Nick Mingione raves about performance of Alabama's Andrew Pinckney

Alabama outfielder Andrew Pinckney may be too young to remember the classic ESPN Sportscenter transition about someone who makes a great play in the field. After showing the great catch in the field, the highlight would cut to that player smashing a homer into the seats beyond the outfield wall, usually in the next at-bat.

Well, that’s exactly what happened with Pinckney in the Crimson Tide’s SEC Tournament-opening 4-0 win over Kentucky.

Pinckney made a great throw in the second inning to nab Devin Burkes trying to score before lofting a two-run home run into the Hoover, Ala., air in the fourth.

“I told the umpire, I said, ‘J.J., this is pretty amazing what we’ve just seen,'” Wildcats head coach Nick Mangione said. “He took a run off the board by throwing us out at the plate, he hit a two-run home run, so he’s plus three in my book, I don’t know, and then made a great diving play down the line. It was a pretty special performance and one I know he’ll remember forever.”

Pinckney is an All-SEC second team member this season with a .350 batting average with 16 home runs, 50 runs scored and 33 walks.

He finished the game Tuesday with two hits in four at-bats to go along with three ribbies and two runs scored.

“He’s a great player, one of the best in the league for a reason,” Kentucky starting pitcher Darren Williams said. “We had a good game plan. I think we called a fastball in there, which, you just probably sit and spin…and threw a sinker that didn’t sink. Really good player.”

2023 SEC Baseball Tournament Schedule

*All times in CT

Tuesday, May 23

Game 1: No. 11 Georgia (0) vs. No. 6 South Carolina (9)
Game 2: No. 10 Texas A&M (3) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (0)
Game 3: No. 9 Alabama (4) vs. No. 8 Kentucky (0) 
Game 4: No. 12 Missouri (4) vs. No. 5 Auburn (10)

Wednesday, May 24

Game 5: No. 6 South Carolina vs. No. 3 LSU — SEC Network — 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: No. 10 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Arkansas — SEC Network — After Game 5
Game 7: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Florida — SEC Network — 4:30 p.m. 
Game 8: No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt — SEC Network — After Game 7

Thursday, May 25

Game 9: Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 — SEC Network — 9:30 a.m.
Game 10: Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 7 — SEC Network — After Game 9
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 5 — SEC Network — 4:30 p.m. 
Game 12: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 7 — SEC Network — After Game 11

Friday, May 26

Game 13: Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 9 — SEC Network — 3 p.m.
Game 14: Loser Game 12 vs. Winner Game 10 — SEC Network — After Game 13

Saturday, May 27

Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 11 — SEC Network — Noon
Game 16: Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 12 — SEC Network — After Game 15

Sunday, May 28

Championship Game — ESPN2 — 2 p.m.