Alabama baseball picks up first win in season-opener against Manhattan

The Alabama baseball team secured its first win of the 2024 season against Manhattan on Friday. The Crimson Tide will return to “The Joe” for Game 2 of the series on Saturday afternoon.

It did not take long for Rob Vaughn to pick up his first win as the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama. On Friday evening, the Crimson Tide defeated Manhattan, 4-0.

Alabama’s productivity on the mound was key in the season-opener. Junior pitcher Ben Hess started for the Crimson Tide and was exceptional in his first outing.

Hess pitched four innings and struck out nine batters. He allowed one hit and walked two.

He was relieved by junior Hagan Banks. The Georgia native worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk. He struck out five.

Junior pitcher Braylon Myers closed with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball.

Offensively, Alabama was led by newcomers Ian Petrutz and Evan Sleight. the two combined to drive in two runs and go 3-7 at the plate. Junior first baseman Will Hodo also drove in one.

Other players who had hits were TJ McCants (2) and Justin Lebron (1).

Alabama will return to Sewell-Thomas Stadium to take on Manhattan in Game 2 of the series. First pitch for Saturday’s matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. The game is scheduled to be carried on the SEC Network+.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama baseball program.

Fans react to Alabama forward Grant Nelson’s impressive season debut

Fans were ecstatic on social media to see how well Alabama forward Grant Nelson performed in his Alabama debut.

There were lofty expectations set forth for incoming transfer Grant Nelson. Less than a week ago, Nelson was named a Preseason All-SEC First-Team selection.

In his season debut on Monday night, Nelson scored 24 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out one assist. One of the biggest plays of the night came from Nelson in the second half.

The North Dakota native made a posterizing dunk with just over six minutes left in the game. The dunk caught the attention of the fans who soon errupted with “Grant Nelson” chants.

Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how fans reacted to Nelson’s dunk on social media.

Alabama vs. Morehead State: Predictions and analysis

Roll Tide Wire makes its first prediction of the 2023-2024 season as Alabama takes on the Morehead State Eagles.

After an unexpected ending to the 2022-2023 season, Alabama will look to begin a new chapter for the 2023-2024 season. The Crimson Tide have a newly-minted coaching staff and have added a wave of transfers during the offseason. It should make for a strong season in Tuscaloosa.

On Monday evening, the Crimson Tide will kick off the new season against the Morehead State Eagles. The Eagles compete in the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference). Last season, the Eagles finished with a 22-12 record.

Preston Spradlin’s squad finished the season with a 1-3 record against power-five opponents. Unfortunately, the Eagles will be without their leading scorer from a season ago senior guard Mark Freeman. He averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 34.9% from the floor against the four power-five opponents he faced.

Nate Oats and his coaching staff pride themselves in placing a team on the floor that defends at a high level and scores at a high rate. I think that Alabama gives Morehead State a lot of trouble on the defensive end given their size and pressures the Eagles on the offensive end with their scoring threats.

In Game 1 of the 2023-2024 season, I think that Alabama will win by a final score of 90-67.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news surrounding the Alabama men’s basketball program.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN: Stat leaders from Alabama basketball’s win over Longwood

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Alabama’s top performers after the season-opening win over Longwood.

Alabama basketball was able to defeat the Longwood Lancers in the first meeting ever between the two programs. The Crimson Tide won with a final score of 75-54.

The Crimson Tide held two exhibitions over the past month against TCU and Southern Illinois. Nate Oats’ squad was evidently eager to get things started as they took down the Lancers to open the season.

Despite only five players returning from a season ago, the Crimson Tide were able to create some big plays on both ends of the floor on Monday night.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down the stats leaders from the season-opening matchup of the 2022-2023 season.

Alabama MBB defeats Longwood in 2022-2023 season-opening matchup

Alabama defeats Longwood on Monday by a final score of 75-54.

Alabama basketball began the 2022-2023 season on Monday with a win over the Longwood Lancers with a final score of 75-54. The Crimson Tide were led in points by two true freshmen: forward Brandon Miller and guard Rylan Griffen. The two had 14 points a piece in their Alabama debuts.

