Alabama baseball season ends at No. 1 seed Wake Forest in NCAA Tournament super regional
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Alabama baseball lost 22-5 on Sunday at No. 1 seed Wake Forest in the second game of the NCAA Tournament’s Winston-Salem Super Regional to exit the postseason.
The Crimson Tide (43-21) allowed six home runs in the first three innings against the top-ranked Demon Deacons (52-10), who will make the trip to Omaha for the College World Series for the first time since 1955.
Wake Forest scored 10 runs in the first three innings to take a seven-run lead and never looked back en route to ending Alabama’s season. The teams combined for 13 home runs.
The Crimson Tide went 13-6 under interim coach Jason Jackson. Following a three-game sweep at then-No. 1 LSU in late April and the firing of former coach Brad Bohannon on May 4, Alabama won 13 of its next 17 games under Jackson. That run powered the program to its first super regional appearance since 2010.
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The Tide hasn’t advanced to the College World Series since 1999.
Wake Forest home run derby against Alabama baseball
Wake Forest entered the game ranked eighth nationally with 120 home runs through 61 games. The Demon Deacons didn’t waste time adding to that total Sunday afternoon with six long balls in the first three innings and a grand slam in the eighth inning. They finished with season-high nine homers.
Alabama hadn't allowed eight or more home runs in a game since an 11-0 loss to Kentucky on April 25, 2021.
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Brock Wilken, the ACC's all-time home run king with 70, hit three homers. Danny Corona had two dingers and Marek Houston hit a grand slam. Nick Kurtz, Tommy Hawke and Bennett Lee added solo shots.
Crimson Tide baseball loses another super regional
Alabama is 1-5 in its last six super regional games, including the two-game sweep at Wake Forest. The Tide allowed double-digit runs in a game for the first time since its 11-5 loss at Texas A&M on May 12. Alabama allowed double-digit runs in seven of its 64 games this season.
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Colby Shelton caps off impressive freshman season
Alabama freshman Colby Shelton finished strong in the final two games of the season with three home runs in the Winston-Salem Super Regional. With two homers Sunday, Shelton tied Dustan Mohr (25) for third on the program’s single-season list. Only Doug Duke (27) and Kent Matthes (28) have hit more homers in a single season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Alabama baseball season ends in NCAA Tournament super regional
