By D.C. Reeves
Sports Writer
Home, or at least the semblance of home, hasn’t been so kind to Alabama in SEC play.
Alabama was swept by No. 23 Arkansas this past weekend in Hoover, marking the second time the Crimson Tide has been swept in a home series this season. LSU swept UA in three games (April 2-4).
Though it’s not exactly home turf - it is playing its home slate at the Hoover Met amid a $42 million renovation to Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa - Alabama has not been swept in two SEC home series in the same season since 1994. That was one of the worst seasons in program history as the Crimson Tide finished 21-35 overall and 4-22 in SEC play.
Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said that it has presented some new challenges but that the team isn’t using the full season away from Tuscaloosa as an excuse.
“When you look at your conditions, it certainly hasn’t been normal,” Gaspard said last week. “I think there’s a comfort level when you play at home and you have the practice facility and all of those things. We haven’t used any excuses all year nor will we because we still have good players, and that hasn’t been the determining factor why we haven’t thrown enough strikes and why we’ve struck out.”
Alabama’s issues have mainly come on offense as the team is ranked near the wrong end of the league standings in both strikeouts and walks. UA has failed to score more than five runs in any of its 16 SEC losses this season, and in half of those, Alabama mustered two runs or less.
“Overall we had some shots,” Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said following his team’s 5-1 loss on Thursday. “But it’s kind of been the same song and dance. We can’t find that big hit that can get the energy going.”
Alabama is 8-16 in SEC play and if the season ended today, it would be the No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament. With six league games left, Alabama is tied for 11th with Mississippi State but owns the tiebreaker because of its series win to open conference play this season. The Crimson Tide is 1/2 game ahead of No. 13 seed Georgia and one game ahead of last-place Tennessee.
The bottom two teams in the SEC do not qualify for the SEC Tournament, meaning Alabama still has work left to clinch a spot.
-Reach D.C. Reeves at 205-722-0196 or dc.reeves@tuscaloosanews.com.
Sports Writer
Home, or at least the semblance of home, hasn’t been so kind to Alabama in SEC play.
Alabama was swept by No. 23 Arkansas this past weekend in Hoover, marking the second time the Crimson Tide has been swept in a home series this season. LSU swept UA in three games (April 2-4).
Though it’s not exactly home turf - it is playing its home slate at the Hoover Met amid a $42 million renovation to Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa - Alabama has not been swept in two SEC home series in the same season since 1994. That was one of the worst seasons in program history as the Crimson Tide finished 21-35 overall and 4-22 in SEC play.
Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said that it has presented some new challenges but that the team isn’t using the full season away from Tuscaloosa as an excuse.
“When you look at your conditions, it certainly hasn’t been normal,” Gaspard said last week. “I think there’s a comfort level when you play at home and you have the practice facility and all of those things. We haven’t used any excuses all year nor will we because we still have good players, and that hasn’t been the determining factor why we haven’t thrown enough strikes and why we’ve struck out.”
Alabama’s issues have mainly come on offense as the team is ranked near the wrong end of the league standings in both strikeouts and walks. UA has failed to score more than five runs in any of its 16 SEC losses this season, and in half of those, Alabama mustered two runs or less.
“Overall we had some shots,” Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said following his team’s 5-1 loss on Thursday. “But it’s kind of been the same song and dance. We can’t find that big hit that can get the energy going.”
Alabama is 8-16 in SEC play and if the season ended today, it would be the No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament. With six league games left, Alabama is tied for 11th with Mississippi State but owns the tiebreaker because of its series win to open conference play this season. The Crimson Tide is 1/2 game ahead of No. 13 seed Georgia and one game ahead of last-place Tennessee.
The bottom two teams in the SEC do not qualify for the SEC Tournament, meaning Alabama still has work left to clinch a spot.
-Reach D.C. Reeves at 205-722-0196 or dc.reeves@tuscaloosanews.com.
