Friday, February 18, 2011 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 117, Issue 87 SPECIAL SECTION Baseball and Softball preview inside today’s paper P l e a s e r e c y c le t h i s p a p e r • P l e a s e r e c y c l e th i s p a p e r • P.O. Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Newsroom: 348-6144 | Fax: 348-8036 | Advertising: 348-7845 | Classifieds: 348-7355 Letters, op-eds: [email protected] Press releases, announcements: [email protected]Briefs ........................ 2 Opinions ................... 4 Lifestyles.................... 6 WEATHER today INSIDE today’s paper Puzzles...................... 5 Classifieds ................. 5 Sports ........... B Section Partly cloudy 68º/50º Saturday 72º/52º Partly Cloudy By Amanda Sams Senior Staff Reporter [email protected]Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr., 62, of Dadeville, has been arrested and charged with first-degree crimi- nal mischief for poisoning the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, Auburn University Police Chief Tommy Dawson said in a news conference Thursday. “The University of Alabama is glad that the indi- vidual responsible for damaging the trees will be held accountable,” said Deborah Lane, assistant vice president for University Relations. “The indi- vidual who was arrested has never attended The University of Alabama, and has never been a season ticket holder. He is not affiliated with the University in any way.” Even though Updyke is not a University student or alumnus, some Alabama students still want to show By Britton Lynn Senior Sports Reporter [email protected]The first year after its new sta- dium expansion changed Bryant- Denny Stadium from seating 92,138 screaming fans to 101,821, Alabama became the No. 1 school in football attendance in the SEC. The Crimson Tide was also ranked No. 4 in the nation in football atten- dance. “It’s great,” said junior lineback- er Courtney Upshaw. “We thrive off the fans and how loud they are. We try and get the win not only for us, but for the Alabama fans because we know what good fans they are.” Alabama sold out all seven home games during the 2010 season while playing the following oppo- nents at Bryant-Denny Stadium: San Jose State, Penn State, Florida, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Auburn and Georgia State. “It’s wonderful,” said junior defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. “I don’t think there are many fans like Alabama fans. They have our back when we’re winning, los- ing, it doesn’t matter. They’re still going to be there and they’re still By Taylor Holland Senior Staff Reporter [email protected]After both the state House and Senate approved Tuscaloosa’s Sunday alcohol sales bill last session, much con- troversy started surrounding the upcoming vote. Bars along The Strip have posted signs on their doors and walls urging UA students and bar patrons to vote yes in Tuesday’s vote, but what many may not have encountered is Auburn vandal not affiliated with UA Alabama students plan fundraiser to restore Toomer’s Corner Pink meet making an impact Football attendance leads in SEC 1. Michigan – 111,825 2. Ohio State – 105,278 3. Penn State – 104,234 4. Alabama -101,821 5. Texas – 100,654 6. Tennessee – 99,781 7. Georgia – 92,746 8. LSU – 92,718 9. Florida – 90,511 10.Auburn – 86,087 TOP 10 MOST ATTENDED STADIUMS SUNDAY SALES Religious groups voice opposition to Sunday alcohol By Jason Galloway Sports Editor [email protected]Not long after former Alabama gymnast Ann Wilhide Dziadon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she came to Tuscaloosa before the team’s annual Pink Meet to talk to the current Crimson Tide gymnasts about what she had recently been through. In the middle of her dialogue, she pulled a wig off her head to reveal the baldness that comes from the agony of chemotherapy and other treatments of breast cancer. “We were really shocked, in a good way,” said Alyssa Chapman, who is now a senior on the team. “It was amazing to see what a big deal this meet is. She was such an inspiration to us, and it made us realize exactly why we’re a part of this program.” Dziadon said, “I was trying to relay to the team – it’s more than just a gymnastics competition. Everything seems really impor- tant, but something like that really puts things into perspec- tive.” CW | Drew Hoover Ricki Lebegern, who graduated last year, performs during a Pink Meet. A new wave of young Alabama gymnasts will experience the significance of the power of the pink meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. AP Crews work to remove toilet paper from one of two poisoned oak trees before spraying the leaves with a coating at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn Thursday. See TOOMER’S, page 3 See PINK, page 2 See STADIUM, page 3 See ALCOHOL, page 3 By Jennie Kushner Senior Staff Reporter [email protected]Six percent of the student population has taken advan- tage of the University’s free Motor Assistant Program, said Chris D’Esposito, assis- tant director of transporta- tion services. D’Esposito said annually about 1,800 out of 30,000 stu- dents use MAP, a program that was initiated about 13 years ago. “MAP is a service that helps out faculty, staff and visitors on campus who need minor automotive assistance,” D’Esposito said. “We service seven days a week from 7 a.m. until midnight.” One to two drivers are avail- able assist those who run out of gas, need a battery jump, or need air in a tire, D’Esposito said. “We are primarily on cam- pus; if we go to far off campus, we are not able to service those on campus,” he said. D’Esposito said MAP costs the University thousands of dollars a year. “I don’t know the exact number; we dedicate two vehicles, we have two employee salaries and all the equipment like battery jump Free motor service useful but unused • The Motor Assistant Program began in 1998 • Drivers offer assistance to callers who run out of gas, need a battery jumped or need air in their tires • Annually about 1,800 of 30,000 students use MAP FAST FACTS See MAP, page 3 going to cheer for us 100 percent.” And while the Tide football team appreciates its fans’ sup- port, the fans strongly believe that going to an Alabama football game in Bryant-Denny Stadium is unlike boxes,” he said. “It costs in the thousands.” D’Esposito said any person on campus is allowed to use the service; it is not strictly for students. Taylor Hess, a sophomore majoring in mechanical
