Alabama Athletics
Alabama Baseball Rolls Over Boston College, Advances to Super Regional for First Time Since 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For Alabama baseball, the first two games of the Tuscaloosa Regional came down to the wire.
Not this time.
The Crimson Tide (43-19, 16-14 SEC) didn’t mess around, pounding Boston College 8-0 in the regional final on Sunday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
"What an awesome night for our baseball program, for our fanbase, for these players," interim head coach Jason Jackson said. "I couldn't be more proud of everybody that's been involved that has worked really hard to get to this point. We're not done yet but I'm just so excited that we got to do this on our home field in front of our home fans."
With the win, Alabama is off to the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament, something it has only accomplished seven times in program history — and for the first time since 2010.
The Crimson Tide will play No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. for a chance to go to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 1999.
The Crimson Tide’s 43 wins are the program’s most since 2006.
"It's really special to see the way our players, our staff, our administration — and really and truthfully our fanbase have all responded," Jackson said. "Everybody has been so fired up. You've kind of felt it for the last month the way everybody has kind of gotten behind these guys."
Although Alabama played late into the night against Troy on Saturday, the Eagles (37-20, 16-14 ACC) had less rest. Boston College suffered through nine innings on Sunday afternoon and a near two-hour delay on top of it — and it showed. The Crimson Tide jumped on the Eagles early, scoring six runs in the first three innings — including four in the top of the first.
All eight of Alabama's runs came with two outs.
Boston College went with RHP Andrew Roman for his first start of the season, and it didn’t go well. Roman didn’t make it out of the first inning, allowing four runs on one hit and a whopping five walks — including two HBP.
Even with the offensive explosion, RHP Jacob McNairy had his best stuff on the mound for the Crimson Tide in his final game at The Joe. McNairy, an Athens, Ala. native, pitched 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out 11.
"[McNairy] grew up an Alabama fan," Jackson said. "This is the only place he's ever wanted to play. For him to get that ball in this game and have the outing he did means a lot."
"It was kind of emotional," McNairy said. "I don't really get that emotional a lot but the cheering was awesome. I looked up into the stands — this place has been great the past five years. [...] This is what I came back for — to have the chance to make it to Omaha. We're not done yet. This was just one of the steps to our main goal."
The dates and times for next weekend’s Super Regional against the Demon Deacons are TBD. It will be a best-of-three series from either Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday.
Wake Forest is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. But yet again — why not Jason Jackson and Alabama?
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