Alabama

Alabama Rides Hot Start Into 10-2 Road Win Over Ranked Trojans

Published

7 months ago

May 7, 2025

Alabama Rides Hot Start Into 10-2 Road Win Over Ranked Trojans

TROY, Ala.— Troy entered its midweek game against Alabama with its highest ranking in program history, sitting at No. 19 in D1 Baseball’s rankings and No. 14 in Baseball USA’s poll. The No. 23 Crimson Tide ensured that ranking will be significantly lower next week with a dominant 10-2 victory over the Trojans.

The Crimson Tide hit the ground running. After Bryce Fowler grounded out to start the game, Justin Lebron hit a bomb to deep left for his sixteenth home run of the season, moving the sophomore into a tie for third in the SEC. Alabama was just getting started. Kade Snell and Richie Bonomolo Jr. followed the dinger up with consecutive base hits before Will Hodo got hit by his seventeenth pitch of the season to load the bases with one out.

Troy head coach Skylar Meade came to the mound to speak with starter Jacob Roettgen. Any attempt to calm the senior’s nerves did not work, as Garrett Staton took two low pitches before ripping a line drive to left to bring in Snell and Bonomolo. Coleman Mizell grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Hodo was able to score from third. The inning finally ended on a Jason Torres groundout, but Alabama had set the tone with a four-run opening frame.

Roegotten had only given up three total earned runs over seven outings this season, with all three coming in a disastrous March 26 outing against Florida A&M, where he gave up three runs and six hits without recording a single out.

After JT Blackwood put the Trojans down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first, Adam Falinski took the mound for Troy. The pitching change did not yield any new results. Will Plattner grounded out to start the inning before Fowler and Lebron were plunked consecutively. Snell, leading the SEC in batting average, uncorked a bomb over the 27-foot “Monster” in right field, and just like that, Alabama held a touchdown lead over the Trojans. Hodo also recorded a base hit, but no further damage was done in the second.

“That’s going to be a really high seed in the NCAA tournament,” Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn said. “It’s a good win. I thought we came out of the gates ready to go. That’s what was impressive. It’s good to see Lebron run that ball out of here. And then just Kade (Snell) had a whale of a night. I mean, Kade was unbelievable. So all in all, just relentless offense.”

Falinski came through in the top of the third, holding the Crimson Tide to one hit. Troy’s bats started to wake up in the bottom of the inning, notching two hits but stranding both runners as Blackwood got Blake Cavill swinging to get off the field.

Lebron knocked a one-out double to left in the fourth, but hurt himself diving into second. After lying face down for about fifteen seconds, he got up but was pulled for Jon Young Jr. Young made it home on another Kade Snell RBI that got right past Troy’s shift to put the game at 8-0.

Vaughn added that Lebron will be good for the weekend series against Georgia and that he was pulled as a precautionary measure. Lebron could have re-entered the game as he was pulled for concussion protocol, but with the game already out of hand, Vaughn opted to keep Young in.

“That’s a good game for Jon to get out there,” Vaughn said. “You never know what’s going to happen in the postseason. You might need Jon ready, and those are invaluable reps on the road for him.”

Alabama’s bats finally cooled off as the Crimson Tide would go scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings. Meanwhile, the Trojans’ got their best opportunity yet during the fifth. With one out and Peyton Watts at first, leadoff batter Houston Markham hit into what should have been a routine double play right to Young at short. Young, a second baseman, was unable to field the ball cleanly, and both runners were safe. Cavill grounded out to first, but it advanced both runners yet again. With two runners in scoring position for the first time all game, Aeden Finateri, who replaced Blackwood at the start of the fourth, held strong, getting Jimmy Janicki to pop up to Staton to get out of the jam.

After stranding six batters through five innings, Troy finally got on the board in the sixth. Cleanup batter Sean Darnell fought through an eleven-pitch at bat and uncorked a bomb that almost cleared the Monster and turned into a standup double. Steven Meier brought him home two pitches later with a single down the middle.

Connor Lehman was brought into the game, but promptly walked his first two batters and was pulled immediately. With two outs and the bases loaded, Troy had its first legitimate shot to cut a serious dent into Alabama’s lead. But the pitching remained clutch, as Austin Morris got Markham to ground out, and, for the fourth consecutive inning, the Trojans stranded runners in scoring position.

Alabama got its eight-run lead back in the top of the seventh, as Staton recorded his third RBI, driving Bonomolo home on a deep shot to left field that was about five feet shy of a homer. The Crimson Tide would add one final run in the eighth as Snell drove in Young on a single once again.

“We score seven in the first two, but then we kept kind of adding runs, which is a big piece of this thing,” Vaughn said. “We didn’t let them hang around.”

Troy would add another run of their own with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, driven in by Meier once again. Fittingly, Troy stranded two batters in that final frame, putting the total at 13 for the game. Alabama improved to 36-12 with the win while Troy dropped to 34-15 with the loss. Alabama finished its midweek slate perfect on the season. Troy broke its attendance record as fans flocked in to see the ranked in-state matchup.

“I think the state of baseball in our state is really strong, and that’s great for everybody around here. It’s a lot of fun.”

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Alabama

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

Published

10 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Alabama

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Published

22 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

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Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

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Alabama

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.

What changed

Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:

Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison

The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.

Lawmakers weigh in

Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.

“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.

On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”

What police recommend if your package is stolen

If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:

Report the theft to police immediately.
Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.

The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.

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