Transcript
Friday, February 18, 2011 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Vol. 117, Issue 87
Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr., 62, of Dadeville, has been arrested and charged with first-degree crimi-nal mischief for poisoning the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, Auburn University Police Chief Tommy Dawson said in a news conference Thursday. “The University of Alabama is glad that the indi-vidual responsible for damaging the trees will be held accountable,” said Deborah Lane, assistant vice president for University Relations. “The indi-vidual who was arrested has never attended The University of Alabama, and has never been a season ticket holder. He is not affiliated with the University in any way.” Even though Updyke is not a University student or alumnus, some Alabama students still want to show
The first year after its new sta-dium expansion changed Bryant-Denny Stadium from seating 92,138 screaming fans to 101,821, Alabama became the No. 1 school in football attendance in the SEC. The Crimson Tide was also ranked No. 4 in the nation in football atten-dance. “It’s great,” said junior lineback-er Courtney Upshaw. “We thrive off the fans and how loud they are. We try and get the win not only
for us, but for the Alabama fans because we know what good fans they are.” Alabama sold out all seven home games during the 2010 season while playing the following oppo-nents at Bryant-Denny Stadium: San Jose State, Penn State, Florida, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Auburn and Georgia State. “It’s wonderful,” said junior defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. “I don’t think there are many fans like Alabama fans. They have our back when we’re winning, los-ing, it doesn’t matter. They’re still going to be there and they’re still
After both the state House and Senate approved Tuscaloosa’s Sunday alcohol sales bill last session, much con-troversy started surrounding
the upcoming vote. Bars along The Strip have posted signs on their doors and walls urging UA students and bar patrons to vote yes in Tuesday’s vote, but what many may not have encountered is
Auburn vandal not affi liated with UAAlabama students plan fundraiser to restore Toomer’s Corner
Pink meet making an impact
Football attendance leads in SEC1. Michigan – 111,8252. Ohio State – 105,2783. Penn State – 104,2344. Alabama -101,8215. Texas – 100,654
Not long after former Alabama gymnast Ann Wilhide Dziadon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she came to Tuscaloosa before the team’s
annual Pink Meet to talk to the current Crimson Tide gymnasts about what she had recently been through. In the middle of her dialogue, she pulled a wig off her head to reveal the baldness that comes from the agony of chemotherapy and other treatments of breast
cancer. “We were really shocked, in a good way,” said Alyssa Chapman, who is now a senior on the team. “It was amazing to see what a big deal this meet is. She was such an inspiration to us, and it made us realize exactly why we’re a part of this program.”
Dziadon said, “I was trying to relay to the team – it’s more than just a gymnastics competition. Everything seems really impor-tant, but something like that really puts things into perspec-tive.”
CW | Drew HooverRicki Lebegern, who graduated last year, performs during a Pink Meet. A new wave of young Alabama gymnasts will experience the signifi cance of the power of the pink meet tonight at 7:30 p.m.
APCrews work to remove toilet paper from one of two poisoned oak trees before spraying the leaves with a coating at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn Thursday.
Six percent of the student population has taken advan-tage of the University’s free Motor Assistant Program, said Chris D’Esposito, assis-tant director of transporta-tion services. D’Esposito said annually about 1,800 out of 30,000 stu-dents use MAP, a program that was initiated about 13 years ago. “MAP is a service that helps out faculty, staff and visitors on campus who need minor automotive assistance,”
D’Esposito said. “We service seven days a week from 7 a.m. until midnight.” One to two drivers are avail-able assist those who run out of gas, need a battery jump, or need air in a tire, D’Esposito said. “We are primarily on cam-pus; if we go to far off campus, we are not able to service those on campus,” he said. D’Esposito said MAP costs the University thousands of dollars a year. “I don’t know the exact number; we dedicate two vehicles, we have two employee salaries and all the equipment like battery jump
Free motor service useful but unused
• The Motor Assistant Program began in 1998• Drivers offer assistance to callers who run out of gas, need a battery jumped or need air in their tires• Annually about 1,800 of 30,000 students use MAP
FAST FACTS
See MAP, page 3
going to cheer for us 100 percent.” And while the Tide football team appreciates its fans’ sup-port, the fans strongly believe that
going to an Alabama football game in Bryant-Denny Stadium is unlike
boxes,” he said. “It costs in the thousands.” D’Esposito said any person on campus is allowed to use the service; it is not strictly
for students. Taylor Hess, a sophomore majoring in mechanical
LunchChicken Fried Pork Chop with Onion GravyMacaroni and CheeseLinguine with Roasted Red PeppersSweet and Sour Chicken Stir-FryBroccoli Quiche (vegetarian)
DinnerItalian Marinated ChickenSweet and Sour Cabbage SoupRoasted Red PotatoesSweet and Sour Chicken Stir-FryMozzarella Garden Burger (vegetarian)
What: Balfour Offi cial Ring WeekWhere: Ferguson Center LobbyWhen: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
What: Celebrating Black History Month - Black Amer-icana Collection from the A. S. Williams III Americana CollectionWhere: Gorgas Library - Pearce Foyer and Williams RoomWhen: 9 a.m.
