Baseball Begins Fall Practice
9/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 27, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama baseball team begins preparations for the 2011 season as the team starts its fall practice schedule today.
Alabama embarks on a new season after ending the 2010 season a win short of advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1999.
Following graduation and the MLB draft, the Tide has a whole different look to their roster with 16 new players. Keeping this in mind, the coaching staff is looking to the veterans to take leadership roles on this young squad.
"The first thing we need to do is lean on our returners for leadership right now," head coach Mitch Gaspard said. "We also have to have good fall practices from our returners, not only number-wise, but as far as teaching our other players how we do things, how it operates around here."
One of the keys to last year's success was centerfielder Taylor Dugas. Dugas returns after an All-American season a year ago in which the junior hit .395 and crossed the plate 70 times while knocking in 37 RBI and stealing 19 bases. The main focal point, however, is on the infield, which welcomes competition at four of the five spots.
"There's a lot of focus in a lot of areas, but right now the number one thing is to put an infield together that we're comfortable with when we get out of the fall," Gaspard said.
Brock Bennett, a former walk-on and the only returner on the infield for the Tide, played in 54 games, 41 behind the plate, a year ago while hitting .346 in SEC play. Lefty Adam Morgan, last year's Friday starter, will join Dugas and Bennett is helping to shape the team's identity for the 2011 season.
"Even though we're young in some spots I think we're pretty mature," Gaspard added. "I think after five or six weeks in the weight room and individual work the guys will have a pretty good understanding of what we're trying to do. We're excited about getting on the field and starting to grow as a team for this year."
Alabama will hold two intra-squad scrimmages this weekend: Friday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 2, at 10:30 a.m. Both scrimmages will be free to the public with gates opening an hour and a half before the start of the scrimmage for viewing of the preceding practice.
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BASEBALL REUNION REMINDER
The Alabama baseball team will be holding a reunion for all current and former Tide baseball players. The event will be held Oct. 30 from 6-9 p.m. For more information on this event please click here.
