Jason Jackson explains how playing tough SEC schedule helped prepare Alabama for postseason

Of the 16 teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament, six of them are SEC teams. Alabama finds itself as one of them, traveling to Winston-Salem for a Super Regional matchup against Wake Forest. As most coaches in the SEC would say, Jason Jackson believes the SEC has his team ready for the moment.

Jackson spoke on the league, saying close games are being played on nearly a nightly basis. He reflected on something former Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress said shortly after joining the SEC. Playing a good baseball game, more times than not, does not mean you will come out with a win. You will just have a chance at winning in the late innings.

“I think in our league, you get used to playing in close games,” Jackson said. “I heard the old Texas A&M coach, Rob Childress, say this one time — they asked him about playing (in the SEC). He said ‘in this league, you have to play really well every single night. If you play really well, you’ll have a chance to win a close game late.’

“That just always stuck with me because that really sums up our league, right? You’re going to be in close games week in, week out. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, every week.”

Of the 16 SEC regular-season wins Alabama had, eight of them were decided by three or fewer runs. You can add another one via the SEC Tournament, taking down Auburn in an elimination game. Even a few of the losses have been close for the Crimson Tide.

And that’s exactly where Jackson believes his team feels comfortable. With five other SEC teams playing in Super Regionals this weekend, Alabama played in weekend series against two of them (Florida and LSU). The moment will not be too big for the Crimson Tide.

“You feel like you’re playing a Super Regional every weekend,” Jackson said. “You get comfortable playing in those games, kind of used to playing in those games. You’re not tight, you’re not pressing. ‘Yeah, of course it’s 3-3 in the sixth. This is what it always is.’ You wait for somebody to get that big hit or make that big pitch. I think going through the league helps with that stuff.”

First pitch between Alabama and Wake Forest is scheduled for noon ET on Saturday. If there are going to be close games in the late innings, with Crimson Tide bats will have to come to laugh. An average of 16 runs were plated by the No. 1 overall seed in the Winston-Salem Regional.

If/when the moment does come though, Jackson will feel SEC play provided enough preparation.