BRYANT
Chicken and Broccoli with MushroomsMexican Beef FajitasFlatbread Tomato PestoBeef Pot RoastFour Tomato Basil Penne (vegetarian)
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• Dana Andrzejewski, Advertising Manager, 348-8995, [email protected]• Drew Gunn, Advertising Coordinator, 348-8044• Hallett Ogburn, Territory Manager, 348-2598• Emily Frost, National Advertising/Classifieds, 348-8042• Jessica West, Zone 3, 348-8735• Courtney Ginzig, Zone 4, 348-8054• Robert Clark, Zone 5, 348-2670• Emily Richards, Zone 6, 348-6876• Amy Ramsey, Zone 7, 348-8742• Brittany Key, Zone 8, 348-8054• Nikki Amthour, Zone 44, 348-6153• Will DeShazo, Zone 55, 348-8041• Kelly Sturwold, Creative Services Manager, 348-8042
• Victor Luckerson, editor-in-chief, [email protected]• Jonathan Reed, managing editor, [email protected]• Brandee Easter, print production editor • Daniel Roth, multimedia editor • Will Tucker, news editor, [email protected]• Kelsey Stein, lifestyles editor • Jason Galloway, sports editor • Tray Smith, opinions editor • Adam Greene, chief copy editor • Emily Johnson, design editor • Brian Pohuski, graphics editor • Drew Hoover, photo editor • Brian Connell, web editor • Marion Steinberg, community manager, [email protected]
PINKContinued from page 1
The Alabama gymnastics team’s seventh annual Power of Pink meet will be held in Coleman Coliseum at 7:30 tonight, continuing a tradition that has already made such a great impact in its short exis-tence. The idea came from head coach Sarah Patterson’s own scare with breast cancer. She was having difficulty passing her annual mammogram, and although nothing was wrong with Patterson, she realized how lucky she was. “I would go back and forth between a surgeon and my own doctor, and I kind of had the best of care,” Patterson said. “When you’re in that situation, you real-
ize there are a lot of people who don’t have that kind of care. “I tried to think of how I could use 10,000 fans and my position here at the University to some-how do something that would help make a difference.” Making the idea a reality was as easy as Patterson could have hoped. Everybody she asked began donating or helping out with putting a “Pink Meet” together, something she attri-butes to the fact that breast can-cer has affected so many people. One example of this is David DeSantis, the co-owner of Tuscaloosa Toyota, whose moth-er died from breast cancer when he was 13. “It was like, ‘Wow, here’s an opportunity, a godsend, to try to help with something that was near and dear to my heart,’” DeSantis said. Tuscaloosa
Toyota is now sponsoring a pink event at every women’s athletic event on campus. The community’s enthusiasm allowed Patterson to get the first Power of Pink meet together just months after formulating the idea. “Nobody said no to me,” Patterson said. “We got leotard companies to donate leotards. We got other teams to buy in. After we hosted the first one, the hospital took on the initiative and donated all the proceeds [from its golf tournament] to the breast cancer fund that the gym-nastics team had established.” In the Tide’s first Pink Meet in 2005 against Auburn, 13,229 fans came to support the meet, the biggest crowd Alabama gymnas-tics had seen since 1999. Every Pink Meet since then has sold out. In 2006, Alabama even had
a crowd that went beyond capac-ity, which was the largest col-legiate gymnastics crowd since 1993 at 15,162 people. A combined total of $865,000 has been donated during the five meets the DCH Breast Cancer Fund has been in existence. DeSantis said raising awareness for the disease in the month of February is also an important aspect of the Power of Pink, since it is at the opposite end of the calendar as breast cancer awareness month. “Cancer doesn’t know what month it is, so we try to get the awareness out there 12 months a year,” DeSantis said. “National breast cancer month is October. Having this meet in February is good to rejuvenate everybody in the awareness part.” The pink initiative that started with the Alabama gymnastics
program now extends to pro-fessional sports. Major League Baseball players use pink bats, NFL players wear pink gloves and NBA players even don pink headbands to raise awareness for breast cancer. Before tonight’s Pink Meet in Coleman Coliseum against Kentucky, 17 breast cancer survi-vors affiliated with the gymnas-tics program, including Dziadon, will be recognized on the floor. It is also alumni night. “Both as an alumna and a sur-vivor, it’s very special,” Dziadon said. “[This meet] means so much to anyone who has been through breast cancer. It gives people hope. “It helps me recognize not only what I’ve accomplished individually, but how a commu-nity can accomplish so many things.”
What: Flora the Red Men-aceWhere: Allen Bales TheatreWhen: 2 - 5 p.m.
What: Miro String Quar-tet presented by the String Quartet Society of Tusca-loosaWhere: Moody Music BuildingWhen: 4 p.m.
What: Student Recital fea-turing Chris Brown, tubaWhere: Moody Music BuildingWhen: 2 p.m.
Johnson named head of department of management and marketing Diane Johnson, associate pro-fessor of management, has been named head of the department of management and marketing in the Culverhouse College of Commerce. Johnson had been serving as the department’s interim head for six months. Johnson earned her bach-elor’s degree in business admin-
UA professor wins Kennedy Center award Donna Meester, associate professor in the department of theatre and dance, was award-ed the Kennedy Center Golden Medallion for her service to the Kennedy Center American
Equality Alabama, Truth Wins Out to sponsor ʻPray Away the Gayʼ On Friday, Feb. 18, Equality Alabama and Truth Wins Out are sponsoring Wayne Besen as part of his “Pray Away the Gay” winter tour. He will be in
istration at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her master’s and doctorate from Cornell University.
College Theatre Festival. Meester judged student work for the festival while serving as vice chair of design and design chair for the region. Meester has also served as a guest lecturer for festival events. The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is a national program that involves more than 18,000 students from colleges and uni-versities nationwide. The festi-val includes more than 600 col-leges and universities across the country. Meester received her bach-
elor’s degree in apparel technol-ogy from Purdue University and her master’s in stage design from Southern Methodist University.
Tuscaloosa at the Ferguson Center, Room 309 at 6:30 p.m.. The event is free. Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that fights anti-gay religious extremism. TWO monitors anti-LGBT organizations, documents their lies and exposes their leaders as charlatans. TWO special-izes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality, and its goal is to create a world where LGBT individuals can live openly, honestly and true to themselves.
The University of Alabama
Media Planning Boardinvites applications for these positions
for the 20011-12 academic year
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 23, 2011Editor & Managing Editor
Black Warrior ReviewEditor & Assistant Editor
Southern Historian
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 25, 2011Editor and Ad Manager
The Crimson WhiteEditor & Managing Editor
Marr’s Field Journal
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2011Station Manager Editor
WVUA 90.7 FM CorollaApplications are available online at
osm.ua.edu. Call 348-8034 for more information.
