 March 28, 2003 March 25, 2000 March 26, 2000 Feb. 26, 2000 March 24, 2000 May 5, 2000 May 7, 2000 Feb. 22, 2000 Top 10 Crowds (Season) Rank 1. 2., 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Attendance 6,821 6,621 6,590 6,355 6,339 6,333 6,310 6,277 6,278 6,269 Top 10 Crowds (Days of the Week) Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Attendance 1,223 6,269 6,154 6,222 6,590 6,821 6,339 Opponent (Date) Birmingham Southern (April 20, 1996) Georgia Southern (Feb. 22, 2000) Georgia Southern (Feb. 23, 2000) BYU (Feb. 10, 2000) LSU (March 28, 2003) Mississippi State (April 1, 2006) Mississippi State (March 26, 2000) Openings 11 32 26 25 30 36 39 33 41 34 35 39 33 33 35 39 34 547 Attendance 7,091 18,251 10,805 13,310 24,668 80,363 103,177 120,331 172,264 211,331 196,935 202,615 163,549 150,724 150,724 177,690 152,363 2,004,908 Average 645 570 416 532 822 2,232 2,646 3,646 4,202 6,216 5,626 5,195 4,956 4,567 4,567 4,556 4,481 3,665 All-Time Post-Season Results 1950 SEC PLAYOFFS Alabama 4, Kentucky 1 Alabama 13, Kentucky 0 1955 SEC PLAYOFFS Alabama 12, Georgia 1 1957 SEC PLAYOFFS Georgia Tech 5, Alabama 4 1968 SEC PLAYOFFS Alabama 5, Florida 0 *Alabama 3, Florida 0 1973 SEC PLAYOFFS Vanderbilt 5, Alabama 1 1974 SEC PLAYOFFS Vanderbilt 2, Alabama 1 *Alabama 14, Troy 5 1999 TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL Alabama 16, Navy 3 Alabama 10, Southern Miss 4 *Alabama 7, Southern Miss 6 1999 NCAA SUPER REGIONAL Alabama 13, LSU 6 *Alabama 13, LSU 5 2002 TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL SE Missouri State 7, Alabama 4 Alabama 6, Auburn 3 Alabama 7, SE Missouri 4 Alabama 7, Florida Atlantic 2 *Florida Atlantic 6, alabama 5 2006 TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL Alabama 13, Jacksonville State 1 Alabama 4, Troy 3 1996 NCAA SOUTH I REGIONAL Alabama 19, Princeton 2 2006 NCAA SUPER REGIONAL Alabama 9, South Alabama 3 North Carolina 11, Alabama 5 Alabama 3, Stetson 1 *North Carolina 8, Alabama 7 *Alabama 18, Virginia 8 * - Denotes championship game. 1997 NCAA SOUTH II REGIONAL Alabama 8, Troy State 5 Alabama 6, Wichita State 2Alabama 6, North Carolina State 3 *Alabama 9, USC 8 (10) 37 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL Crimson Tide Baseball 2008 Season Preview Mercurial. A perfect description for any Southeastern Conference baseball game. Games can turn on a single pitch or play. Teams can change from inning to inning, game to game or season to season. Alabama had ridden that emotional roller coaster many times. For instance, emotional SEC series wins last year against South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi State that catapulted the Tide into the SEC Tournament. Then back-to-back losses in the SEC Tournament which zapped the Tide’s NCAA Regional chances. The loss of several high draft picks and last year’s most versatile pitcher just days before the start of classes in the fall semester. All a part of the life of a college baseball team. While the Crimson Tide team has seen numerous changes to its roster since last season, the NCAA has also made some significant changes regarding the sport. Teams were given 45 days to hold fall workouts, a move that allowed the Crimson Tide to hold 18 intrasquad games from September Alex Avila to November. “The players played hard,” Alabama Head Coach Jim Wells said. “We feel like we got accomplished the majority of things we wanted to get accomplished in that period of time and we would not have been able to that without the extra practice time. “We have an idea of who can play. Now it’s getting them in the right position and getting them more reps. We have more depth than we have had because of all the returning position players and some of the players aren’t front-line players that have been in the program three, four or five 38 years.” There are also changes in the format of the season beginning with a uniform starting date for practice and games. Teams are not allowed to hold team practices until February 1. In addition, the uniform start date for college baseball is February 22, two weeks later than the Tide’s previous start dates under head coach Jim Wells and more than month later than some teams in California and Hawai’i had grown accustomed too. The new schedule format will call for teams to play five games a week, including two midweek games Tuesday and Wednesday and three conference games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here is the skinny of the 2008 Crimson Tide baseball squad. *Alabama opens the season with 36 players on its baseball roster. *The Tide has only three seniors, including first baseman Matt Bentley and pitchers Josh Copeland and Will Stroup. *In addition, the