Alabama baseball coach Mitch Gaspard led the Crimson Tide to a 42-25 record and an NCAA Super Regional finish in his first season at the Capstone.
Gaspard tied the school record for most wins by a first-year coach, while becoming the first Alabama coach to lead his team to an NCAA Regional Championship in his first season. He will look to continue that success in his second year as the Tide’s head coach.
“I think anytime you get a year under your belt there is a little more comfort level going into year two,” Gaspard said. “Even though I had been here, there is a little more anxiety in that first year, but after going through it, the game starts to slow down.
“The game slows down for a coach just like it does for a player,” he said. You start to identify some of the weaknesses you had as a coach from the previous year and you hone in on the positives and try to be a little better in year two than you were in year one.”
Under Gaspard, the Tide began last season 16-1, matching the best 17-game start in school history. He also led the team to 14 wins over top-25 ranked teams, and finished the season winning 13 of the team’s final 17 games.
Despite all of his success, Gaspard stays humble and points to recruiting as the key to a successful program.
“Recruiting for me has not changed a whole lot, and I’m very active in our recruiting,” Gaspard said. “I will always stay involved with recruiting because that is the lifeline of our program. My personality is set to be a player’s coach, and I’m very active with our players. We want to build relationships, and it’s important to myself and all of my coaches that we get to know each player and connect with them.”
Players, such as junior pitcher Adam Morgan, said they are excited about playing for Gaspard this year.
“This year I feel like he is a lot more prepared and a lot more focused on the plan and the task at hand,” Morgan said. “He’s a player’s coach, and he makes you feel comfortable. He’s there for you on and off the field.”
Junior outfielder/infielder John Kelton said Gaspard is more than just a coach on the field.
“Everything seems to be flowing this year and everyone knows what he expects,” Kelton said. “We play very hard and there aren’t any prima donnas or individuals. It’s very team-oriented. We execute and do all the things we need to do to win. When you play well, it’s very fun to play for Coach Gaspard.”
With Gaspard running the show, the Tide look to have another promising year. There are concerns surrounding the team due to losing multiple players and some recruits to the Major League Baseball draft and graduation, but other players will be asked to fill the voids left.
The Tide is projected to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division this year but is ranked 28th in the country to start the season.
