Rob Vaughn and Alabama have a golden opportunity in front of them this weekend.
For the first time in 20 years, Alabama baseball will host a Super Regional in Tuscaloosa. Two wins at home are all that separate the Crimson Tide from breaking through and making it to the College World Series for the first time since 1999.
They also caught a huge break with the opponent. St. John's, the 4-seed in the Tallahassee Regional, upset the Seminoles twice to advance to the Supers. The Red Storm are capable of beating the Crimson Tide, or they never would have knocked out the 'Noles, but they are the weakest team left in the NCAA Tournament. The Big East is not much of a baseball conference, and the Johnnies started the season 1-10 before going on a run against weaker competition and ultimately winning the conference tournament to get in.
Getting to the World Series is being served up on a tee for Alabama. Rob Vaughn can't swing and miss at a golden opportunity to end the drought.
Alabama's Super Regional opponent, St. John's, has the longest odds to win the national title
Per FanDuel, no team remaining in the field faces longer national title odds than St. John's. They are listed at +17500 to win the title. That's tied with Arkansas Little Rock for the longest odds.
Alabama is tied for the 6th-best odds of the 16 teams remaining at +1300, behind North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Georgia, and Mississippi State.
Vaughn couldn't ask for a better opportunity to get Alabama to Omaha. He is building a program that should remain an SEC contender for years to come, and this isn't likely to be the last chance he has to break the 27-year World Series drought, but it's hard to imagine a much friendlier path.
Alabama did great work in the regular season to be in this spot. They were a national seed in the NCAA Tournament at No. 7 overall, setting up this path. The Crimson Tide handled business last weekend in the Tuscaloosa Regional by earning wins over Alabama State and USC Upstate before the thrilling extra-innings win over Oklahoma State, highlighted by an incredible three-run homer by Brady Neal, to get to Supers.
Now, for the first time in 20 years, a Super Regional will take place at The Joe. The opportunity is right in front of this team to do something no Tide baseball team has done this millennium.
All it will take is two wins over arguably the worst team left in the field to do it.
Opportunities like this don't come around that often.
Alabama must take advantage.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.Â
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