Tide has 18 juniors, six sophomores and nine freshmen. *The Crimson Tide returns 10 position players that started at least one game last season. *Alabama returns more than 60 percent of its offense from last year’s squad, including 2008 preseason Brooks Wallace Award candidate Alex Avila. *Avila hit .296 (66-for-223) with 14 home runs and 61 RBI last year. He also led the Tide with 15 doubles. *Bentley hit a career-best .299 (58-for-194) last year with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. The 12 home runs were the most in his UA career. *Avila and Bentley combined for 26 home runs last season and the Tide returns 48 of 58 home runs (83 percent) from a year ago. *Avila, Bentley, Brandon May and Jake Smith combined to start 190 games last season. *On the pitching front, more than 50 percent of its appearances, wins, save and innings from last year’s team. *Alabama returns seven pitchers off last year’s squad with significant mound time. *Those seven pitchers combined for 103 appearances, 16 wins, eight saves and 242 strikeouts. *Copeland led the team with 27 appearances and posted a team-best 2.97 ERA last year. *Austin Hyatt turned in a career-best season with a 5-1 record, two saves and 3.07 ERA. *Stroup posted a 3-1 record and 4.65 ERA in 24 games as starter and reliever. Here is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2008 Alabama baseball team. PITCHERS Alabama will open the season with depth on the mound, which will be needed to survive the five-game per week schedule. The Crimson Tide returns seven pitchers off last year’s team that combined for more than 100 appearances, but does not have that dominant number one starter. Will Stroup 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 2008 Alabama Baseball Scouting Report Josh Copeland “We are trying to develop a number-one type guy and we may not have that,” Wells said. “We do have a lot of quality guys that throw strikes. Pitching-wise, we have more than we have had, just not a guy that stands out as that frontline guy, but it’s still very early. They have shown to throw strikes and that is the number one thing. The guys that can do that will pitch.” “We are in a position to have a better club this year. There is something to work with there and we have some flexibility. “Nelson and Kilcrease were the two standouts pitchingwise, along with Howell. They will pitch this year for us in some role. “Right now, your weekend starters would have to be Nelson, Hyatt, Quigley and Stroup. The closer would be Copeland and Kilcrease. Nelson could be a Friday night guy here pretty soon.” There are some candidates to fill the void created when sophomore right-hand pitcher Tommy Hunter was taken in the first round by the Rangers last July. Sophomore Austin Graham (Hoover, Ala.), freshman Connor Hoehn (Damascus, Md.), junior Austin Hyatt (Marietta, Ga.) junor Casey Kebodeaux (Mandeville, La.), freshman Jimmy Nelson (Niceville, Fla.), junior Robert Phares (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), junior Miers Quigley (Roswell, Ga.) and senior Will Stroup (Birmingham, Ala.) are all candidates for the five staring spots on the mound entering the 2008 season. Quigley (LHP, 16 G, 15 GS, 4-7, 4.88 ERA) has the most experience of the group and is the only returning pitcher to start all 10 SEC series last year. Stroup (LHP, 24 G, 4 GS, 3-1, 4.65 ERA) had the third-most appearances on the team last year before ending the season in the starting rotation with starts against Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Florida (SEC Tournament) to close out the year. Nelson (RHP, Niceville High School) is a true freshman that stood out this fall with his ability toughness on the mound and ability to throw strikes. Hyatt (RHP, 16 G, 3 GS, 3-1, 2 SV, 3.07 ERA) made his mark in the Tide bullpen last year with a knack for stranding inherited runners. Kebodeaux (RHP, 18 G, 10 GS, 3-4, 5.06 ERA) started both SEC and midweek games last season for the Tide. Hoehn (RHP, St. John’s College High School) is another talented freshman that could become a weekend or midweek starter this season. Graham (RHP, 1 G, 0-0, 13.50 ERA), who has battled injuries in his UA career, shined on UA’s scout day in the fall and will challenge for time on the mound as a starter. Phares (RHP, Shelton State Community College) made the transition from junior college with a solid fall on the mound. His ability to throw strikes makes him a candidate for a starting spot or time in the bullpen. The remaining pitchers will vie for time in the bullpen, with some roles already defined heading into the 2008 campaign. Miers Quigley 39 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 2008 Alabama Baseball