Saban Talks Alabama Football Yesterday In Atlanta
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban took a few minutes to chat with reporters yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia prior to accepting the MacArthur Bowl.
When asked about offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, the head man was complimentary as always. He said, "He does an outstanding job for us. He's done a
good job with two quarterbacks that we've had that have only been
one-year starters that had limited experience. I think he's done a good
job of teaching out players. I think our players really buy into what
we're trying to do on offense and believe in the philosophy."
When asked about the coaching search to replace departed defensive line coach Bo Davis, Saban kept the answer short and sweet. "How long is it until signing day? Like 10 months. I think that's plenty
of time to get somebody in place and let a recruit know who is going to
be their coach," he said.
Saban has always said he likes opening the football season with a big-time football team, one with tradition and is well-known to help the players focus and work harder for the start of the season. When asked about opening the 2016 season with the USC Trojans he said, "I think it does impact the off-season in terms of your players' focus,
getting ready to play a big game first. It affects your summer
conditioning. It affects your fall camp. So I think it's something we
always thought was a good thing to participate in. The consequences can
be detrimental, but I think our focus is on how do we develop our team
and how can we have the best team that we can have, and I think playing a
good opponent early certainly helps you do that."
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Reports Surfacing Possible Georgia Connection For DL Coach
Tracy Rocker
Reports have begun surfacing that Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is interested in bringing in another Georgia 'Dog to fill the defensive line coach vacancy at the University of Alabama following the resignation of Bo Davis last week. That would Georgia assistant coach Tracy Rocker. Jake Rowe from 247Sports says that Rocker is a candidate for the vacant position at Alabama.
Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban had just stated this week that a hire wasn't imminent and the search was continuing. He had said that it may take awhile and that "...now is not a good time for people to be leaving jobs."
According to Rowe, Pruitt wants to bring Rocker on board and believes that Saban and Rocker would be a perfect fit. Rocker has been the defensive line coach at Georgia since 2014 and played his college football at Auburn University.
Rocker has served as defensive line coach at Auburn, Arkansas and Georgia in the Southeastern Conference.
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4th-Ranked Alabama Softball Beats Georgia 7-2
Haylie McCleney 300 Career Hits
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
It was a three-home run night for the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team (44-10, 15-7 SEC) as they powered their way over the Georgia Bulldogs 7-2 last night in the first of three games at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide scored seven unanswered runs before the Bulldogs were eventually able to erase the shutout-in-the-making in inning number five. Haylie McCleney picked up her 300th career hit, going two for three out of the leadoff spot, including a two run homer. She is the fourth player at Alabama and the 21st in
NCAA history to pick up 300 career hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases.
Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy was extremely complimentary of McCleney and her accomplishment, commenting, "That was another legendary moment. She’s a true triple threat, no doubt.
She can do the short game, slap, hit, throw and run. There aren’t many
like her."
McCleney’s home run was not the only one for Alabama softball last night. Leona Lafaele and Marisa Runyon banging back-to-back long balls in the first inning. McCleney, Lafaele and Runyon accounted for six of the team’s seven RBIs, with an RBI groundout by Kallie Case completing the team’s scoring.
Sydney Littlejohn (22-4) pitched her usual great game, throwing her 14th complete game of the season and holding the potent Georgia offense to just two runs on five hits. Georgia's Chelsea Wilkinson (22-6) exited after 4.0 innings, allowing seven runs, four earned, on six hits.
Game two of the three-game series is today at 11am CT and can be seen live on ESPN.
THE SMILES SAY IT ALL
UA Head Softball Coach Patrick Murphy
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
Haylie McCleney Homerun Celebration
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Amelia B. Barton
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Crimson Tide Baseball Defeats Auburn Tigers 6-2
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The University of Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team improved to 26-20 overall, 11-11 in Southeastern Conference action after last night's big 6-2 win over the Auburn Tigers at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Alabama starting pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett and relief pitcher Matt Foster put on a show that held the potent Auburn offense to only two Tigers crossing home plate all Friday evening.
