Alabama learns seed, opponent for 2023 SEC baseball tournament in Hoover

Alabama baseball has earned its highest seed in the SEC tournament in seven years.

The Tide will be the No. 9 seed in next week’s bracket in Hoover, where Alabama will face No. 8 seed Kentucky in a single-elimination first round game Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee all finished with a 16-14 conference record, which for the Tide was the program’s best since 2009. No. 7 seed Tennessee won the tiebreaker over Alabama and Kentucky by virtue of its series sweep over tournament No. 1 seed Florida, and Kentucky won the tiebreaker over Alabama after winning two games of the teams’ three-game series in March.

The winner of Tuesday’s game will enter double elimination and play Wednesday against No. 1 seed Florida at 4:30 p.m. CT. With a loss, Alabama would play again midday Thursday. A win Wednesday would mean Alabama would next play Thursday night.

Alabama (38-17) won eight of its final 10 regular season games after firing coach Brad Bohannon on May 4.

Alabama entered Saturday ranked No. 10 nationally in adjusted RPI, and has a chance next week in Hoover to play into a No. 1 seed in next month’s NCAA tournament. D1Baseball.com projected this week Alabama would narrowly miss a top-16 overall seed but earn a No. 2 seed in the Durham, North Carolina regional with Duke.

Alabama last won the SEC baseball tournament in 2003.

Alabama in SEC baseball tournament since 2010:

• 2022: No. 11 seed, lost to Texas A&M and Florida in double elimination
• 2021: No. 10 seed, lost to Florida and Tennessee in double elimination
• 2020: no tournament (COVID-19)
• 2019: did not qualify
• 2018: did not qualify
• 2017: did not qualify
• 2016: No. 9 seed, lost to Mississippi State and Florida in double elimination
• 2015: No. 11 seed, lost to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in double elimination
• 2014: No. 8 seed, lost to Kentucky in single elimination
• 2013: No. 7 seed, lost to LSU twice in double elimination
• 2012: did not qualify
• 2011: No. 7 seed, lost to Florida and Arkansas in double elimination
• 2010: No. 7 seed, lost to LSU in finals

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.