imson Tide baseball team has seen some struggles in the nonconference portion of the schedule. Now, Alabama has only five nonconference games left to establish momentum before beginning play in collegiate baseball’s toughest conference, the Southeastern Conference.
Three of the five take place this weekend, when Alabama will host the DRASH Alabama Baseball Classic. The tournament features East Carolina, Louisville and Oral Roberts alongside the Tide.
“We were trying to put together the most competitive tournament that we felt we could, and we did a good job of that,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “East Carolina is a year-in, year-out regional team and a traditional top-25, top-30 team. Louisville, right now, is ranked No. 15 in the country. They were in the World Series three years ago.
“The biggest secret of the bunch is Oral Roberts. Oral Roberts plays really good baseball. They were in a super regional a few years back and a regional team every year. This tournament will probably be the best tournament in the country this weekend.”
In preparation for the big time tournament, the Tide has been looking at making some changes in the starting pitching staff.
“This could be a weekend where we could change some things up,” Gaspard said. “The problem is our starting pitching isn’t going deep enough into games. The pitch counts are right where we want them; they just aren’t getting deep enough into games, and it’s hurting our bullpen.”
Up to this point in the season, Alabama had made very few pitching changes, staying with freshman Taylor Gilbeau for Friday starts, junior Charley Sullivan for Saturday starts and freshman Justin Kamplain for Sunday starts.
Freshman Spencer Turnbull has started both of Alabama’s Tuesday games, and Case Nixon started the Tide’s only Wednesday game thus far in the season.
Gaspard did assert that Sullivan’s spot in the rotation is safe, however.
“He comes in everyday and fills the strike zone,” freshman catcher Ben Moore said. “I think he’s been our most consistent starter.”
Sullivan, however, does not think anyone has a safe spot in the rotation and sees a few teammates who could assert themselves as regular starters.
“We may see [fellow] junior Trey Pilkington get his first start of the season,” Sullivan said. “We may see Kamplain again, depending on the matchups, with how many left-handers and right-handers are in the lineup.”
With uncertainty in the starting rotation and the revolving door at the left field, right field and designated hitter spots continuing on, it would be easy to let that affect on-field performance.
In response, senior first baseman and designated hitter Jon Kelton was quick to bring up the 2010 season, when designated hitters cycled in and out all season long and the Tide made it to the Clemson Super Regional.
“We’re focusing on the team,” Kelton said.
The smaller aspects of baseball are also weighing heavily on the team in its preparation.
“Coach Gaspard tells us to eliminate the scoreboard,” Kelton said. “We need to focus on getting good at-bats and throwing strikes, and the bigger things, like winning, will take care of themselves.”
