Miraculous Finish Lifts Alabama Baseball to Regional Final with Dramatic Win Over Troy

The Crimson Tide was inches away from the loser’s bracket. Instead — it’s a win away from a Super Regional appearance.

Austin Hannon | Jun 4, 2023

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mayhem. Absolute and utter shock.

There are no words to describe what happened at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday night. To be fair, this was 17 years in the making.

Good things come to those who wait, I guess?

Alabama was down to its final out. Tommy Seidl hit a harmless ground ball to Tremayne Cobb Jr. who didn’t have any trouble with scooping it into his glove.

Until he did.

Cobb’s throw was a little off and first baseman William Sullivan wasn’t able to get a glove on it.

“That’s the nature of the game,” right fielder Andrew Pinckney said. “Nobody is really out of it until the end of the ninth inning. As long as you’re putting together good at-bats, winning pitches — good things might happen.”

“Baseball is a funny game,” center fielder Caden Rose said. “You’re on top of the world sometimes and then other times you’re like ‘Why am I even here?’”

After two more crossed the plate, the Crimson Tide walked away with an 11-8 win — and is moving onto the regional final on Sunday night.

“You just go into compete mode,” Rose said. “It doesn’t matter who’s on the mound, what’s going on. You’re just doing whatever you can do to get on base. [...] Any way possible.”

Nights like tonight are what make sports great. They’re why sports are able to bind and bring people together.

Just over a week ago, Alabama lost in brutal fashion to Florida in the SEC tournament. This time, it was the Crimson Tide that did the impossible in the contest’s dying moments.

Alabama continues to build its resume as college baseball’s team of destiny. Everything it’s been through, every time it’s back is against the wall — Jason Jackson and the Crimson Tide find a way.

“That’s kind of their personality, that’s kind of their M.O. with everything that they do,” Jackson said. “They love each other, they love playing for each other. That dugout — they never think they’re out of it. [...] They really believe in each other. Those things go a long way.”

“Nobody pouts, nobody feels sorry for themself. [...] If you’ve been in this game long enough, you’ve been on the bad side of some of [these games] too. Baseball is kind of a funny game. Good things went our way tonight. [...] This is such a special group and they never quit, they never stop and they always believe that they’re going to pull it out no matter what.”

Sunday, Alabama will play for a regional championship. If it wins, it will be onto the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010.

At this point, why not the Crimson Tide?

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