Tommy Seidl believes Alabama can play with any team in the country

Alabama outfielder Tommy Seidl is confident the team can play with anybody in the country as the Crimson Tide enter the Super Regional.

Taking on Wake Forest is certainly a challenge, but one Alabama will back down from with 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament. Can the Crimson Tide win it all in 2023? They certainly believe they can.

That’s the type of confidence needed from Seidl and Alabama to play whoever is in front of them.

“I think we’re definitely confident that we can go toe to toe with anybody in the country,” Seidl said. “And so just I guess any team that’s got some kind of confidence that they’ve kind of been through it, that they’re not really afraid of anything, can be a dangerous team. But at the same time, like there’s 16 teams in the country that are all pretty dangerous. So just to be here, you got to be a pretty dangerous team.”

In 58 games, Seidl hit for a .358 batting average, nine home runs, 44 RBI, 68 hits, 11 doubles, 32 walks and eight stolen bases.

He’ll need to keep it up against Wake Forest to keep Alabama’s season going. The Super Regional’s first pitch is at 12 p.m. ET Saturday.

Jason Jackson credits players for late-season success

Interim coach Jason Jackson tipped his cap to his players and veteran leadership.

“I think just our veteran leadership, the maturity on our team now,” Jackson said. “I hate to look at one weekend, right? Part of playing in this league is there’s going to be times you go on the road get swept, you know, and you have to rebound from it. That’s what these guys have done and we’ve played good for the bulk of the year. I don’t know that there was any big all of a sudden change, you know? We started coming out on the good end a little bit more often. But if you look back even through our non-conference and early league play …

“We were just kind of a little bit snake bitten maybe at times and couldn’t quite figure out a way to hold a lead late, finish a game and some things get kind of worked out in the bullpen.”

The Crimson Tide were hot under Jackson. After a 3-0 stint in the Tuscaloosa Regional, there’s no reason to think Alabama can’t keep it going.

But the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest are the next big challenge.