Crimson Corner: GVT, Alabama Baseball's 'Biker Gang'

In the sport of baseball, the mental aspect of the game plays just a vital of a role as the physical.

For Alabama baseball, positive vibes have been a goal from the start.

On Tuesday, the Crimson Tide defeated the No. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks in the opening round of the SEC Tournament, picking up not only a must-win game to advance to the tournament’s second round but also adding a critical 30th victory to its overall record to dramatically increase its chances of making an NCAA Regional.

While Alabama did not have much to celebrate over the last three brutal weekends of the season that saw the team go 1-7 in its last eight games, the team still approached Tuesday with a positive mindset which ultimately helped propel them to a 9-3 victory over South Carolina.

“In baseball you just play all the time and there’s so much failure in our game that you certainly want guys to be loose and aggressive and have a positive mindset because the game’s going to beat you down enough,” Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said. “But also we need to play the game with a high level of intent and focus and I’m just so proud of this group regardless of what happens going forward. I think we play the game the right way.

“Our kids really compete, but I think they enjoy it. The energy and the focus and the intent at practice is most always really high and the kids really like each other.”

In order to achieve a positive approach to the game, Bohannon has always placed a large emphasis on team culture. Through his team bonding both on and off the field, Bohannon has sought to mold his teams into one consistent unit. While some players make it difficult to acclimate and achieve that goal, others adapt and make the job easy.

Sophomore shortstop Jim Jarvis is one of those players.

If you’ve followed Alabama baseball on social media this season, you’ve likely come across a tweet here and there with the hashtag ‘#GVT’ displayed on it.

Jarvis took a moment to explain its meaning.

“’GVT’ is ‘Good Vibe Tribe,’” Jarvis chuckled. “Basically it started with me and Zane Denton. Zane always had the nickname ‘Zeus’ and I was messing around calling myself ‘Juice’ just to play with him, and then that turned into a little, like, joke I guess on the team. And it became like a biker gang.

“So our double celebration is revving up the Harley engine, and then we were trying to come up with a name for our biker gang and ‘Good Vibe Tribe’ became the name of the biker gang. It just turned into a team thing for staying positive even when stuff’s not going our way.”

With so many negatives like injuries and late-inning losses being thrown the Crimson Tide’s way this season, the Good Vibe Tribe has always strived to maintain a sense of positive energy to motivate the team.

With Alabama’s win over South Carolina, the team now enters the double-elimination stage of the tournament. On Wednesday, the team will take on No. 2-seed Tennessee — an opponent that the Crimson Tide played close in all three games this season. While the Volunteers will certainly be out for blood in its first appearance at the tournament (1 p.m. CT, SEC Network), it’s a game that this Alabama team can win.

So what’s the current vibe of the team?

“Positively business,” Jarvis said. “I think everyone is in a good state of mind right now as in we’re all happy with where we are but not satisfied and I think we’re all aware that we’re capable of doing better and we’re ready to do better. I think everyone’s positive, but we want to keep going.”

Players like Jarvis and Denton are what make baseball such a great sport. With personalities like theirs, they make the game fun for both the players and the fans. In a time where every game for the Crimson Tide could seal its fate regarding an NCAA Regional bid, groups like the Good Vibe Tribe can be what motivate a team towards a common goal.

So will Jarvis and Denton be riding motorcycles and form a real-life biker gang any time soon?

“They’d better not,” Bohannon laughed.

“I’m terrified of motorcycles so I will not be riding a motorcycle around,” Jarvis said.

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