Alabama Softball To Face Top-Seed Florida This Evening
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
GAINESVILLE, Florida - The 16th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (45-16) will face the top-ranked Florida Gators (53-7) in NCAA Super Regional softball action this evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville this evening. UA will battle UF tonight at 6 p.m. CT in the first of a three-game series. Game two will be tomorrow at 6 p.m. CT, with the third game, if necessary, being played on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT. All games will be broadcast on ESPN television.
This will be the 67th meeting between the two teams, with the Crimson Tide holding a 35-31 advantage. Bama won the last contest 3-0.
Alabama is the only school to play in all 13 Super Regional rounds since its inception in 2005. The Tide is 19-8 (.704) all-time in Super Regional play, winning nine of those 12 previous contests.
The winner of the Gainesville Super Regional will advance to the Women's College World Series, scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 1st at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crimson Tide Football's Bradley Bozeman
Named To Rimington Trophy Watch List
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Bozeman started all 15 games at center for the Crimson Tide in the 2016 season, and was instrumental in helping the Bama offense rank No. 16 nationally as well as No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference in scoring
offense (38.8 ppg), 12th nationally and second in the SEC in rushing
offense (245.0 ypg) and 34th in the nation in total offense (455.3 ypg).
He was named to the Alabama coaching staff's offensive players of the
week lists for his standout play against Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee,
Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn and Florida.
The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding
center in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Since its inception, the
Rimington Trophy has raised over $2.9 million for the cystic fibrosis
community. The award is overseen by the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which
is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and has raised over
$130 million for the fight against cystic fibrosis. Dave Rimington, the
award's namesake, was a consensus first-team All-American center at the
University of Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the
Outland Trophy's only double winner as the nation's finest college
interior lineman.
The 2017 winner will be recognized at the Rimington Trophy
Presentation at the Rococo Theatre in Lincoln, Nebraska on January 13, 2018.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama Track & Field
Headed To NCAA East Regional
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The UA track & field program will send 24 men, 19 women and four relay teams to the Bluegrass state for the qualifying round for the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held June 7-10 at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.
Bama will have entries across all disciplines at this year's regional. There will be seven jumpers and pole vaulters ranked in the top 48 regionally in five events, including three-time SEC long jump champion Quanesha Burks. The Crimson Tide will also have 10 throwers (seven men, three women) participating across all the throwing events - men's and women's shot put, discus, hammer throw and javelin. Thirteen sprinters (four men, nine women) will also compete, as well as eight distance runners (five men, three women) and three hurdlers (two men, one woman). The men's and women's 4x100-meter relays and 4x400-meter relays are also slated to compete.
University of Alabama head track and field coach Dan Waters said, "We're sending a strong group of athletes to the NCAA Regional in Lexington. This is a very competitive regional so we will have to be at our best this weekend. We had a number of good performances at the SEC Championships so I am encouraged about where we are heading into this meet."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
One Of The State Of Alabama's Top Football Prospects
To Announce His School-Of-Choice On Friday
 |
| Jalyn Armour-Davis Twitter Photo |
MOBILE, Alabama - Friday, May 26th is the day that one of the state's top football prospects has set as his commitment date as to which of three schools he will continue his football career. Four-star cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis out of St. Paul's in Mobile will make his selection known from his top three: The University of Alabama, Auburn and Florida State. That announcement is supposed to come via his Twitter account at approximately 12:30 p.m. CT tomorrow.
According to the 247Sports composite, the 6' 1", 175-pound Armour-Davis is the state of Alabama's No. 4 overall prospect, No. 15 cornerback and the No. 127 overall recruit in the country. In addition to football, the young man also participates in his high school's track program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama Baseball Head Coach Greg Goff Dismissed
By The University Of Alabama After Only One Season
 |
| Former UA Head Baseball Coach Greg Goff Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Alabama baseball head coach Greg Goff has been dismissed by the University of Alabama after only one season in the position. His dismissal was not merely the result of the 19-34-1 overall, 5-24-1 Southeastern Conference record and a last-place finish in the league, but also reported chaos and controversy within the program.