Scouting Report Senior Josh Copeland (Palmetto, Ga.) has the most experience with a team-high 27 appearances out of the pen last season and will be joined by redshirt freshman Austin Evans (Tampa, Fla.), Jarrod Hewes (Mobile, Ala.), sophomore Del Howell (Tuscaloosa), freshman Nathan Kilcrease (Phenix City, Ala.), Jamie Manning (Empire, Ala.), Patrick Nappi (Birmingham, Ala.) and Tyler White (Brandon, Miss.). Copeland (RHP, 1-2, 4 SV, 2.97 ERA) will be used as a set-up man or closer this season. He has the lowest ERA of any returning pitcher and recorded 27 strikeouts in 30-plus innings last year. Howell (LHP, 1 G, 0-0, 33.75) is the most improved among the returning pitchers and could end up in the Tide’s starting rotation after a solid fall camp. He had only one appearance last season and spent the rest of the season as an outfielder, DH or pinch-hitter. Howell will definitely see action as a two-way player this season with an improved offensive game as well. “Howell can play,” Wells said. “He is better. He may evolve into someone that can start (on the mound), but my first instinct is to use him out of the pen. He had a really nice fall. He is one of those guys whose whole game improved.” Kilcrease (RHP, Glenwood Academy) joined Nelson as the most impressive freshman pitchers in the fall. He is a hard-nosed competitor and has the ability to pitch on consecutive days, which may allow him to settle in as the Tide’s closer this season. Nappi (RHP, Shelton State Community College) is another leading candidate as the Tide’s set-up man in 2008. Nappi and Copeland should battle for the team lead in appearances. Nappi’s curveball makes him a logical choice for the set-up role. Evans (RHP, Redshirted in 2007) is a hard thrower who may be thrust into action early in the season for the Tide. Manning (RHP, Wallace State Community College) will bring two years of junior college experience to the Tide bullpen. Hewes (RHP, Faulkner State Community College) and White (LHP, Matt Bentley Brandon High School) will also compete for time in the bullpen this season. CATCHERS The catching position may be the most improved on the field this season for the Crimson Tide. Alabama will open the season with seven catchers on its 2008 roster, including junior Alex Avila (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), sophomore Brock Bennett (Tucker, Ga.), junior Brian Clark (Indianpolis, Ind.), junior Vin DiFazio (Hampton, N.J.), junior Kyle Moore (Wetumpka, Ala.), junior Mike Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) and junior David Woods (Bailey, Miss.). In the off-season, Avila (57 G, .296, 14 HR, 61 RBI) made the move to catcher and he made an immediate impact. He spent last summer working at the position in the Cape Cod League and then got some instruction from Detroit Tigers all-star backstop Ivan Rodriguez. Avila’s father, Al, is the Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Tigers. While he is still learning the position and improving every day, Avila is the favorite to win the starting job. “I think it’s a good move for Avila,” Wells said. “He is very excited and has taken to it well. Mike Sharp is a guy we signed late and he has done well also. We have gone from having no catchers to seven, but I think Avila has put himself in a good position, if he keeps improving, to be a front-line guy. “ “He brings a lot to the table. He knows the game and he communicates well with the pitchers. (Assistant coach) Dax Norris has done a great job with him. He wants to play. He wants to do well. He is very motivated. He knows that is the position for him.” Sharp (Kansas City Community College) had a solid two-year junior college career and showed improvement in the fall. DiFazio (redshirted in 2007) missed the 2007 season with a viral nerve infection in his shoulder, but rebounded nicely with a solid fall both offensively and defensively. Moore (31 G, 22 GS, .200, 2 HR, 12 RBI) is the only returning catcher with any game experience. Moore started 22 games last season and did not make an error in 139 chances behind the dish. Bennett (3 G, .333, 0 HR, 0 RBI) and Clark (3 G, .500, 1 HR, 1 RBI) will also compete for time behind the plate. Woods (Meridian Community College) is a walk-on that joined the team in January. INFIELDERS Alabama returns three-quarters of its starting infield from last year’s team and that experience, along with the addition of two outstanding freshmen, should make this a solid defensive unit in 2008. Senior first baseman Matt Bentley (Huntsville, Ala.), sophomore second baseman Brandon May (Marietta, Ga.) and sophomore third baseman Jake Smith (Shannon, Ala.) return, along with other veterans juniors Wes Henderson (Oxford, Ala.) and Jeff Texada (New Iberia, La.). Bentley (53 GS, .299, 12 HR, 36 RBI) returns for his second full season at first base and is coming off a banner season, where he set career highs in virtually every offensive category. May (49 G, 41 GS, .264, 0 HR, 13 RBI) enters the 2008 season as one of the team’s better offensive players. His offensive game improved in the fall to go along with his improved defense. Smith (40 G, 39 GS, .246, 6 HR, 29 RBI) may be the Tide’s best defensive infielder. He has good range and strong arm and an improved offensive attack will make him a better allaround player this season. Henderson (9 G, .167, 0 HR, 1 RBI) brings strong defensive skills and expereince to the lineup this season. 40 2008 ALABAMA BASEBALL 2008 Alabama Baseball Scouting Report Kent Matthes Jake Smith Texada (39 G, 25 GS, .277, 1 HR, 12 RBI) has also shown improvement on offense and defense and could take over as the Tide’s starting shortstop. “We have three of the four starters back,” Wells said. “There is one guy (shortstop Greg Paiml) we have to replace. Texada, Wilson and Rutledge are all good players, so that will be a battle to the end. Rutledge is a key guy because he has had such a good fall and has been able to play well in any position. He will be pushed by a pair of talented freshmen that could make an immediate impact on the Tide infield and lineup this season. Ross Wilson (Hoover, Ala.) and Josh Rutledge (Cullman, Ala.), a pair of All-State high school players in 2007, had stellar fall camps and are considered top candidates replace Paiml. Wilson (Hoover High School), who is the younger brother of Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson, was drafted in the 36th round of the 2007 MLB Draft last June. Rutledge (Cullman High School) played on Cullman’s state championship baseball team and also has the speed to play centerfield this season. “I think the addition of those two freshmen, who are really good athletes, it gives you some maneuverability. Rutledge can play anything. Wilson can play anything. “So the infield defense is good. Whether it’s Wilson, May, Rutledge or Texada, they all field the ball and throw it to first base and turn double plays and we are going to need that because the ball is going to be put in play a lot.” Freshmen Jon Kelton (LaGrange, Ga.) and Jimmy Tullidge (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) will also challenge for playing time in the infield. Kelton (LaGrange High School) spent the majority of the fall at second base, while Tullidge (Tuscaloosa Academy) played mostly at third base and could see some time on the mound as well. OUTFIELDERS While Alabama lists only five outfielders on its roster, the biggest concern will be the replacement of four-year starter and two-time All-American Emeel Salem in centerfield. Four of the five outfielders have significant playing time at Alabama over the last couple of seasons, inclduing sophomore Del Howell (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), junior Kent Matthes (Orlando, Fla.), junior Tyler Odle (Vestavia Hills, Ala.) and junior Ryan Rhoden (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). Junior Alex Kubal (Shorewood, Minn.) is the only newcomer listed among the UA outfielders. Kubal (Gulf Coast Community College) will compete for a starting spot in center field along with Odle and freshman infielder Josh Rutledge. “We have everybody back, plus we added Kubal,” Wells said. “He was brought in to be the centerfielder. He plays hard and he has improved. I feel comfortable with him going out there. We have looked at Rutledge Brandon May and Texada in center, too. Every guy mentioned, except Kubal, has been in the program one year, two years or three years. We will be fine there.” Matthes (51 G, 50 GS, .307, 8 HR, 45 RBI) is a two-year starter and the leading candidate to open the season as the Tide’s right-fielder. Rhoden (43 G, 37 GS, .291, 2 HR, 16 RBI) is also a two-year starter for the Tide. He split time last year between the outfield and catcher. He moved back to the outfield in the fall and his offensive game showed great improvement as he concluded the camp as one of the Tide’s leading hitters. Odle (25 G, 5 GS, .130, 1 HR, 4 RBI) saw an increased role last year and started five games toward the end of the season. He showed excellent offensive and defensive skills in the fall and his speed will keep in the mix in the outfield. Howell (25 G, 10 GS, .255, 1 HR, 4 RBI) maty have the best raw power in the Tide lineup. A two-way player, Howell will likely see action in left field or as the designated hitter when not on the mound. He was one of the Tide’s most improved players in the fall. Ryan Rhoden 41