Alabama Baseball Completes Sweep of Ole Miss

The Crimson Tide baseball team ended its regular season with a Friday doubleheader sweep of Ole Miss.

Will Miller | May 19, 2023

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Alabama baseball team entered Friday's doubleheader against Ole Miss with a lot on the line. With a sweep, the Crimson Tide could earn its first winning record in league play since 2014, and significantly promote its chances of hosting NCAA Tournament regional. But the Crimson Tide needed both on Friday.

It got them, sparking a celebration of the program's amazing revival and the outgoing seniors playing their final regular-season games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. It finished the job with a gutsy 5-1 effort in the nightcap to close the regular season with a four-game winning streak and 38-17 record (16-14 SEC).

"As you go through the year, you get used to playing in all types of games," interim head coach Jason Jackson said. "I don't think [close games] change their mindset. These guys do a good job staying focused. It might change the way you manage a thing or two here and there, but after however many games we've played, you've been in all types. I think we've gotten used to playing in those really close games and we do a good job."

Reigning national champion Ole Miss was more or less embarrassed in the first game of the twinbill, dropping a 12-2 final that didn't go nine innings. It drew first blood in the rematch, getting to Alabama starter Jacob McNairy in the top of the third. However, McNairy settled in, eventually tossing 5.2 innings with six strikeouts.

Twice in the game Alabama needed to use a great relay to cut down a runner at the plate as the Rebels (25-29 overall,6-24 SEC) were aggressive during their likely last game of the season.

Alabama got on the board in the bottom half of the third when third baseman Bryce Eblin hit one hard toward the right field terrace. The ball stayed fair, slamming into the foul pole and tying things up. That offensive spark was the last for either squad for a significant period of time. Groundouts and swing-and-miss strikeouts became all the rage on both sides. Ole Miss's last true threat in the sixth inning was brought to an abrupt end by the second of the aforementioned plays at home plate.

The bottom of the eighth inning was when the Crimson Tide put it all together and pulled away. William Hamiter worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second and third on a pair of groundouts. Jim Jarvis walked, and Tommy Seidl hit a ball right where the Ole Miss infielders weren't. Hamiter crossed the plate with the lead Alabama wouldn't relinquish.

The Crimson Tide wasn't finished, though. With those two men on, first baseman Drew Williamson, one of the players being honored on Senior Day prior to the game, didn't miss his moment. He hit the 1-1 pitch so far that the outfielders barely mustered a courtesy trot.

"Towards the end of the series, they were pitching me a little bit backwards, spinning me a lot this weekend," Williamson said. "They went breaking ball [for a] strike, fastball missed, so I had a pretty good idea that they were going to go back to the breaking ball in a neutral count. I got the one I was looking for and put a good swing on it. It was awesome.

"You know that that might be my last at-bat on that field, so being able to do that the very last time, rounding the bases, getting to just soak it all in. I really enjoyed it."

"Awesome Senior Day," Jackson said. "They deserve this. They've put a lot of time and effort into this, and I couldn't be prouder of them, couldn't be happier for them. Everything that you're seeing right now, these guys all deserve it and they've earned every single bit of it."

It isn't a done deal that Friday night's regular season finale was the last time those seniors are going to step foot in The Joe as players. For a postseason homecoming to materialize, success during next week at the SEC Tournament could make the difference, especially if Alabama can get into the double-elimination portion of the bracket. With multiple wins in Hover over in the past two seasons, the group has experienced that success, and that's where the road is heading next — just up the road in Hoover.

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