The Crimson White NEWS Friday, February 18, 2011 3
TOOMERʼSContinued from page 1
ALCOHOLContinued from page 1
STADIUMContinued from page 1
their support to Auburn in the loss of the oaks. Kelsie van Wyck, a sophomore majoring in human development family studies, and Kayleigh Moring, a sophomore majoring in healthcare management, said they hope to coordinate a fundraiser to help in the resto-ration of Toomer’s Corner. “Our first reaction to hear-ing the news was disgust,” van Wyck said. “We know how important traditions are to a university, and we could not imagine one of our time honored traditions being destroyed like the trees on Toomer’s Corner. We also felt that this action gave the entire university a bad name and portrays us as classless, which we are not.” Van Wyck said they are still at the beginning of the process of deciding how to raise the funds, but they will be meet-ing with administrators Friday
to discuss further plans. “After talking to a forester, we were informed that a single mature live oak of appropriate size can cost up to $30,000,” van Wyck said. “We don’t take responsibility for [Updyke’s] actions or comments, but we saw this as an opportunity to bring together state rivals dur-ing a time when competition is so heated. We were disgusted at this alleged fan for giving the University of Alabama such a bad name. No true fan of the Crimson Tide would represent our university so poorly.” SGA President James Fowler said does not demon-strate the values of UA stu-dents. “I’ve spoken with Auburn SGA President Kurt Sasser and expressed my condo-lences,” Student Government Association President James Fowler said. “This sort of assault on an age-old tradi-tion is unacceptable and only cheapens the long and respect-ful rivalry that our schools
the steep opposition from cer-tain parties. Billy Gray, the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association’s associate director of mis-sions and education, said he and the organization strongly oppose Sunday alcohol sales in Tuscaloosa. “Sundays are for church and family,” Gray said. “Besides that, the big thing with me is that alcohol is a dangerous drug and any way to curtail its avail-ability is important in our soci-ety. “Currently, you can possess and even drink alcohol legally on Sundays, you just can’t pur-chase it. That law is there for a reason.” Gray said since the bill cleared the legislature, he has been con-ducting research about the topic to better understand it. “I found that many other plac-es in the U.S. don’t allow sales of alcohol at all,” he said. “Usually, you have the pro-alcohol folks telling us we’re behind the times, but the truth is dry coun-ties exist all over.” Gray said he and other mem-bers of the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association have been traveling and speaking out against the legislation. “The spokesman for our
the gameday in any other col-lege stadium. “There aren’t really any words to describe the expe-rience of watching a game in Bryant-Denny,” said Sam Solomon, a senior majoring in business management. “It feels like you’re about to go into battle with 101,821 people just expressing more excitement, confidence and trust that our team will be victorious on and off the field.” But after hearing about Alabama’s new record-breaking football attendance, some fans not only expressed their pride in the program and new stadi-um, but also were confident that if the school were to add more seats they would be filled just as quickly. “[The ranking] is a pretty impressive statistic,” said John Hails, a senior majoring in polit-ical science. “It really says an enormous amount about our fan base. It makes me feel as if we could add another 50,000 seats and still sell out every home game.” And that’s just how crazy the Tide’s fan base is about its foot-ball team. Just being a part of the team brings the fans a sense of pride. “At Bryant-Denny, all the fans, regardless of age or price of the seat, cheers just as loud as the person next to them,” Solomon said. “Everyone in the stadium partaking in the countless tradi-tions the Capstone encapsulates is what makes Bryant-Denny the unique [stadium] it is today.” And while the fans’ volume and enthusiasm for the game adds to Bryant-Denny Stadium’s atmosphere, it may make oppos-ing teams nervous, affecting the outcome of the game. After the stadium expansion, players said they were shocked at how much the fans can influ-ence what goes on on the field. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a game where Bryant-Denny has ever been that loud,” sophomore linebacker Dont’a Hightower said after this year’s Iron Bowl. “They helped us out a lot on third and short yardage. Every time we were out on the field I feel like the fans helped us out.”
Christian Life Committee has gone out and been interviewed by a lot of voters,” he said. “I went out with one of our state leaders [Tuesday] to speak to journalism classes about the upcoming vote as well.” In March 2010, Gil McKee, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa, said although he abstains from alco-hol altogether, he prefers that alcohol not be sold on Sunday. “I see Sunday as a special day the Lord says to set aside for his worship,” McKee said. “Surely we could get by with six days of sales, but I do understand where those in favor of the legislation are coming from.” Regardless of stance, it is reported that more than 1,000 voters signed up to weigh in on the issue within a week’s tim e. Currently, six of Alabama’s 67 counties don’t allow the sale of alcohol anywhere within their county lines. Gray said he recognizes that alcohol can lead to problems, and he will continue to seek ways to curtail its availability. “We see the destruction it brings in individuals and fami-lies all the time,” he said. “We are not in favor of this vote.” Registered voters who seek to vote on whether to allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays between noon and 9:30 p.m. can do so on Tuesday at various polling loca-tions across Tuscaloosa.
MAPContinued from page 1
engineering, has used the MAP program several times this year. “They helped me save money on a tow truck and they were very friendly,” Hess said. “They helped in any way they could.” Hess said he discovered the MAP program through a booklet he received at orien-tation in 2009. Until about a year ago, MAP could assist drivers who locked their keys in the car. That service is no longer offered, D’Esposito said. “That is because of two rea-sons,” he said. “First, it was a liability issue. As vehicles become more technically advanced, you can’t unlock the door without having the alarm go off. The systems are too advanced. We would also have to break windows some-times to get the keys.” D’Esposito said MAP does not offer towing. “We can put you in contact with a tow company and lock-smith that we have a special rate with here in Tuscaloosa,” he said. Calls to the MAP program remain constant despite the heavy flow of visitors during football season.
“It is pretty consistent,” he said. “We get as many calls during a football week as we do during the summer time.” D’Esposito said those who call in need to be patient. “Sometimes the calls will get backed up so there may be a delay,” he said. “If people can remain patient, we are trying to get to them as fast as pos-sible.” Sarah Smith, a sophomore
majoring in telecommunica-tion and film, said she thinks the idea of the MAP program is positive, but due to little adver-tisement, is a waste of money. “I have never even heard of the MAP program before,” she said. “Now that I know about it, I will use it if the time comes.” Smith said it is somewhat pointless for the University to spend thousands on the pro-gram without alerting students
that it is available. “Since the University has not taken the time to alert stu-dents of the program, I think itis pointless to spend so much money on it,” Smith said. “I think it’s great we have that, but nobody knows about it to use it.” Those looking to use the MAP program can call 348-0121.After 4:30 p.m. or on weekendscall 348-9494.