The defense was impressive for the majority of the game as the Tide was able to force nine turnovers. Not to mention, the Lancers shot just 26.8% from the field. Although Alabama performed well on the defensive side, the offense had its share of ups and downs.

Nate Oats and his staff will probably emphasize the turnovers (19) that the Tide had. The team wasn’t expected to be perfect in the opening game by any means. However, 19 turnovers is relatively high and something that needs to improve throughout the season.

Alabama also had key contributions from other players such as Noah Clowney, Charles Bediako, and Jaden Bradley. The Tide were without transfer Dominick Welch and guard Jahvon Quinerly. Both were held out with injuries.

Alabama will host Liberty on Friday in Coleman Coliseum.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as the season progresses.

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See Charles Barkley’s awesome reaction to Jayson Tatum’s game-winner that interrupted Bucks-Bulls pregame

Charles Barkley was way more focused on watching TV than talking Bulls-Bucks

We’ve all been there. Stuck at a holiday function and roped into a boring conversation with one eye on the television as a game comes down to the wire.

Charles Barkley was all of us then, as the Celtics and Nets traded buckets in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Easter Sunday while the NBA on TNT panel did its best to preview the Bulls-Bucks series. Barkley was holding it together like a pro, too, until Jayson Tatum spun around Kyrie Irving to drop in a game-winning layup at the buzzer. At that point Charles did what all of us would: scream in excitement and completely disrupt the room.

How can you not love Barkley’s reaction? With no regard for whatever Kenny Smith was trying to talk about, Charles just lets his emotions go and immediately—and rightfully!—changes the topic. The excitement in his voice is almost as good as Tatum’s bucket.

The Nets (+4.5), meanwhile, have to find a way to regroup after blowing an intense 39-point game from Kyrie. The NBA on TNT panel can kind of relate. They had to somehow get back to talking about the Bucks and Bulls. Just don’t ask Barkley where that discussion was heading. He was just as focused on the action in Boston as the rest of us.

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Audio issues during Timberwolves-Grizzlies playoff game forced ESPN to alter its broadcast and fans had jokes

We really hope none of you had headphones on for this.

With the full 16-team field set, the NBA Playoffs began on Saturday afternoon. But while fans were ready for the postseason festivities, it seems ESPN’s broadcast team was not.

During the second game of the day, a Game 1 contest between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies, some technical difficulties midway through the first quarter treated viewers to a cacophonous chorus.

The problem was not fixed expeditiously, and ESPN ultimately was forced to outsource the commentary to the studio in Los Angeles. Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith and Jalen Rose took over the call, and there was no crowd noise.

Warning: You may want to turn the volume down if you’re using headphones.

It was certainly a rough way for ESPN to start its coverage of the playoffs, and fans chimed in on Twitter with jokes about the incident. Here were some of the best.

Gators take a bite out of LSU baseball in Game 1

The Tigers started off their weekend series against Florida with a rough outing on Friday.

Coming off of Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to Louisiana Tech in 12 innings, the Tigers could use a pick-me-up in the worst way on Friday night against the Florida Gators.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan for coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] in a 7-1 blowout loss. [autotag]Blake Money[/autotag] got the start on the mound for LSU as he returned to his usual Friday night role after his injury.

The Gators scored on a pair of solo home runs in the first and the fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead heading into the fifth. That’s when the wheels fell off the Money train. Florida proceeded to score four runs to take a 6-0 lead.

Money was replaced in the top of the sixth inning. His final stat line was five innings pitched, seven hits, six runs, two walks and three strikeouts. Florida scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when the Gators scored a run on a flyout to make it 7-0.

In the top of the eighth inning, LSU finally got on the board when Dylan Crews scored on a Gavin Dugas groundout to make it 7-1. In the top of the ninth inning, Hayden Travinski hit a solo shot to left field to score the final run of the ball game.

With the loss, LSU drops to 15-7 and 1-3 in conference play. LSU will play game two against Florida tomorrow with the first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m CT.

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Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

LSU baseball drops Game 1 of SEC opening series against Texas A&M

With Ty Floyd on the mound, the Tigers lost their SEC opener on Friday night.

