Alabama baseball reaches Coaches Poll top 10 for the first time in 18 years
Alabama baseball is a top-10 team for the first time in 18 years, according to the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.
Following a 2-1 series win against Tennessee to open SEC play, the Crimson Tide climbed to No. 10 in the latest rankings. It is Alabama's first top-10 ranking in the Coaches Poll since the 2006 season, when they were ranked No. 9 in the final poll after winning the SEC regular season and hosting a super regional.
Alabama (17-3, 2-1 SEC) was initially ranked No. 17 in the preseason Coaches Poll. The Tide have ascended the rankings every week since then, placing No. 15 in the week two poll, No. 13 in week three and No. 12 in week four.
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For a program that was rocked by a gambling scandal at the end of last season, Alabama has bounced back strong under coach Rob Vaughn. The Crimson Tide have a top-10 team batting average (.331) in the nation and has seen great play from its transfer talent, namely its outfield trio of Ian Petrutz (Maryland), T.J. McCants (Ole Miss) and Evan Sleight (Rutgers). Another transfer, pitcher Greg Farone (Louisville), has firmly established himself as the Tide's Saturday starter and has a top-30 individual ERA in the country at 1.71.
Reaching the top 10 is a great accomplishment for a coach in his first season with a program. Vaughn and his team know that staying there will be an uphill battle, though, playing in a conference as strong as the SEC. Most of the top 10 are schools from the conference, including No. 1 Arkansas, No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 LSU, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 8 Florida.
This week, Alabama is set to travel to Montgomery to face Alabama State. Alabama beat the Hornets at home, 12-0, by mercy rule on Feb. 21. The Tide will then head to Athens for a three-game series at Georgia, its first road series of the season.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama baseball ranked top 10 in USA Today Coaches Poll week 5