John Michael SimpsonWalker Donaldson and David Simpson work together to jump start a car.
share. In no way, shape or form do the actions of one person—a person who, to my knowl-edge, has never been connect-ed to or associated with The University of Alabama in any official capacity — reflect the values of our student body.” If proven guilty, Updyke could face one to 10 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines, according to Alabama law. Dawson said Updyke may be facing more charges in the future, but he did not wish to elaborate. “This is a person who obvi-ously has problems to do something like this,” he said. “So we want to use caution and let the justice system take its course.” In an affidavit filed Wednesday morning in the
Lee County Circuit Court, Col. Melvin Owens, executive director of Security and Public Safety at Auburn University, said a professor of turfgrass management got a suspicious telephone voice message from a caller claiming to have knowledge of the poisoning of the trees at Toomer’s Corner Feb. 7, according to al.com. The voice on the message was consistent with the voice that had called a radio talk show Jan. 28, according to the affi-davit. Soil tests confirmed that the trees had been poisoned with the powerful herbicide Spike DF, and as a result they are dying. When asked at the news conference if there was any way the trees would survive, Auburn professor of horticulture Stephen Enloe
choked up and said it was an emotional question. “I almost want to hold out hope,” he said. Stephen Baugh, an Auburn senior majoring in history, said he thinks the fund-raiser idea that van Wyck and Moring are proposing is great, because it shows that even though the schools are rivals, they can come togeth-er and represent the state of Alabama in a good light. “Everybody here thinks it’s a tragedy,” Baugh said. “I just think it’s someone who wants to entice the Auburn family and the Auburn tradi-tion. It’s a little premature to assume the suspect is even an Alabama fan, although most of the campus thinks it has to do with the Alabama rivalry. We can always replace the trees.”
“Our fi rst reaction to hearing the news was disgust. We know how important tradi-tions are to a university, and we could not imagine one of our time honored traditions being destroyed like the trees on Toomer’s Corner.“
—Kelsie van Wyck
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WE WELCOME YOUR OPINIONSLetters to the editor must be less than 300 words and guest columns less than 800. Send submissions to [email protected]. Submissions must include the author’s name, year, major and day-time phone number. Phone numbers are for verification and will not be published. Students should also include their year in school and major. For more information, call 348-6144. The CW reserves the right to edit all submissions.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Victor Luckerson EditorJonathan Reed Managing Editor
Tray Smith Opinions EditorAdam Greene Chief Copy Editor
“As an Auburn student, Iʼd just like to say that I hope the student
bodies and Alumni of both schools
can work together to stop these ri-
diculous hate acts (from both sides). I love our rivalry, and it can be very intense sometimes, but these types of things have gone too far, we can all
agree to that.”
— Ben Price, in response to “Toomer’s Corner trees poisoned
at Auburn
“The group which represents UA needs to be more diverse. I know two kids
who were turned down- neither was blonde and blue
eyed. One was an African-American male, the other
was a girl from the Northeast. The girl from the Northeast was asked incred-ibly offensive ques-tions. Both students were Presidential
Scholars.”
— Anonymous,in response to “Student organization releases member for tattoo”
YOUR VIEW { }
America is pretty awesome
Campus should be forum for religious discussion, deliberation
By Marina Roberts
In our current postmodern and secular age, sharing one’s religious beliefs is often labeled, at the blink of an eye, as intolerance. The “Coexist” bumper sticker is prevalent, and so much as making the slightest asser-tion that you believe your religious faith is correct (with any hint of conviction) will earn you the image of a stubborn conservative who is unwilling to participate in the real-ity of today’s multi-religious world. This stereotype is ridiculous and, for the most part, undeserved. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Regardless of whether or not we accept the religious beliefs others might share with us, the refusal to share one’s religious beliefs is the pinnacle of selfishness. If one legiti-mately believes the Christian view that life without the grace of Jesus Christ merits eternal suffering, I cannot imagine the disgusting level of selfishness one must possess not to tell everybody they know about what they believe. If one legitimately believes the Buddhist views on liberation, why would that person possibly with-hold from me access to their views of truth? If one legitimately believes the Hindu view that life is a vicious cycle of death and rebirth that can-not be escaped until one achieves moksha, why would they not tell me? How many vicious cycles could they picture me going through until I somehow figured it out on my own? People who are vocally open about their religious beliefs are character-ized as belonging to a “radical sect” of their religion, when such people are merely following the doctrine (another word with an undeserved negative connotation) of their reli-gion or possessing a shred of human decency. When one shares his or her reli-gious beliefs, they must, of course, be incredibly careful of the tone
they use. There is nothing evil about speaking with conviction, but when this conviction spills over into a tone that is condemning, people are left feeling annoyed and belittled. Brother Micah (the insult-slinging Florida preacher) is annoying to both Christians and non-Christians alike on this campus for his extreme lack of tact. When one speaks with-out tact, they not only turn off their audience, but hurt their own cause as well.
I was walking outside of B.B. Comer last year when a graduate student handed me a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu religious text, along with a DVD to accom-pany it. Though I didn’t exactly ask for more information, he spent 10 minutes explaining to me how the book had changed his life for the better and how he strongly believed I too would benefit from reading it. I didn’t share his worldview at the time and I still don’t now, but I respect him for what he did. He didn’t have to act as if he was personally disconnected and emo-tionally unattached to his subject matter, as one must in a religious studies classroom setting, nor did he posit that my worldview was somehow equally as correct as his. Yet, I wasn’t offended. Even if we assume that the act of sharing of one’s faith can be done tactfully and with conviction, how-ever, many people will still face a dilemma. The dilemma lies in the
unavoidable fact that by sharing with someone the basics of one’s worldview without sounding disen-gaged or personally unmoved by it, one inherently admits that he or she believes the opposite party’s world-view is incorrect. Though using tact can minimize the effects of this dilemma, it simply cannot be com-pletely avoided. The dilemma, however, is the lesser of two evils. I don’t know of a single worldview that claims the eternal or divine implications of not following it are somehow lesser than the temporary offense of hav-ing one’s worldview alluded to as false. People will often argue that they would have no qualms about oth-ers sharing their faith if unselfish-ness was truly their motive. This is a valid point, given the numerous religious beliefs that offer personal rewards (think enlightenment or good karma) for sharing one’s faith. Though these people would be cor-rect in realizing that many people’s motives in sharing their faith might not always be selfless, this realiza-tion makes the refusal to share one’s faith no less selfish. If I were to inherit one billion dollars and give much of it away, I may not be entirely selfless. In fact, my primary motive may be to earn people’s praise or to better my image for a political campaign. If I didn’t share a penny of it, however, I could be correctly labeled as selfish. The possibility of tainted sharing does not negate the reality of selfish hoarding. So, the next time somebody tact-fully approaches you about his or her religious beliefs, feel free to disagree. I only ask that you thank them before you walk away.
Ben Friedman is a sophomore majoring in social entrepreneur-ship. His column runs on Fridays.
