Category: Alabama Crimson Tide

Texas A&M is 1-of-12 schools to accomplish a men’s sports hat trick this year

Texas A&M has had several phenomenal performances in men’s athletics during the 2023-24 school year, which was solidified this weekend.

Texas A&M has had several phenomenal performances in men’s athletics during the 2023-24 school year, which was solidified this weekend.

The No. 3 Aggies baseball team (44-13, 19-11 SEC) earned the third overall seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Texas A&M will host the Bryan-College Station Regional against the Texas Longhorns, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and Grambling State Tigers.

In December, the Aggies football team played in the Texas Bowl. Then the men’s basketball team parlayed March Madness success at the SEC Tournament to an NCAA Tournament bid.

By reaching the postseason in three men’s sports, Texas A&M became 1-of-12 schools to accomplish the feat this year. According to Ben Stevens on X, the other universities are the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arizona Wildcats, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, James Madison Dukes, Kentucky Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels, NC State Wolfpack, Oregon Ducks, Tennessee Volunteers and Texas.

Ross Bjork might’ve departed Aggieland in January for The Ohio State University but he left the men’s programs in great shape.

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Texas A&M sophomore superstar Jace LaViolette recaps doubleheader vs. No. 14 Alabama

“We knew it was going to be a really long day and we kind of prepared for that. We got some good sleep and hydration last night,” he stated.

The No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team took both games of a doubleheader at No. 14 Alabama on Friday, 10-5 and 18-9.

Leading the charge, as he has been all season, was sophomore Jace LaViolette. The superstar outfielder and the Aggies (35-4, 13-4 SEC) remained unphased when the Crimson Tide (24-15, 6-11) took a 5-0 lead in Game 1, going on to outscore their conference rivals 28-9 over the next 14 innings to clinch a series victory.

“We didn’t really have much talk in the dugout, we just kept doing what we were doing. We came out flat at the beginning but we knew once our bats got hot that we could do what we wanted as long as we stayed to our approach, which is what we did,” LaViolette explained Friday. “We knew it was going to be a really long day and we kind of prepared for that. We got some good sleep and hydration last night. It was just a mindset thing, coming to the park and knowing we were going to play two, a full 18 and try to do our best to trust our process and see what the results came to be.

“It’s a lot of fun to be a part of this team, to be a part of this culture, it’s an unbelievable team to be around… I think we just do what we’ve been doing all season, trust in the process and what we’ve been doing. Opening Day mentality and just doing that same thing every day. It’s been working, so why not keep it going?”

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No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team doubles up No. 14 Alabama again in second game of SEC doubleheader

45 minutes after completing a 10-5 comeback against Alabama in the first game of a doubleheader in Tuscaloosa, the Aggies made a statement.

Forty-five minutes after completing a 10-5 comeback against Alabama in the first game of a doubleheader in Tuscaloosa, the Texas A&M baseball team made a statement.

The No. 1 Aggies (35-4, 14-4 SEC) crushed the No. 14 Crimson Tide (24-15, 6-11) by a final score of 18-9. Texas A&M doubled up Alabama for the second time on Friday after scoring 10 unanswered runs to win the series opener.

The Aggies tallied 8 in the top of the second inning, 3 in the fourth and seventh, respectively, and 2 in each of the fifth and ninth. The Crimson Tide responded with 4 in the second, 3 in the fifth and 2 in the eighth.

Junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Jones start on the bump and tossed the first 4.1 frames, allowing 7 hits, 6 runs (5 earned) and 1 hit by pitch with 1 strikeout on 88 pitches. After fellow junior RHP Brad Rudis recorded one out and gave up 3 hits and 1 run on 10 pitches, senior RHP Brock Peery (2-0) took over. The savvy sidewinder pitched 1.0 inning without allowing a hit, giving up 1 walk and 1 HBP on 20 pitches.

Texas A&M will go for the sweep of Alabama on Saturday afternoon at noon on SEC Network.

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No. 1 Texas A&M baseball team mounts comeback vs. No. 14 Alabama to begin SEC series

After weather delayed the beginning of a three-game SEC series Thursday in Tuscaloosa, the Aggies displayed resilience on Friday afternoon.

