West Alabama Monday Briefing
Good morning West Alabama! It is Monday June 24, 2024.
The long trek down the path toward the top of the college baseball world comes to an end tonight in Omaha, Nebraska. The three game NCAA College Baseball World Series Championship comes down to a winner-take-all single game tonight.
Texas A&M won Saturday's game 9-5 but Tennessee, with their backs to the wall, came up with stellar pitching and timely hitting Sunday for a 4-1 win to force tonight's season ending title game.
The overall playoffs have been among the most exciting and interesting ever and many of the games have not been decided until the final or extra innings. TV audiences have reflected the level of the competition.
The college world series resembled an ACC/SEC Challenge as those were the only conferences represented at Charles Shwab Stadium. Now the title comes down to a battle between the SEC West and SEC East, the last time for a divisional matchup as the conference abandons divisions once the season is over.
Before the playoffs began, many of the college baseball media types were expounding on how the Atlantic Coast Conference had surpassed the Southeastern Conference in college baseball dominance - wrong!
With Texas and Oklahoma becoming SEC members next season, expect the SEC to remain on top.
Whichever team wins tonight, we will get a first-time champion tonight but for the fifth straight time an SEC team will hoist a trophy, and the sixth time in seven years, we'll get another SEC national champion.
The weather could play a part in tonight's title tilt. Tonight's Omaha forecast is calling for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly in early evening. Just as impactful, the temperature at gametime is expected to be near100 degrees.
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In West Alabama, the day began with heavy rain and vivid cloud to ground lightning in a broken line of non-severe thunderstorms that moved across the area. Those storms are gone so this afternoon will see a return of significantly hot weather.
The Forecast:
A Veteran’s Mental Health Committee will meet for the first time in August to develop a comprehensive mental healthcare plan for the state. Alabama Department of Veteran’s Affairs spokesman Brandon Miller says there is a high mental health toll on combat vets with hundreds committing suicide each year.
The first committee meeting will be held by Sept. 1. A draft plan must be presented to Gov. Ivey this time next year.
It is "Restaurant Week" in Tuscaloosa. With the struggles the hospitality industry has faced since the pandemic it is important to support area restaurants because it has been a difficult time,
Visit Tuscaloosa is encouraging area residents to eat out in T-Town this week. Marketing Content Manager Chelsea Barton-Kelly tells us it is a good time to dine out and enjoy new items and even have an impact on what might be served in the future. Some of the 50 participating restaurants are even offering discounts.
Restaurant week runs through Saturday.
Tourism leaders, hospitality partners and elected officials from across Alabama will be in Tuscaloosa Thursday thru Sunday for 2024 Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The event at the Bryant Conference is intended to foster collaboration in the hospitality and tourism industry statewide.
Three Alabamians died off Pensacola Beach over the weekend when they got caught in dangerous rip currents. ABC3340 Chief Meteorologist James Spann tells us those rip currents will continue through the week. He warns Alabamians headed to the beach this week to pay attention to the flags., "If the double read flags are up just stay out of the water. If the single reg flag is flying, you might want to think about staying out of the water."
The 3 Alabamians were from Birmingham.
A shooting at a crowded party in Montgomery over the weekend left 13 people wounded, four more suffered injuries in the panic. It is thought to be the largest mass shooting in state history.
Police report more than 350 different shell casings were found at the scene where hundreds of people were partying.
Topping the Sports News:
NFL player Ke’Montae Tayvon “Tae” Hayes, a cornerback for the New York Jets was arrested on drug charges in Morgan County on Sunday morning.
According to Jail records, the former Decatur High and Appalachian State star was charged with possession of marijuana and booked into the Morgan County Jail around 3:45 a.m. He was given a $300 bond and was released around 5:07 a.m.
Tonight's NCAA College Baseball World Series Championship Game will not feature two teams with pitching exhausted by the battle to get to the last game.
Tennessee will turn to lefthander Zander Sechrist, who has been its best pitcher of late. He has delivered a quality start in four of his last five starts, including Wednesday against Florida State. Sechrist held the Seminoles to two runs on five hits and a walk in 6.1 innings.
A&M will turn to lefthander Justin Lamkin, who started both of its wins against Florida in Omaha. He threw eight scoreless innings over the two games, including on Wednesday when he struck out nine batters in five innings.
Behind him, A&M on Sunday didn’t use either righthander Josh Stewart or closer Evan Aschenbeck, leaving its bullpen in strong shape for Game 3.
According to Kirk Bohls of the Austin-American Statesman, the University of Texas has made the decision to fire head baseball coach David Pierce this morning with the intention of replacing him with a “high-profile coach” as the Longhorns prepare to join the SEC next season.
Some sources believe Tennessee Head Coach Tony Vitalo is the Longhorn's top target.
Have a magnificent Monday. By the way, tonight's title game proves the belief in the SEC, "It just means more."
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