By Ben Friedman
The whole nation is now in uproar about the Toomer Trees. And trust me, we understand. If someone knocked over our Chimes or painted Bear’s bronze hat some outrageous color – like, orange? – this town would be mad too; perhaps mimicking the franticness of ants when their homes are kicked over, or angry farmers with pitchforks out for vengeance. But I don’t think this school’s reputation, or its psycho-logically stable, respectable fans should be to blame. The hunt is on for some sad sack who goes by the name of “Al” – whose real name is prob-ably Charlie or Jethro or Lewis – living in Dadeville. I don’t even know where or what that is. But I’m almost certain “Al” has never gone to this university, or any university, in his life. He simply wants to fit in, play the part, do our dirty work. At the University of Alabama we don’t have sacred trees, but we do have sacred spaces: the handprints of Joe Namath, Denny Chimes, a big bronze Bear Bryant. This isn’t a one-sided bat-tle of the psychotic fans, because Auburn has them in plenty as
Poisoned trees not part of rivalryBy Caitlyn Cofer
Regardless of whether or not we accept the religious beliefs others might share with us, the refusal to share one’s religious beliefs is the pinnacle of selfi sh-ness.
— Ben Friedman
When Ben Friedman’s article, “America still the greatest,” ran last Friday, it was met with a pretty poor reception. If you’ve picked up the paper since then, you’ve no doubt picked up on his historical inaccuracies and perhaps over-simplified view of America’s standing in the world. To me, the interesting aspect of this CW spec-tacle isn’t that so many people responded nega-tively to his article – the last week or so has seen the opinions section blossom with debate and criticism and, most significantly, dialogue. The fact that The Crimson White serves as a forum for such valuable discourse is a testament to how essential it is for this campus, and for me is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a reader. The interesting thing about the responses I’ve seen, or maybe the thing that bothered me, is that while everyone corrected Friedman’s his-torical fallacies, nobody agreed with him that America is, in fact, great. I’m not talking about our heroism in WWII – as Neil Adams and Ross Owens outlined in their responses, America’s self-interest was a much more significant motive for our participa-tion in that conflict than was altruism. I’m also not talking about our involvement in the Middle East, because quite frankly I don’t think either of those examples are adequate representations of America’s greatness. When we go to war, we (should) do it out of necessity – the loss of any human lives, American or otherwise, is not something to rejoice over, and is certainly not something to take pride in. Combating terrorism is a noble cause, and one that I, like most Americans, support. But I also question the ways we have chosen to go about doing that. I know better than to believe our involvement in countries like Iraq have clear, purely benevolent motives – and many Americans would agree with me there as well. So why were all of the responses to Friedman’s article so lacking in patriotism? Has it really become awkward to say, “America’s pretty cool,” instead of participating in the further discredit-ing of our country? In Wednesday’s paper, one comment by David DeMedicis on the opinions page was very telling: “Nobody likes the d-bag (American) that brags about how awesome he is all the time. I mean, would you like that guy if you weren’t him?” In Friedman’s America, this comment is both accurate and fair. In my America, it isn’t. To keep from being too biased, I will admit that DeMedicis makes an interesting point in encouraging us to re-examine how we carry ourselves as Americans. There are a consider-able number of people with whom we share this planet who do hate us. Why doesn’t this bother us? I posit that it is not because we’re d-bags, but because the people who hate us are automati-cally written off as terrorists, and not as com-mon people with valid human claims. This is a problem, and with Americans com-bating this ignorance, it will eventually be addressed. The resistance of those who can’t stand to be corrected is the only obstacle to this progress. This illustrates an aspect of how American freedom functions that I believe to be redeem-able – that we do have unethical corporations, that we do have condemnable foreign policy at times, that we do have severe social inequality, but all of these problems are dealt with, usu-ally by ordinary American citizens who have the passion to devote themselves to an injustice that they have witnessed and cannot ignore. So, to humor DeMedicis’s mental exercise, if we were not American, what would we find lik-able about America? What is great about this country? This country is great because people like Autherine Lucy were able to take courage and ultimately defeat the evils of segregation. This country is great because people like Noam Chomsky write books criticizing our treat-ment of other countries in order to make us take another look at ourselves. This country is great because people like Frederick Douglass edit newspapers, people like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong go to the moon and people like Dorothy Parker write poetry. We cure diseases, we open restaurants, we innovate, we make music, we do research. Common people do these things and a host of others in the U.S. Our opportunities, our achievements, our creativity, our people – these are American triumphs, and they are worthy of respect and esteem. Our problem is that we leave patriotism to people who evidently don’t understand what there is to be patriotic about. When Sarah Palin and Christina Aguilera are the only ones step-ping up to the plate, it’s no wonder America looks so goofy. As an American, as someone who is proud to be here and would not choose to be anywhere else (even though I know that people do not, in fact, starve universally in other countries), I encourage the lot of you reading this to fig-ure out why you’re here instead of someplace else, and what you have to give. Our greatness doesn’t lie in our overseas exploits – it lies sole-ly in what you are willing to contribute to this country, as a common person, as an individual. That is where our nation’s victories have and always will come from, and that is what causes me to take pride in being American.
Marina Roberts is a freshman majoring in anthropology.
MCT Campus
well. For example, the Cam Newton jersey someone put on the Bear Bryant monument was no act of respect. Nor was the huge 30-foot grass replica of the score from the 2010 Iron Bowl that some Auburn fan from, perhaps, Cottondale planted on our Walk of Champions. Obviously these acts are easily recovered with only minor dam-age. But you know what they say about waking up a sleeping giant ... he’ll poison your trees. When rivals win back-to-back National Championships and sport back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners, there is going to be some friction – so much friction that this state will soon burst at the seams. And that’s exactly what is happening. To Auburn fans (because so many of you read The Crimson White) and even disappointed SEC fans: know this wasn’t a school-planned function. There was no town meeting; we didn’t hire a tree hit man from Dadeville, nor do we support one. In fact, collectively, the students, faculty and alumni at this school are nothing but classy people, who empathize in your loss and anger. We are a group of peo-ple who revel in rivalry, but who also respect that rivalry. Of course at a game ending in our favor, we’ll yell about how we “beat
the hell out of you.” But that’s tra-dition. And like you (Auburn fans) will hear our Rammer Jammer, we (Alabama fans) will watch you van-dalize your sacred trees with toilet paper – even if we don’t understand it. If anyone knows about tradition and respects tradition, it is THIS school. We have a moving montage on game days to confirm it. As far as this ugly rivalry goes, I’ll proudly speak for my school and say that we cannot con-trol what people like “Al” from Dadeville do. But we can control how hard we support the image of this university, academically and athletically. We’ll show up in the classroom, and then we’ll meet you on the field. Our 13 flags will be flying, our crimson will be overwhelming and our Roll Tides will be deafening. At this school we believe we are the best and the brightest. We come from a long line of champions and are primed to succeed. And we don’t need to kill your trees to prove it.
