Filip Planinsek Advances to NCAA Singles Championship: Roll Call, May 25, 2024

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama Athletics, including full TV listings.

Filip Planinsek / Obtained from Alabama Tennis' X/Twitter

Alabama Tennis' No. 29-ranked Filip Planinsek will compete in the championship match of the NCAA Singles Tournament after defeating No. 9 Ozan Baris (Michigan State), 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(6) on Friday. He will face No. 23 Michael Zheng (Columbia) in the championship match on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN+

The junior clinched the win off a five-point run, battling back from a 6-3 deficit in the tiebreaker. It's the first time in program history that Alabama has had a player reach the finals in the NCAA Singles Tournament.

Planinsek's historic run also included wins over No. 118 Jonas Hartenstein (North Florida) in the Round of 64, No. 17 Cannon Kingsley (Ohio State) in the Round of 32, No. 5 Micah Braswell (Texas) in the Round of 16 and No. 15 Cooper Williams (Harvard) in the quarterfinals.

Today's Crimson Tide Schedule:

• Track and Field: NCAA Track and Field East Prelims, All Day, Lexington, Ky.

• Men's Golf: NCAA Championships, Carlsbad, Calif.

• Men's Tennis: Filip Planinsek vs. No. 23 Michael Zheng (Columbia): NCAA Singles Championship, Stillwater, Okla., 11 a.m., ESPN+

• Softball: NCAA Super Regional at No. 3 Tennessee, Game Two, 2 p.m., TV channel TBD

Crimson Tide Results:

• Men's Tennis NCAA Semifinals: No. 29 Filip Planinsek (Alabama) downed No. 9 Ozan Baris (Michigan State), 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(6), to secure his spot in the championship match

• Softball NCAA Super Regional Game 1: Tennessee 3, Alabama 2

• Track and Field: Alabama punches ticket to National Championships in Eugene, Ore. Here's who will be competing:
• Victoria Faber (pole vault) via a personal-best and No. 3 UA all-time mark of 4.30m (141-.25)
• Jekovan Rhetta, Tarsis Orogot, Khaleb McRae and Matthew Weaver of the 4x100m relay become the Tide's first relay squad to punch a ticket as they clocked a season-best 39.03
• Samuel Ogazi and Khaleb McRae (4x400m relay). Ogazi - first-place overall finish, PB time of 44.53; McRae - third-place overall finish time of 44.78
• Oussama El Bouchayby (800m) logged 1:45.69 time, which was the fourth-fastest overall
• Clayton Elder (400-meter hurdles) behind a personal-best time of 50.48
• Cordé Long (400-meter hurdles): his 49.27 time was the third-fastest overall
• Chris Robinson, the reigning national champion (400-meter hurdles): his 48.77 time is a new facility record
• Tarsis Orogot (200m): his 1:45.69 time was the fifth-fastest overall
• Samuel Ogazi, Chris Robinson, Matthew Weaver and Khaleb McRae of the 4x400m relay become the Tide's second relay squad to punch a ticket after clocking a facility record of 3:00.63

Did You Notice?

• Head men's basketball coach Nate Oats announced that Aden Holloway, Houston Mallette, Clifford Omoruyi, Labaron Philon and Chris Youngblood signed to continue their playing careers with the Alabama men's basketball program

• Former Alabama and Texas linebacker Kendrick Blackshire is reportedly transferring to UTSA.

Per multiple sources, former Top247 LB Kendrick Blackshire will transfer to UTSA. The former four-star signed with Alabama out of high school and transferred to Texas in December before entering the portal post-spring pic.twitter.com/skas86ssOy

— Mike Roach (@MikeRoach247) May 24, 2024

• Former Alabama and current Dallas Cowboys standout cornerback Trevon Diggs was mic'd up while watching the Dallas Stars game.

Trevon Diggs and his trainer were mic'd up at NHL WCF Game 1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Wntpb3ZF6e

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 25, 2024

Countdown to the Crimson Tide's Season Opener

98 days

On This Day in Crimson Tide History:

May 25, 1978: Assistant coach Bill "Brother" Oliver was honored by the Birmingham Touchdown Club as its "Working Coach of the Year." In announcing Oliver's award in the Birmingham News, Alf Van Hoose called Oliver "the best young coach in the business."

May 25, 1990: Barrett Jones was born in Collierville, Tenn.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

“I had this dream my whole life of raising up that crystal trophy. You guys know the crystal trophy? It’s old now. They give out a waffle cone-looking type thing now. But, I was a big fan of the trophy. I thought it was the greatest trophy in sports.” – Barrett Jones

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