Alabama baseball keeps 'one game at a time' mindset heading into regionals
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — There are plenty of benefits when hosting an NCAA regional. First, the home team knows the ballpark and can carry out its routine as normal just like any other weekend series throughout the season. Second, it has the all-important home-field advantage with a bevy of screaming fans showing their support.
Finally, there's no need to travel, which means no sleeping in a hotel bed and according to Alabama pitcher Luke Holman, one of the best perks of staying at home is no hotel breakfast.
"To be able to get a good night's sleep, not sleep in a hotel bed and eat a good breakfast, not have to eat nasty eggs, it makes a difference," Holman said. "It can change the outcome of a series so I'm glad to be here."
Some of the past Crimson Tide teams had to suffer through sleeping on hotel beds and eating lavish hotel breakfasts. In the program's 26 appearances in the NCAA tournament, Alabama has hosted a regional just six times. This weekend will mark the first time it will open tournament play in the friendly confines of Sewell-Thomas Stadium since 2006.
But less than a month ago, the probability to host a regional wasn't optimistic. Alabama was 30-15 coming into its weekend series with Vanderbilt before news of Brad Bohannon's firing was announced. According to multiple reports, Bohannon was allegedly in communication with a person who was placing bets on Alabama's game against LSU on April 29.
The Crimson Tide promoted Jason Jackson to interim head coach and the season began to turn around. With speculation and more news coming out about Bohannon's dismissal, Alabama remained focused on the field going on a 10-4 run to end the season which included wins over Kentucky and Auburn at the SEC Tournament.
Now Alabama with its 9-2 record when it hosts a regional, will look to do something it hasn't done since 2010, advance to the super regional.
"It'd be great," Alabama's Andrew Pinkney said. "I just love to play baseball and getting to play a little longer with these guys would be great. If you would have told me when I was 12 that I'd have a chance to go to Omaha, I would be super excited so that's just how I'm looking at it."
In order to do that, the Crimson Tide will have to get through a field of Nichols State, Troy and Boston College. All three teams made it to their respective conference tournaments, but the Colonels are the only team that won their conference regular season and tournament titles. Led by Southland freshman of the year, Jacob Mayers comes into Tuscaloosa as one of the hottest pitchers in college baseball, sporting a 1.93 ERA good for the sixth-lowest in the country.
While Alabama hopes to cap off its magical turnaround with a trip to Omaha, interim head coach Jason Jackson is looking to keep the same mentality that Alabama has used all season long — one day at a time.
"I don't know if phobia is the right word, but I have this thing where like, we don't ever look to the next day," Jackson said. "We just go one game at a time so all of our focus has been on preparing for tomorrow night."