SEC play started tonight in Alex Box Stadium as the LSU Tigers played Game 1 of a three-game home series against the Texas A&M Aggies. Ty Floyd got the start on the mound for the Tigers after Blake Money was scratched with an injury.

It was a rough night for Floyd, who lasted just two innings in a 6-4 loss to the Aggies in which LSU used eight pitchers. The Tigers will now have to work their way out of a one-game hole in the first series of conference play.

LSU got the scoring started in the bottom of the first as Cade Doughty hit an RBI single to Right Field to make it 1-0.

The Aggies struck back in the top of the second inning with a pair of solo home runs to take a 2-1 lead after two innings. Floyd was replaced by Grant Taylor in the top of the third inning after allowing three hits, two runs and one walk with just one strikeout. LSU would tie the game up in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jordan Thompson hit an oppo-taco to right field.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Tyler McManus joined in on the home run party as he hit a solo shot to right field to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead after five innings.

In the top of the seventh inning, Texas A&M plated two runs after a couple of LSU errors to give them a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Brayden Jobert reached on an RBI fielder’s choice to tie it up at 4-4 heading to the final inning of play.

Eric Reyzelman came in to try and shut the Aggies down and give the Tigers a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, but things didn’t quite go as planned.

He struck out the first batter he faced, but then he gave up a double and an RBI single to give A&M a 5-4 lead with only one out. He forced a flyout for out No. 2, but then a runner advanced on a wild pitch and he walked the next batter. So, Trey Shaffer entered the game.

Shaffer walked the only batter he faced and was replaced by Devin Fontenot with the bases loaded and two outs. The Aggies hit a single off of Fontenot to score another run to make it 6-4 before LSU finally got out of the inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Tigers had to score two runs to tie it up and three to walk it off.

Due up were Bianco, McManus, and Morgan. Bianco struck out for out number one. Stevenson came in to pinch hit for McManus and he flew out to left field for out number two. Finally, Tre Morgan struck out to end the ball game as LSU lost 6-4 to A&M in game one.

LSU will play game two against Texas A&M tomorrow night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT at ‘The Box’.

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Saturday’s alright for winning as LSU tops Southern in second weekend game.

The Tigers took the second leg of their four-game weekend slate with a 9-2 win over the Jaguars.

The Tigers won their second game of the weekend on Saturday, but things didn’t start off very positive in what was ultimately a 9-2 win over the Southern Jaguars.

Ma’Khail Hilliard got the start on the mound for LSU who allowed two earned runs in four innings of work. Tre Morgan led the Tigers at the plate going 4 for 5 with three RBI followed by Merrifield and Thompson who both finished 2 for 3

In the top of the fourth inning, the Jaguars drew first blood with an RBI triple which was followed up by an RBI single against Tigers starter Hilliard. Gavin Dugas then made a diving grab in the outfield to stop the bleeding at 2-0 Southern.

Hilliard was replaced by Coleman to start the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers finally got on the board as Dylan Crews hit an infield single that brought Milazzo home from third. After recording four outs in 1 1/3 innings, Coleman exited the game with an injury and was replaced by Gervase who came in and struck out the final two batters of the inning with ease.

After a pair of singles in the bottom of the sixth inning by Jobert and Thompson, Gavin Dugas hit a two-RBI double into the gap in right-center field and the Tigers took their first lead of the ballgame at 3-2. After Millazo bunted Dugas over to third, Whit Merrifield brought him home on an RBI double down the third-base line to make it 4-2 LSU.

Tre Morgan then continued his great day with an RBI single to score Merrifield. Tre Morgan scored on a sac fly to left by Jacob Berry and after six full innings, LSU led 6-2. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Milazzo laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Thompson. Tre Morgan picked up his fourth hit of the day with a two-RBI single to make it 9-2 Tigers after seven innings.

Trent Vietmeyer came in at the top of the eighth inning as a relief pitcher and finished off the win.

LSU will play a doubleheader tomorrow with the first game against Towson at 11 a.m. CST before another matchup against the Jaguars at 5 p.m.

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