After Nearly Two Decade Wait, 'The Joe' is Ready for Postseason Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Seventeen years and a complete renovation job have come and gone since postseason baseball has been played inside Sewell Thomas Stadium.
That changes Friday afternoon as Alabama is set to host Boston College, Troy and Nicholls in the Tuscaloosa Regional opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
"It means a lot," Alabama interim head coach Jason Jackson said about his team's opportunity to host. "It means everything. I think as a coach, as a player you work hard all year to get this opportunity and certainly we're very excited about it.
"I think I'm just as excited for everyone involved in our program that has seen it kind of continue to grow a little bit over the past few years to all the stuff that it's taken to get to this point. The people behind the scenes that maybe you don't think about that have put a lot of time and effort into helping to get to this point."
The regional opens up Friday at 2 p.m. CT as Boston College (No. 18 in RPI) takes on Troy (No. 38 in RPI). Alabama (No. 11 in RPI) plays Nicholls (No. 108 in RPI) in the Friday nightcap.
The Friday winners and Friday losers will be matched up on Saturday with a regional victor being determined on Sunday in the double-elimination format.
Here's a look at the four teams that will be playing in Tuscaloosa this weekend:
(4) Nicholls
Nicholls received an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by way of winning the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since 1998.
The Colonels take a 34-22 record into Sewell-Thomas Stadium, winning the Southland Conference regular season as well. Nicholls is not known for its power with only 36 home runs this season, the second fewest in the NCAA Tournament field.
The Louisiana school is no stranger to playing against the SEC this season. The Colonels went 1-2 in three midweek matchups, losing to Mississippi State and then splitting results with LSU.
(3) Troy
The Troy Trojans earned an NCAA Tournament bid after finishing third in the Sun Belt with a 39-20 overall record.
The Trojans have played Alabama twice this season, losing both contests: an April matchup at "The Joe" and a May rematch in Montgomery.
Shane Lewis is the Trojan to watch this weekend as the sophomore is currently tied for third in the NCAA for home runs with 27.
(2) Boston College
Boston College makes its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2016. The Eagles earned an at-large bid with a 35-18 record.
The second-seed in the Tuscaloosa Regional has played top competition all year long, including a win over SEC foe Tennessee, and amassed its first winning season in ACC play since 2006 (16-14).
The Eagles are led by junior Joe Vetrano, who bats .305 with 18 home runs.
(1) Alabama
The Alabama Crimson Tide makes its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three seasons and will host the regional for the first time since 2006.
The team is 10-4 after the dismissal of former head coach Brad Bohannon with series victories over Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. Two of the Crimson Tide's leaders, Andrew Pinckney and Tommy Seidl, have been some of their best players over this stretch. Seidl is riding a 10-game hitting streak into the NCAA Tournament that started during Alabama's last matchup with Troy.
Alabama is set to start Luke Holman (7-3, 3.50 ERA) on Friday night against Nicholls. He last pitched in the Crimson Tide's SEC Tournament loss to Florida.
See Also:
The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral: Episode 9, June 1, 2023
SEC Announces Football Scheduling Plans Once Oklahoma, Texas Join League
Pitching Staff Falters in WCWS Game 1 Loss for Alabama Softball
