Crimson Tide Advances In SEC Baseball Tournament
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Defeats Kentucky Wildcats 5-2 Tuesday
Alabama Baseball Starting Pitcher Nick Eicholtz
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
It was an outstanding opening for the No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide men's baseball team (32-24) and starting pitcher Nick Eicholtz (4-3) yesterday as Bama defeated the eighth-seeded Kentucky Wildcats 5-2 at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. With the win Alabama is guaranteed at least two more games in the 2016 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament.
Alabama baseball head coach Mitch Gaspard was complimentary of his team and starting pitcher, saying, "I'm really proud of our team (Tuesday). Obviously, it was a real pressure-packed game with a lot on the line. When you have a game like that, it's really helpful to get a great start on the mound. I thought Nick (Eicholtz) did a great job. He was able to hand it to the bullpen with (Matt) Foster and (Thomas) Burrows, who I thought also pitched well. It was nice to get an early lead, and take advantage of some Kentucky mistakes."
Eicholtz picked up his fourth win of the season and his second over the 'Cats in 2016, tossing 6.2 innings of ball while allowing two runs on three hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Eicholtz sat down the first nine hitters he faced, but then gave up single-run homer to break the streak he had going. He ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh inning causing Gaspard to bring in relief pitcher Matt Foster. Foster was able to finish out the inning, then the first two outs of the eighth, but a fielding error allowed another Kentucky run to score ending his efforts for the evening.
Gaspard then brought in his closer, Thomas Burrows, who recorded the final out of the eighth and then sat the Wildcats down in order in the ninth. Burrows picked up his career-high 12th save of the season.
Bama's offense was led by Will Haynie and Hunter Webb, both finishing the day three-for-five with two RBIs each. Haynie picked up his team-leading 10th home run of the season as well as recording two runs on the afternoon.
The Crimson Tide faces the Southeastern Conference regular-season champon Mississippi State this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. CT. Gaspard and the Tide will start junior right-hander Geoffrey Bramblett, while the Bulldogs call on their own righty, Zach Houston, also a junior. The winner of today's game will advance to the second game of the night session on Thursday, while the loser will play in the second game of the morning session.
Alabama's Will Haynie
Photo Credit: RollTide.com/Robert Sutton
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Knight, Talley Earn WGCA All-American Honors
Alabama Golfers Cheyenne Knight & Emma Talley
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Another honor has been awarded to a pair of University of Alabama golfers. Crimson Tide freshman Cheyenne Knight as well as senior Emma Talley were named to the 2016 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-America Team yesterday afternoon. Knight was named to the first team while Talley a second team selection.
Talley now joins Alabama alum Stephanie Meadow (2011-2014) as the only four-time All-America honorees in Alabama women’s golf history. Meanwhile, Knight is the sixth Alabama player to win first team All-America honors since 2006.
Knight shot a six-under par 282 to finish tied for fourth at the 2016 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships earlier this week. She set a new Alabama women's golf record, with her four-round 72-hole score being the lowest in program history.
Just last season Talley earned first-team WGCA honors after becoming Alabama’s first NCAA medalist at the 2015 championships at The Concession Club in Bradenton, Florida. Talley earned second-team honors as a freshman and honorable mention as a sophomore.
The Crimson Tide has won 21 WGCA All-America honors by 11 different players since 2006 under Bama head coach Mic Potter. That impressive list includes nine first-team selections by six different players, four second-team picks and eight honorable mentions.
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Routliffe, Daniell Begin NCAA Championship Play
A pair of Alabama Crimson Tide tennis athletes will play in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Singles Championship today at the Case Tennis Center at the University of Tulsa. Alabama junior Erin Routliffe and freshman Andie Daniell will be representing the Tide. Routiffe will face Arizona junior Lauren Marker this morning at 9 a.m. CT, while Daniell will face William & Mary senior Elizaveta Nemchinov this afternoon at 1 p.m. CT.
Routliffe is a two-time NCAA doubles champion and three-time first team All-SEC performer. She is making her second straight appearance in the singles championship after advancing to the round of 32 in 2015. Routliffe led Bama with nine singles victories against SEC foes, as well as 17 wins total, as she floated between the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions throughout the 2016 season.
Daniell, the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year and ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year, is the first Alabama freshman to make the field of 64 since the Crimson Tide's Alexa Guarachi did so back in 2010. Daniell leads Alabama with 20 overall singles wins, nine of which came against nationally ranked opponents.
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Lovett & Osama To Begin NCAA Championship Play
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
University of Alabama freshman Mazen Osama and sophomore Korey Lovett will represent the Crimson Tide men's tennis team at the 2016 NCAA Championships this week. Osama will play his first match of the 2016 NCAA Singles Championship today, while he and Lovett will begin doubles play tomorrow at the Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.
Osama will begin by facing off with North Carolina
senior Brett Clark in the opening round of singles at 10 a.m. CT.
Thursday’s doubles match time against Notre Dame seniors Alex Lawson and
Quentin Monaghan is still yet to be determined.
The two became the third set of doubles All-Americans under the able-leadership of men's tennis head coach George Husack by virtue of their No. 5-8 seeding in the NCAA doubles championship. Lovett and Osama reached a program-high ranking of No. 4 late in the dual match season, as well as going undefeated in their final 11 regular season matches, beating eight nationally ranked opponents in the process.
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Tide Men's & Women's Track & Field National Rankings
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The latest U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Rankings are out. The University of Alabama men's track and field team come in with a No. 8 national ranking, with the women's team making a three-place jump to No. 22 this week. The men's team posted a point total of 138.10 while the women came in with 93.21 points.
Dominating as usual is the Southeastern Conference, earning the No. 1 spots on the men’s and women’s conference Index Top 10 list totaling 1,921.58 points for the men and 2,146.87 points for the women.
The national team rankings are compiled by mathematical formulae based on national descending order lists and data taken from previous seasons. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.
The Crimson Tide will be in action this weekend at the NCAA East Regional May 26-28. The even will be held at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
