Catching Up With the Crimson Tide: Gymnastics rolls on to regional finals

It’s an important stretch for Alabama athletics. The gymnastics team is moving on to an NCAA regional final, while the softball and baseball teams are both facing tough conference series on the road in must-win situations. Basketball season is officially over at the Capstone for 2022-23, but the accomplishments of both the men’s and women’s programs were special. Here are some of the stories that have emerged in the past week.

What happened: The Crimson Tide gymnastics team is moving on to the regional final in Norman, Oklahoma. Competing Thursday against No. 9 Kentucky, Iowa and Illinois, No. 8 Alabama did enough to make the cut for Saturday’s regional final with a 197.375 score. Kentucky placed first with a 197.475.

A host of names did well in the meet to keep the Crimson Tide’s season going. Among those who starred were experienced athletes like Makarri Doggette and Luisa Blanco, as well as younger stars Lilly Hudson and Gabby Gladieux..

What’s on deck: The Crimson Tide and Kentucky will join Kentucky as well as top-ranked Oklahoma and No. 16 Ohio State in the regional final on Saturday with competition set to get underway at 5 p.m. CT. The top two teams will advance to the NCAA semifinal in Fort Worth Texas on April 13.

Names to know: If Alabama is to find success and advance further in the postseason, it’s going to take a strong team effort. Don’t discount experience in scenarios like this, though. Blanco, a star all season who’s also the 2021 NCAA beam champion, is integral to the Crimson Tide’s chances. Doggette scored a 10 on bars in the Crimson Tide’s regular-season meet against the Kentucky. The successes of these seniors have gone a long way for this team already. More of that production can lead Alabama back to the NCAA championships.

What happened: A change of scenery did the Alabama baseball team well Tuesday night as it recorded a 10-4 victory over Middle Tennessee inside Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama. The Crimson Tide has stumbled out of the gate in league play, winning just two of its first six SEC games. However, the win over Middle Tennessee gives Alabama 20 victories on the year. The Tide rallied back from a four-run deficit before scoring five runs in the eighth inning to put a close game out of reach. Tommy Seidl knocked went 3-for-4 with a double and pair of RBIs. Andrew Pinckney also went 3-for-4, including a solo home run.

What’s on deck: A huge conference series against a top-10 foe in Arkansas is on the docket for Alabama. The Crimson Tide won this series last season, punctuating it with an 18-5 dismantling of the Razorbacks in the Sunday game. It’s a different dynamic on the road, though. No. 6 Arkansas is 18-1 within the confines of Baum-Walker Stadium this spring. The lone loss was all the way back on Feb. 26.

After is already off to a rough start in SEC play, dropping two out of three games to both Florida and Kentucky. The Crimson Tide will need to turn things around on the road against the Razorbacks this weekend. First pitch of the series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday.

Names to know: Pinckney, one of the most talented players on the team, has been seeing the ball better as of late. Alabama needs him to produce at the plate to win games. His defensive capabilities in right field should also come in handy. Starting pitcher Grayson Hitt took the ball last Sunday and found his form again while staving off a sweep and helping his team snap Kentucky’s five game conference winning streak. The dynamic of the Crimson Tide rotation changes dramatically when Hitt has his best stuff.

What happened: A tough series loss to Tennessee wasn’t what the No. 13 Crimson Tide had in mind for last weekend. Now 24-10 overall, the softball team is also 2-4 in conference play. Alabama was far more competitive in its second loss against the Lady Volunteers than its first, and had it not been for a big third inning by the home team, the series outcome might have been different. Nevertheless, the comeback bid fell short. The Crimson Tide is mired in a tough stretch, losing four of its last six games. Tennessee won its two games in the series by a combined score of 12-6.

What’s on deck: Another road challenge awaits the Crimson Tide softball team. This time, it’s against Missouri, which bounced Alabama from the SEC Tournament last season in a shutout. The two teams also met in a hyper-competitive regular-season series in Rhoads Stadium last year with Alabama claiming two out of three games. The first game of this year’s three-game set is on Friday afternoon at 6 p.m. CT.

Names to know: Bailey Dowling hit two home runs in the Tennessee series. If she can keep her momentum going in hostile territory, the potential for clutch offensive moments for a team in need of wins vastly increases. Alabama will also look for big performances from the circle. During the Crimson Tide’s lone victory last weekend, pitcher Alex Salter tossed a complete game and limited Tennessee to a pair of runs. She threw 111 pitches in the effort, and earned her fourth victory of the campaign. The pitching staff has proven time and again that Montana Fouts isn’t the Crimson Tide’s only threat in the circle.

What happened: The Alabama men’s and women’s basketball teams both saw their respective seasons come to an end in the NCAA Tournament..

The women’s team lost 78-74 in the first round to Baylor, blowing a lead of more than 20 points to end its run on a five-game losing streak. Alabama (20-11) recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2018. It also notched 20 regular-season wins for the first time since 1998. Its

After earning the top overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, Alabama was bounced by San Diego State in the Sweet 16. Still, the Crimson Tide (31-6) set a new school record for most wins in a season and took home both the SEC regular-season and conference tournament titles.

What's on deck: Already the offseason has brought its share of notable developments, with Nimari Burnett announcing his intentions to transfer to Michigan and Brandon Miller making the expected decision to enter the NBA Draft. Alabama has added a transfers on both the men’s and women’s sides. Wichita State’s Jaykwon Walton will be joining Nate Oats’ program while Kristy Curry is bringing in Arizona State’s Meg Newman.