Caitlyn Cofer is a junior majoring in English.
Editor’s note: this letter was recieved before Harvey Updyke was arrested and charged in the poisoning of the trees.
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Today’s Birthday (02/18/11). This could be a very romantic year. You have great opportunities to find balance between work, play, love, exercise, community service and school. It seems like you may not even have time to be bored. Therefore, when boredom shows up, you’ll appreciate it.Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- The full moon looks especially romantic today. Don’t forget to take some time off from your busy life to enjoy the night sky. Drink in all the abundance.Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Notice little pleasures, and let them soak in. You’re especially creative today. Don’t let preconceptions block new ideas from arising. Things may not be as they seem.Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 6 -- The next four weeks are full of pos-sibilities. Today is time to stay at home and take care of yourself and your loved ones. Share something delicious together.Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- As you encounter walls along your way, you may want to throw your hat over them. You may lose your hat. Nev-ertheless, the pursuit is worth the risk.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Possibilities for investment come your way. Be careful to distinguish between real opportunities and those that would lean on you more than nec-essary.Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You feel revitalized, in the mood
to jump fences and surpass obstacles. Today is your day, and others know it. Smile, and dive into the race. Go for the medal.Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 5 -- You can look at all the limitations and clutter in the way, or you can focus on the opportunities with all of the open space around and in between. It’s your choice.Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- You have a vision, now put it in action. Don’t try to take the easy way. There’s no cheese down that tunnel, nothing to learn. You’ve been there.Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- If you feel somehow stifled, take the time today to explore your options and see what’s next. Don’t make sud-den decisions (you may later regret). Just consider.Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Your imagination could play tricks on you. A female has a question. Propose any changes gently. Postpone travel until tomorrow and research the data.Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -- The full moon could represent growth in your career or love life, and not without some extraordinary excite-ment. Where does your heart currently lie?Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- The full moon shines on your career path, opening new doors to productiv-ity. Jump over whatever walls get in the way, and let others follow.
Thousands of anime fans will flood the Ferguson Center this weekend for the third annual Kami-Con. “The University caters to a lot of different people of differ-ent cultural backgrounds,” said Colby Smith, a senior majoring in international studies. “This is just another aspect of interest and hobbies, so I think it’s really good for diversity.” Raymond Lenzner, a senior majoring in English, started Kami-Con at the University three years ago. He wanted it to be not only a fun experience but also a learning experience. “Overall this captures the cul-ture of Japan and Akihabara, which is a subculture in Tokyo,” he said. “We want this to be a culture experience despite this being a fun, geek-filled [conven-tion].” The staff said they’ve been very pleased with how quickly Kami-Con has grown. In the first year, they expected 200 guests but got about 400, and this year they have more people preregis-tered than attended last year. “A lot of kids that are into
CW | Katherine Overton Kelli Arthur (dressed as Sebastian from Black Butler), Rebecca Arthur (as Yoshi from Super Mario Broth-ers) and Jon Wyers (as Tanooki Mario) sell stickers and badges at Kami-Con.
Kami-Con hits Tuscaloosa this weekend• What: 3rd annual Kami-Con
anime and stuff like that, espe-cially down in the South, … don’t have outlets to express their fan-dom,” Lenzner said. “This is like their Super Bowl. They come out here and they have a lot of fun, they meet a lot of people who like the same things they do, [and] it’s a big deal to them.” He said a major factor in the event’s success so far is that there are not many conventions in close proximity to Alabama, and only one is free. The staff also said they think they keep attendance high each year by bringing in high profile guests. Last year, Vic Mignogna, an award-winning anime voiceover actor, came to Kami-Con, and this year’s guest
became famous on a well-known TV show before breaking into anime. “I’m excited about all the guests that we have this year,” said Tiffany Scarborough, a senior majoring in marketing. “One of my favorite voice actors, Johnny Yong Bosch, will be here. Not only was he the black power ranger, but he did the voice for Vash in Trigon.” Bosch will appear as a speak-ing guest and as a musical guest with his band Eyeshine. Aside from being known for the guests they’ve recruited,
Kami-Con is also known for being able to get attendees involved with the convention. “The story every year is what sets us apart from a lot of other conventions,” Lenzner said. “Basically we get the con-goers involved in a major plot for the convention.” The plot is kept secret until the first day of the convention when attendees pick their side, and throughout the convention they help their team by earning points in different contests. Kami-Con’s staff said there is something for everyone at their
convention. They have cosplay contests, dodgeball tourna-ments, video game tournaments and they also promised random battles throughout both days. “You don’t have to be a self-proclaimed nerd to come,” Smith said. “Even if you think you’re too much of a jock, but you like to play Madden, we have that.” The convention will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to mid-night and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone interested in attending can preregister at kamicon.net or just show up Saturday morning.
know what to do with it, so it eventually became our band name.” After graduating from high school, the band moved to Tuscaloosa and began play-ing shows while Shepard and George took classes at the University. Shepard graduated in December and George is a junior majoring in history and political science. “We began playing together more and going to a lot of con-certs and just getting closer to each other,” Shepard said. “About a year ago, we began playing clubs and getting gigs.” The Chinchillionaires said they love playing in Tuscaloosa because of the great music scene. “There’s a lot of people with the same musical interest,”
Runnels said. The band also loves the family-like atmosphere of playing in Tuscaloosa. “Everyone knows each other, and we get to know all the bar owners,” Shepard said. “Everybody is just so easygo-ing, and there is always a story to tell at the end of the night.” The band plays a little of everything, from funk and blues to classic rock. They cover a number of bands, including Phish, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Dire Straits and others. “Although we mostly cover other bands, we have a few original jams that are just instrumental,” George said. “We improvise a lot and we always try to bring our own originality to the music,”
Shepard said. The next step the band may take is to transition into writ-ing and performing original music instead of strictly play-ing cover songs. “We are definitely talking about trying to write some originals,” Shepard said. “We just haven’t had the time to write much collectively as a band yet.” The Chinchillionaires encourage people to check outthe music at local bars and to support local bands. “People should try to get out and see bands in Tuscaloosa cause it’s a really good scene,” Shepard said. The Chinchillionaires will be playing at Gallettes tonight and at The Booth on Saturday night.
