“He kind of ignites our offense a little bit,” Gaspard said Saturday. “Cobie gets good at-bats no matter where we put him in the lineup, but I liked him in the one hole and I know we are going to get good, strong at-bats every time he comes up.”
This past weekend, Gaspard placed Vance at leadoff in the lineup. Vance responded well to the change and went 4 for 9 on Saturday and Sunday. He’s been hot with least one hit in 18 of his last 21 games with 12 of his 16 RBIs over that stretch. This stretch also began the game before SEC play. In SEC play, Vance is batting .305 and has eight RBIs.
“One thing, the thought process of putting him in that leadoff hole, you are always going to get one more opportunity,” Gaspard said. “We are really confident as a group when he gets in there because he’s so confident. He gets big hits.”
Of the position players that have started at least 20 games, Vance ranks second on the team in batting average at .289. He is just behind senior Chance Vincent, who is hitting .302.
Gaspard has loved Vance’s contributions so far as a freshman, but he was almost not at Alabama. He was ranked the No. 2 second baseman out of North Carolina and was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 16th round, but had only one college offer from Alabama State. It was a strange coincidence one day when Gaspard was scouting a pitcher.
“I’m watching a left-handed pitcher. There’s this complex with four ballparks and I hear the ball come off the bat. I turn around a see a ball flying through the light standards. So I walk and of course [see] Cobie rounding the bases,” Gaspard said. “So I stayed on him for two days of tournament. On the second day we offered, and by the third day he committed.”
He decided to forgo the draft and come to Alabama where he has started every game at second base.
“I’m glad I passed on that,” Vance said. “When Alabama offered, it might have been 24 hours when I called them back and told them I was ready to commit.”
Now Vance and Alabama are 24-10 and 8-7 in the SEC. With the starting pitching playing so well, only a little offense has been needed to win ballgames. Gaspard is looking to Vance to spark the offense and hopes that the team can score enough runs to keep winning.
