Happy Monday, everyone. If not for the weather, Alabama baseball would likely be celebrating its first trip to Omaha this millennium. But, thanks to the rain, they still have some work to do.
The baseball game between Alabama and St. John’s entered a weather delay in the top of the eighth inning of the Tuscaloosa Super Regional on Sunday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. It never resumed.
The Crimson Tide leads 7-2, needing a win to advance to the Men’s College World Series. St. John’s needs a victory to extend
the best-of-three series to an if-necessary game Monday.
The Sunday game was suspended because of weather at 5:35 p.m. CT. It will resume Monday at 11 a.m. CT.
As long as they can get six outs before the Johnnies score five runs this morning, their ticket is punched. Ace Tyler Fay was masterful in the opener, tossing 7.1 shutout innings. Zane Adams started yesterday and made it into the 7th while allowing only two runs.
Oklahoma is in a similar spot, leading 8-1 in what would be a clincher. If both games turn out as expected, SEC teams will make up five of the eight CWS spots along with Troy, UNC, and West Virginia.
A certain SEC team didn’t manage to win the Super Regional that they hosted, and they are coping today.
Nobody wears perpetual victimhood like Auburn.
Brad Crawford wrote a couple of things you might be interested in. First, insiders tell him that Devan Thompkins is looking like a difference maker on the defensive front.
“I could see him playing his way into being a first-round draft pick. He’s dependable as a human being. He’s a pro. He came here, and he got bigger and stronger, and he’s the most disruptive interior three-technique to five-technique guys that I’ve been around in a long time.”
This USC transfer hopes to fast-track his development during his final collegiate season. Thompkins played in 12 games last fall, totaling 31 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and three sacks. He possesses traits Alabama has traditionally valued up front: a quick first step, leverage and disruptive interior versatility.
At USC, he flashed the ability to penetrate gaps and collapse pockets, even while playing within an inconsistent defensive structure. Alabama needs a steady presence at the point of attack after losing several impact players, including two pass rushers who transferred to Ohio State this offseason.
That would be lovely.
Crawford also wrote about most meaningful games of the season, and Alabama has only one on the list.
No matchup has shaped the playoff era more consistently. When Georgia and Alabama meet, the game typically carries championship-level stakes, and that’s unlikely to change in 2026 given the talent on both rosters.
These programs continue to recruit at historic levels and measure themselves against one another. Whether it’s conference championship positioning, playoff seeding or national perception, the outcome will resonate long after the final whistle.
Alabama picked up a couple of commitments over the weekend.
Standing at 6-foot-5, 242 pounds, Nnabuife is described as a “true Y projection,” per 247Sports, one who could pair well with a player like Keegan or four-star Mack Sutter in the 2026 class.
Nnabuife is ranked as the No. 1,028 player and the No. 53 tight end in the 2027 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
The ninth-best kicker in the country per Kohl’s Professional Camps, Cody was a first-team All-District kicker at Lumberton High School. He hit 10 of 14 field goal tries with a long of 54 yards, and hit all 28 extra point attempts.
Alabama has two kickers fighting for playing time ahead of the 2026 season: returner Conor Talty and Marshall transfer Lorcan Quinn, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Last, we learned that Alabama basketball will open the season on November 2, against Sam Houston.
The Crimson Tide and the Bearkats have only met once, back on Dec. 27, 1997, as Alabama won 77-58 in Oklahoma City.
Sam Houston finished last season 22-12, including a 13-7 record in Conference USA. It was the Bearkats’ most wins since 2014-15 (26-9). Sam Houston is led by head coach Chris Mudge, who will be entering his fourth season with the program.
The Crimson Tide met its expectations last season. It started the season ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25 and entered March Madness at the same spot.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
