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Alabama

Colby Shelton sets Alabama freshman home run record

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•04/25/23•

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John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.

Alabama baseball is in a midst of a groove, winning six out of their last eight games. This past weekend saw a series sweep against Missouri and bringing their SEC record back to .500. Freshman Colby Shelton is a huge reason why, with his bat being one of the best in the lineup. On Tuesday during a midweek game vs. Samford, Colton found himself in the record books.

With a tied game in the bottom of the sixth inning, Shelton stepped up in a big spot. Early in the at-bat, he shot one out to right field and it cleared the fence for a home run. Alabama now held a 6-3 lead and was looking to add another quality win to the resume.

Home run No. 16 was now official for Shelton, good enough for the Alabama freshman record. Doing so in a clutch spot makes the moment that much sweeter for the Lithia, FL native. Since it’s only early April, that number is expected to grow even more as well.

You can watch the entire sequence here.

Alabama provided some statistics on the home run hit into the student section. Shelton hit a low launch angle at just 25 degrees but still hit it a long way. The ball traveled 380 feet and exited Shelton’s bat at a speed of 109 miles per hour. An absolute missile from the freshman to give the Crimson Tide the lead.

Heading into Tuesday night, Shelton was hitting just a few ticks below .300, having a .296 batting average. His OPS is an outstanding and team-leading 1.1224 with now 16 home runs and 34 RBIs. As Alabama treks its way toward an NCAA Tournament bid, Shelton is going to play a huge role.

Multiple important SEC series ahead of Alabama

Alabama will need Shelton to continue to rake with how the schedule looks in the near future. This upcoming weekend will see a trip to Baton Rouge, facing off against No. 1 LSU at the Box. Nobody this season has been able to earn a series win against the Tigers this season.

Vanderbilt will be in Tuscaloosa the following weekend as they are near the top in the SEC East. If Alabama can walk away with a few wins over those six games, head coach Brad Bohannon will be feeling pretty good about his squad. A tall task is ahead for the next two weekends, though.