After weather delayed the beginning of a three-game SEC series Thursday in Tuscaloosa, Texas A&M baseball displayed resilience and why its the best team in the nation on Friday afternoon.

The No. 1 Aggies (34-4, 12-4 SEC) scored 10 unanswered runs to beat No. 14 Alabama (24-14, 6-10) by a final score of 10-5 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Crimson Tide tallied 3 runs in the third inning and 2 in the fourth. Texas A&M responded with 6 in the fifth, 3 in the sixth and 1 in the seventh.

Junior right-handed pitcher Chris Cortez (6-1) continued his brilliance on the mound and picked up the victory, while having fun along the way. Sophomore left-hander Shane Sdao picked up his second save.

Redshirt sophomore LHP Ryan Prager started on the bump and pitched the first 3.0 frames, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs and 2 walks with 1 strikeout on 66 pitches. Cortez tossed the next 2.1 innings and gave up 2 hits, 1 run and 2 walks with 2 Ks on 43 pitches. Sdao pitched the final 3.2 scoreless frames and allowed 3 hits with 5 punch outs on 50 pitches.

Forty-five minutes later, the SEC rivals resumed play for the second half of the doubleheader.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Can Alabama upset top-seeded UConn in the Final Four?

Alabama to face top-seed UConn in first-ever Final Four appearance.

For the Alabama Crimson Tide, their run through the NCAA Tournament has been nothing short of special.

Making the first Final Four appearance in program history, Alabama started their run through March Madness with two victories over double-digit seeds, Charleston and Grand Canyon, and then backed that up with a pair of wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels and Clemson Tigers. Two of the biggest victories in program history, North Carolina was the No. 1 seed in the West Region, while their win over Clemson in the Elite Eight avenged a home loss to the Tigers from earlier this year.

Next up for Alabama is the Final Four, which, as mentioned above, is the Crimson Tide’s first-ever trip to college basketball’s biggest stage. This is also where a date with the top-seeded UConn Huskies awaits. This will likely be Alabama’s toughest test faced so far this season.

UConn, who are also the defending national champions, are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies enter this matchup sitting at 35-3 overall for the season, as well as 18-2 in Big East play. The Big East regular season and tournament champions, UConn also ranks No. 9 nationally in points per game allowed to opponents at only 63.3 PPG, and have a strong offense that averages 81.4 PPG.

A deep team, UConn has five different players averaging in double-figures, led by All-American guard Tristen Newton. The Huskies also have a true difference maker inside in 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan, along with others in double-figures that include Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban, and Stephon Castle.

In what is the first meeting between the Crimson Tide and Huskies since an 82-67 victory for UConn back in 2022, can Alabama potentially pick up the upset to advance to their first national championship game ever?

Prediction: UConn 85, Alabama 78

Alabama to play Clemson in Elite Eight, winner goes to Final Four

Alabama and Clemson will meet Saturday with a Final Four spot on the line.

For only the second time in program history, as well as the first time since the 2003-04 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide are in the Elite Eight.

One of the biggest wins in program history Thursday night, the Crimson Tide upset No. 1 seeded North Carolina in the Sweet 16 by a final score of 89-87, and were led by a stellar performance from forward Grant Nelson.

Now only one win away from the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance, the Crimson Tide will next face the No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers on Saturday night in the Elite Eight, a program that is also searching for their first trip to the Final Four.

When previewing the matchup, Alabama and Clemson have already met so far this season, coming back on November 28 in the ACC/SEC Challenge. A game held in Tuscaloosa, Clemson defeated the Crimson Tide in the contest by a final score of 85-77, with the Tigers shooting 50%+ from the field and three as a big reason why.

The No. 6 seed in the West Region, Clemson is averaging 77.2 PPG for the year, while also allowing 70.7 PPG to opponents, and are led by what is an experienced group of players such as PJ Hall, Joseph Girard, Chase Hunter, and Ian Schieffelin. So far during the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers have defeated No. 11 seed New Mexico, No. 3 seed Baylor, and No. 2 seed Arizona.

So, who will advance to their first Final Four on Saturday night? Will it be Alabama or Clemson? Time will ultimately tell.

Prediction: Alabama 84, Clemson 79

Images from Alabama’s win over North Carolina in the Sweet 16

Some of the best images from Alabama’s Sweet 16 victory over No. 1 North Carolina.

