Alabama Baseball Eager to Play in Hoover Again, Aims for SEC Tournament Run

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Crimson Tide isn't losing focus heading into the postseason, which could include return to Tuscaloosa for a regional.

It's time for the college baseball postseason, and 2023 sees a vast change of scenery for the Alabama Crimson Tide's chances as compared to those in 2022.

With its 38th victory of the season Friday against Ole Miss, Alabama locked in its first winning record in league play since 2014. However it wasn't just playing just to make the big tournament in Hoover, Ala., this week. Having won five straight games, and eight of its last 10, the Rising Tide is looking to make a run through the SEC bracket and potentially host NCAA Tournament games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

"That's my favorite week of the whole year," said first baseman Drew Williamson, whose eighth-inning home run in the regular-season finale catapulted his team to a 5-1 victory. "The atmosphere is almost like a home-field environment for us in that big stadium. It's just so much fun to play with these guys, and every time I get to do it again, I'm not going to take it for granted."

Starting pitcher Garrett McMillan, who is heading to Hoover for the second time in as many seasons with the program, expressed confidence in the Crimson Tide's chances to make a run. Alabama's first game is single-elimination, but the winning teams advances to play in the double-elimination portion of the tournament. 

"You know the competition is going to be there, because it's probably the best conference in baseball," he said. "[We have to] go out there, have fun and enjoy the moment, because if we play our best baseball, we're going to like the result."

The Crimson Tide (38-17) is the No. 9 seed in the tournament, but could be ranked in all of the the national polls when it opens play against Kentucky on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network). The Wildcats took the regular-season series in Tuscaloosa back in late March, but this is a different Alabama team, ripe with confidence and playing some of its best baseball all season. 

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