Spring sports are upon us at the Capstone. Alabama softball started up last weekend, and the Crimson Tide’s baseball team will do the same this week. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team is ranked No. 1 for the first time in two decades, and the gymnastics team just posted a new high score in its season.
Here are some of the storylines surrounding Alabama athletics from the past week.
Bama baseball on deck
Alabama baseball’s long-awaited season opener is here. The Crimson Tide will open its season Friday at 3 p.m. CT as it hosts the Richmond Spiders for a three-game over the weekend in Sewell-Thomas Stadium. After winning 31 games last year, Alabama comes into the season ranked No. 20 in the D1Baseball preseason poll.
After missing out on an NCAA Regional last season, the Crimson Tide is hoping a veteran team can take the next step this year. That quest begins against a Richmond team that finished 30-26 last season.
Softball in the Sunshine State
The Crimson Tide softball team lost its season opener against Lehigh, 7-4, after surrendering three runs in the seventh inning as a late-game appearance from star pitcher Montana Fouts was not enough to stop the bleeding in Game 1 of the Leadoff Classic. Alabama responded by rattled off two straight blowout wins against Georgia Southern by a combined score of 21-3. An originally scheduled rematch with Lehigh was called off due to weather, depriving the Crimson Tide a chance at redemption over the Mountain Hawks.
No. 12 Alabama made it three straight wins Thursday when it fended off No. 19 Duke, 5-4, in its first game of the Clearwater Invitational in Florida. Alabama and Duke are two of the 10 ranked teams in the 16-team showcase along with No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 Arkanas, No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Florida State, No. 9 Virginia Tech, No. 15 Arizona, No. 20 Central Florida and No. 22 Louisiana-Laffayete.
Alabama will face UCLA on Friday at 3 p.m before taking on Central Florida and Indiana on Saturday. The Crimson Tide will wrap up play in the invitational against Florida State on Sunday.
Gymnastics sets new 2023 high score
The Ashley Johnston era of Alabama gymnastics is underway, and her first Crimson Tide squad scored a 198.000 at the Metroplex Challenge last weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. That’s a new season best, higher than the 197.850 Alabama scored in a thrilling Feb. 3 comeback against Auburn. The team’s performance in Texas placed Alabama back in the top 10 of the national rankings at No. 9.
Alabama will travel to Georgia for a road meet on Friday at 6 p.m.
Men’s basketball reaches AP Poll summit
For the first time in more than two decades, the Alabama men’s basketball team is ranked number one in the AP Poll. The Crimson Tide reached the mark by starting the season 12-0 in SEC play but suffered its first conference loss in a turnover-riddled defeat at Tennessee on Wednesday. Alabama (22-4, 12-1) will look to get back on track Saturday as it hosts Georgia (16-10, 6-7) at 5 p.m CT inside Coleman Coliseum.
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