Tide Baseball Inexplicably Draws 16-Seed

What a great run to the end of the season for the Crimson Tide baseball team, doing everything they could to earn a host spot and a favorable seed.

However, somehow, the team was named the 16th seed by the NCAA Committee. (A Committee, by the way, that is chaired by Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen.)

Despite having a better overall record, a better RPI, advancing further in the SEC tournament, and beating the Tigers three out of four times, the Tide was three spots behind 13th-seeded Auburn.

Most pundits had the Tide anywhere from 9th to 12th in their projections. And no one had them below Auburn, Indiana State, or South Carolina.

Alabama will be joined in the Tuscaloosa Regional by 2nd-seeded Boston College, 3rd-seeded Troy, and 4th-seeded Nicholls. Friday’s game will be Boston College vs Troy and Alabama vs Nicholls.

As expected, Wake Forest was the number one overall seed, followed by Florida, Arkansas, and Clemson in the two-three-four slots. LSU came in at number five, followed by Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Stanford, in that order.

Auburn will host Southern Miss as their number two, with Samford at three and Penn at four. The Auburn Regional winner will take on the Clemson Regional winner that includes Tennessee, Lispcomb, and Charlotte.

Of interest to Bama fans, Owen Diodati and his new Oregon team is the number two seed in Nashville, with Vanderbilt as the one, Xavier as three, and Eastern Illinois as four.

Now the Tide just needs to gather together, get healthy, and prove everyone wrong again.

It is not a forgiving road, however:

Nicholls has a very good freshman pitcher that could give the Tide some issues. Nicholls finished 34-22 and won the Southland Conference.

Boston College is a strong number two, and were battling for a host spot until the end. Boston College comes in with a record of 35-18, including a 16-14 mark in the ACC. The Eagles lost their second game of the ACC Tournament to overall 4-seed Clemson.

Bama has beaten a very good Troy team twice already this year. But Troy was 39-20 on the year, and lost in the Sun Belt Tournament finals to Appalachian State.

Don’t take any game for granted, or book those flights to Winston-Salem just yet. It is a competitive region.

Come out and help pack The Joe this weekend as postseason baseball returns to Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2006. This resilient bunch deserves all the support they can get!

Roll Tide! Bama baseball fever, catch it!