Their ticket is punched. The Alabama Crimson Tide is heading to the Elite 8 to face off with the Clemson Tigers after knocking off the No. 1 team in their region, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

It was a close game throughout the evening but it was Alabama that was able to take advantage late in the game. Nate Oats’ squad outscored the Tar Heels by 10 in the second half to secure the two-point victory after trailing 54-46 at the half. Forward Grant Nelson led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen each poured in 19 points, and Mark Sears added another 18 points.

UNC gave it a good run led by Armando Bacot’s 19 points and 12 rebounds. Harrison Ingram was also able to clean the glass with nine rebounds of his own. Ryan Cormac scored 17 points, and RJ Davis finished with 16 points and seven assists.

Check out these images from the game:

Alabama to face top-seeded North Carolina in Sweet 16

Alabama will face North Carolina on Thursday in the Sweet 16.

For the third time in the last four years, the Alabama Crimson Tide are back in the Sweet 16.

After defeating No. 13 seed Charleston in the round of 64, Alabama picked up yet another impressive victory Sunday night in the round of 32, as they defeated No. 12 seeded Grand Canyon by a final score of 72-61.

A game in which Alabama led for a majority, this would not be the greatest shooting game for the Crimson Tide at a combined 36.9% from the field, as well as 25.8% from three-point range (8-for-31). However, this was also one of Alabama’s best defensive performances of the season holding the Lopes to 32.1% shooting, as well as 2-for-20 from three, and saw yet another strong performance from guard Mark Sears at 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

After the win, Alabama will now face undoubtedly their toughest test yet in the NCAA Tournament so far, as the Crimson Tide will face the No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16.

The ACC regular season champions, North Carolina (29-7 overall, 17-3 in ACC) has picked up wins over No. 16 seeded Wagner and No. 9 Michigan State so far during the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina is also one of the ACC’s top offensive teams averaging 81.8 PPG for the year, and rank No. 8 nationally in rebounding at 40.9 RPG this season.

Leading the Tar Heels is the senior duo of 2023-24 ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, while North Carolina also has a pair of other 10+ PPG scorers in Harrison Ingram and Cormac Ryan.

Two teams that met last season, a game in which Alabama won by a final score of 103-101 in four overtimes, this certainly has the potential to be a high-scoring contest between the Crimson Tide and Tar Heels on Thursday.

Can the Crimson Tide potentially advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2003-04 season?

Prediction: North Carolina 79, Alabama 74

Alabama lands commitment from 2025 four-star linebacker

Alabama lands a four-star 2025 linebacker from California

Only a day after landing a commitment from Darrell Johnson, Alabama and new head coach Kalen DeBoer continue to be red-hot on the recruiting trail, as the Crimson Tide added yet another name to their 2025 class Thursday in Abduall Sanders Jr.

Sanders, similar to Johnson, is rated a four-star linebacker in the 2025 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 36 overall player at the position nationally. The four-star is also the No. 31 player in the state of California, where he attends national high school powerhouse Mater Dei.

Looking at Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class now, Sanders is the seventh commitment of the cycle for the Crimson Tide, as well as the third coming from out-of-state alongside the aforementioned Johnson and four-star athlete Zymear Smith.

Sanders now joins the likes of former five-star prospects Bryce Young and Zabien Brown to commit to Alabama from Mater Dei in recent years.

Alabama lands commitment from 2025 four-star linebacker

Alabama lands a four-star 2025 linebacker from California

Only a day after landing a commitment from Darrell Johnson, Alabama and new head coach Kalen DeBoer continue to be red-hot on the recruiting trail, as the Crimson Tide added yet another name to their 2025 class Thursday in Abduall Sanders Jr.

Sanders, similar to Johnson, is rated a four-star linebacker in the 2025 class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 36 overall player at the position nationally. The four-star is also the No. 31 player in the state of California, where he attends national high school powerhouse Mater Dei.

Looking at Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class now, Sanders is the seventh commitment of the cycle for the Crimson Tide, as well as the third coming from out-of-state alongside the aforementioned Johnson and four-star athlete Zymear Smith.

Sanders now joins the likes of former five-star prospects Bryce Young and Zabien Brown to commit to Alabama from Mater Dei in recent years.