The Alabama Crimson Tide will open NCAA Tournament play as the No. 2 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, facing in-state foe South Alabama on Friday afternoon with a trip to the College World Series on the line.
The regional runs May 31–June 3 at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, with the winner advancing to a best-of-three super regional next weekend. The four-team bracket features top-seeded and host Florida State, No. 3 seed South Alabama, and No. 4 seed Notre Dame.
Tallahassee Regional Schedule
All times Central. The regional uses a double-elimination format.
- Friday, May 31: (1) Florida State vs. (4) Notre Dame, 1:00 p.m.
- Friday, May 31: (2) Alabama vs. (3) South Alabama, 4:00 p.m., ESPN2
- Saturday, June 1: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 1:00 p.m.
- Saturday, June 1: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday, June 2: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 7:00 p.m.
Monday games are scheduled if needed.
How Alabama Got Here
Alabama (33–22, 13–17 SEC) punched its tournament ticket with an at-large bid following a run to the SEC Tournament semifinals in Hoover. The Tide won three elimination games in four days to bolster their résumé, capped by a walk-off victory over Kentucky that locked up their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight seasons.
The offense has been led by outfielder Tommy Seidl and infielder Bryce Eblin, who have combined for 28 home runs and 118 RBIs. On the mound, Alabama will likely turn to ace Grayson Hitt (6–3, 3.71 ERA) or fellow weekend starter Luke Holman to open against South Alabama.
The Field
Florida State enters as one of the top national seeds and has been nearly unbeatable at home, riding a 24-game winning streak at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles (47–15) won the ACC Tournament and will pose a formidable obstacle if Alabama advances to the winner's bracket.
South Alabama (32–20, 17–13 Sun Belt) gives the regional an all-Alabama flavor in Game 2. The Jaguars took two of three from the Tide in a February series in Montgomery and have won 11 of their last 15 games.
Notre Dame (36–23, 16–14 ACC) earned its spot with a strong finish to the season and brings one of the conference's most experienced pitching staffs to Tallahassee.
What's at Stake
Alabama has not reached the College World Series since 1999 and has advanced past the regional round just once since 2010. The Tide went 1–2 in last year's Clemson Regional, making this weekend's opener against South Alabama especially critical in a double-elimination format where one loss puts immediate pressure on the path to Omaha.
First pitch against South Alabama is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT Friday on ESPN2.