Alabama head baseball coach Mitch Gaspard was heaping praise on his team, and especially his pitchers, commenting, "We've run through some of the top offenses in the league and our
pitchers have been really consistent as far as getting good quality
starts, while the bullpen guys have been solid. You're going to run into a game here and there where it may not go
your way, but I think these guys are going to keep us right there as
they have. Our pitchers have done a really solid job, both the starters
and out of the bullpen."
The 4-3 Bramblett pitched 5.2 innings of baseball, allowing only two runs, with only one earned, to pick up his fourth win of the season. He allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. Bramblett has now struck out six or more batters in eight of his 12 starts.
In just over three innings of work Tide reliever Matt Foster allowed just one hit while striking out a season-high seven batters, picking up his second save of the season.
Bramblett and Foster combined for a season-high 14 strikeouts in a nine-inning Southeastern Conference game while limiting Auburn to just four hits. The four hits tied for Alabama's fewest hits allowed in a
single game, matching the March 6th outing with Brown when the Crimson Tide
also gave up four base hits.
Eight of Alabama's nine starters reached base last night with seven of those starters picking up at least one hit. Cobie Vance, Chandler Taylor and Will Haynie all picked up two hits in last night's action. Taylor also added a team-high two RBIs in the contest. Haynie picked up his fifth home run of the season in last night's game.
Game two of the three-game series is this evening at 6 pm CT and can be seen on the SEC Network. The Tide will send sophomore righty Jake Walters to the mound for the start, and the Tigers will counter with redshirt-right-handed senior Justin Camp.
UA Baseball Head Coach Mitch Gaspard With Team
Alabama Crimson Tide vs Auburn Tigers
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Daniel Melograna
Crimson Tide Starting Pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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No. 1 Alabama Women's Golf In 4th Place At Regional
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
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Alabama (306-300/606) now trails first place Northwestern (296-294/590) by 16 shots heading into today’s final round. Florida State is second (299-297/596) followed by Oklahoma State (301-297/598), Alabama, Tennessee (300-311/611) and California (307-307/614). The top six team finishers at the Shoal Creek Regional will qualify for the NCAA Championships May 20-25 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon. Barring another first-round performance, the Tide should make the cut.
Alabama women's golf head coach Mic Potter said, "It was only six shots better (Friday vs Thursday) but it feels a lot better. The best thing is we played the last two holes one-under. Eighteen is tough but we had five pars so we saved some shots today where we were throwing them away yesterday. We got off to a good start before the wind got up and it played a little faster on the front nine."
It was Alabama freshman Cheyenne Knight with the low round for the Tide today with a 2-over par 74 and is tied for 15th overall at 7-over par for the tournament (77-74/151) along with senior Emma Talley (75-76/151). Tide sophomores Nicole Morales (78-75/153) and Lakareber Abe (79-75/154) are tied for 25th and 30th, respectively, and senior Janie Jackson (76-80/156) is tied for 46th.
The Crimson Tide begins today's final round in the first group off Hole No. 1 at 8:24 am CT. Alabama will be paired with fifth place Tennessee and sixth place California. The Tide will be looking for its 12th NCAA Championships appearance all-time and its 11th consecutive when it takes the course this morning.
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Evan Neal Second 2019 Commitment To Tide Football
Evan Neal out of Okeechobee, Florida has become the second student-athlete from the class of 2019 to verbally commit to play football for the University of Alabama. In a statement to Scout.com, Neal said he pledged to the Crimson Tide on Friday.
Neal earned his offer from the University of Alabama on Thursday, and then on Friday made his decision known. The 6'6", 353-pound offensive lineman also holds offers from South Carolina, Florida State, USC, Southern Miss and USF.
The young man commented to Scout.com that he was "almost in tears" about being offered by Bama, and that it fulfilled a dream.
Trey Sanders out of Port St. Joe, Florida is the other commit from the class of 2019.