Goff was hired to lead the UA baseball program following the resignation of former head coach Mitch Gaspard at the end of the 2015-16 season. He was hired by then-Director of Athletics Bill Battle following a two-year stint as the head baseball coach at Louisiana Tech. He had also served as the head coach at Campbell as well as Montevallo.
The Tuscaloosa News had reported just one day prior that Goff, in violation of NCAA rules and regulations, had tried to revoke the scholarships of several University of Alabama student-athletes. This, the lowest winning percentage for the program since 1980 as well as a last-place finish helped lead to his undoing.
Numerous changes in the philosophy of the program, style of play and reported tirades against players reportedly overheard by some members of the media, fans and even some family members did not exhibit the core values of the University of Alabama, and had many calling for Goff's ouster. The only true bright spot in this past season under Goff was a three-game sweep over instate-rival Auburn that wasn't enough to save his job.
The internal strife in the program, while perhaps not a constant, occurred regularly throughout the season. It seemed to come to a head when the now-former head coach threatened as many as 10 University of Alabama players with rescinded their scholarships, a violation of NCAA rules.
Those rules, or bylaws, say that can't be done. According to NCAA bylaw 15.3.4.3.1, "an institution (in this case the University of Alabama) may not set forth an athletically related condition (e.g., financial aid contingent upon specified performance or playing a specific position) that would permit the institution to reduce or cancel the student-athlete's financial aid during the period of the award if the conditions are not satisfied."
Though that threat did not come to fruition, the very fact it was brought up to players caused untold harm to the morale and integrity of the University of Alabama baseball program and Athletic Department. It was evident, if it had not been before, that a change was in order.
The announcement of Goff's dismissal came yesterday afternoon from University of Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne.
In his statement, Byrne said, "Things are not easy for these coaches; their families; this program; and this is not something we take lightly at all. I would like to thank Coach Goff and his staff for their contributions over the past year, and I wish them well in future endeavors. Coach Goff has had a lot of success over the years as a baseball coach, and I know that he will have success in the future as well.
"We felt this was the best decision going forward for our baseball program, and that is why we made the decision. You look at these situations when it comes to coaches, and you decide, 'What is the best long-term solution for the program?' – not based off a season or anything like that – just based off the long-term health of the program.
"As we move forward and look ahead, we are looking for the best possible baseball coach that we can get with college experience – that can be a head coach, that can be an assistant coach – but we want somebody that has been in college baseball and understands the dynamics of that.
"We have a lot of desirable resources here at The University of Alabama, including: the incredible stadium, our budget – we fund our baseball program at a very high level – and the Alabama brand that gives all of our teams the ability to recruit nationally for the best opportunity for success. People want to be at Alabama. This is a great and special place, and we are all fortunate to be a part of this athletics department."
Associate head coach Terry Rooney will now serve as interim head coach until a replacement for Goff has been named. The search has already begun for a new head coach, and Goff's name has been removed from the website as Alabama baseball head coach.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Frozen Tide Hockey Player Pierre Ouellette
Named Third Team All-America
 |
| Pierre Ouellette Photo Credit: Alabama Hockey |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Alabama Frozen Tide hockey player Pierre Ouellette has been named as one of six defensemen in the nation. Ouellette has earned third team All-America honors, as announced by the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
Frozen Tide head coach John Bierchen said, "We're really happy that he's being recognized for his hard work,
preparation and attention to all the details regarding developing as a
hockey player and teammate. Hopefully this isn't the last time he's recognized because he brings a
lot to our program."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament Scores
Here is a look at the latest scores from the SEC Baseball Tournament:
4 Florida 5
24 Auburn 4
6 LSU 10
Missouri 3
9 Kentucky 7
South Carolina 2
19 Mississippi State 3
Georgia 0