Chinchillionaires to play Gallettes, BoothBy Alexandra Ellsworth
Contributing Writer
Though local band The Chinchillionaires has been playing together since high school, they didn’t begin play-ing shows in Tuscaloosa until about a year ago. The band is comprised of three members – Richard Shepard on drums and vocals, Joey Runnels on guitar and vocals and Will George on bass guitar. They are all originally from Huntsville. “We started playing back-yard parties in Huntsville for beer and tips,” Shepard said. Shepard’s father owns a music store in Huntsville and therefore contributed both funding and gear for the band when they were first
• What: The Chinchil-lionaires
• Where: Gallettes Friday and The Booth Saturday
• When: Friday at 11 p.m., Saturday at 10:30 p.m.
• Cost: $5
IF YOU GO ...
starting out. The band got its unique name from Runnels’ friend, Matt Miller. “He’s a really off-the-wall person and a fantastic art-ist,” Runnels said. “He was just sort of sitting on [The Chinchillionaires] and didn’t
On Tuesday, Feb. 22
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when it comes to conventions, tourism, recruiting new restaurants, touring concerts, and many other opportunities. Tuscaloosa is the largest city in the state without seven-day sales and it truly is holding back our potential. Even Auburn has seven-day sales, enough said.”
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Infi eld Infl uxHaving lost its entire starting infi eld to the draft, the Tide has holes to fi ll around the diamond
Friday, February 18, 2011 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SPECIAL SECTION
After coming within a swing of the bat from reaching the College World Series last sea-son, the Alabama baseball team will try to build on last year’s successful campaign. The Crimson Tide is forced to replace its entire infield this season after losing the likes of Ross Wilson, Josh Rutledge, Jake Smith and Clay Jones – all Major League Baseball draft picks. The departures not only hurt the Tide on the field but at the plate as well, as the group provided for the heart of the lineup. “It is not easy to replace,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “I don’t think you’re going to show up at the ball park on opening day and see the same caliber that you ended with in Clemson.” To truly appreciate what the Tide is losing, it is important to
look deeper at how each player contributed last season.
Ross Wilson, 2B
The Tide second base-man finished last year with a .277 batting average with nine home runs and 47 runs batted in. More importantly, though, Wilson got on base at a .396 clip and was one of the better defensive infielders in the Southeastern Conference. Wilson was drafted in the 10th round by the Chicago White Sox, and was awarded first-team All-SEC in 2009.
Josh Rutledge, SS
While playing what scouts described as elite defense, Rutledge also batted .360 and had 69 RBIs from the second spot in the order. The Tide will miss Rutledge’s speed and base running ability, as well as his
range in the field. Rutledge was taken in the third round of the draft – 107th overall – and is considered to have the most Major League potential of the bunch.
Clay Jones, 1B
The leader in home runs and slugging percentage, Jones’ power will be missed greatly for the Tide. Although Alabama did not rely heavily on power last season, having Jones in the middle of the lineup helped balance the lineup. The first baseman did not rely solely on power, however; Jones batted a solid .313 for the season. He was selected in the 32nd round by the Detroit Tigers.
Jake Smith, 3B
Arguably the heart and soul of the team, Smith had a down year in 2010 at the plate, bat-
ting .260. Though not having the year many expected him to have, Smith still finished sec-ond on the team in homeruns with 15. Smith was also one of the SEC’s better defensive infielders. After getting off to a slow start at the plate, Smith got hot late in the season and was a key factor to the Tide’s postseason run. Smith also pitched for the Tide in relief, where he posted a .89 earned run average over 20.1 innings. Smith was selected in the 15th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite the departures, there are plenty of reasons for Tide fans to be optimis-tic. Though the Tide might be young, Gaspard said he sees improvement each day from the new group. “Those guys that we have in there are slowly starting to mesh together,” Gaspard said. “With each day and with each teaching session that we have, we are seeing the improvement
that we want.” One player the Tide will look to lean on is catcher/infielder Brett Booth. After appearing in 39 games last season and bat-ting .255, Booth will have the honor of replacing Smith at third base this season. Booth said he benefited from learning from one of the best third base-men he’s ever seen in Smith and is eager to try to continue the success for the Tide.“I grew up watching Alabama, so I’ve seen [Smith] play since I was a sophomore in high school,” Booth said. “He came out here one day this fall. I just got a chance to work with him and he helped me out a lot. I just try to take a lot from him and learn as much as I can.” Though the Tide has lost a lot of power from its infield, a new NCAA rule regulating the wall of the bats might help balance the playing field, as the rule is thought to limit the amount of power upon contact. To put it into perspective, the bats pre-
viously used in NCAA had anexit speed of about 100 milesper hour, while the new batswill only have an exit speed ofaround 92 mph. “With the bats now, I don’tthink you are going to seeanyone who is going to be apower-laden lineup anymore,”Gaspard said. “I think there isgoing to be more running andhit-and-run plays.” Despite all the changes,the Tide, ranked 28th by theNational Colligate BaseballWriters Association, lookpoised to go far in 2011. Thoughthe team might be young,Gaspard sees promise in theteam and is confident Alabamawill succeed. “It’s going to take time andI think we are going to havesome growing pains,” he said,“but I think as we play moregames and gain more experi-ence, you’ll see this team andthis infield become a reallyquality group of guys that aregoing to be very productive.”
WHAT’S INSIDE
Position Player
Tide Infield Changes
1B
SS 2B Josh Sanders will take over for fan favorite Ross Wilson at second base. The senior did not appear in any games last season due to NCAA transfer rules after leaving Jacksonville State University.
The Tide will turn to junior college trans-fer Jared Reaves to take over at shortstop in replace of Josh Rutledge. In his sophomore year at Southern Union CC, Reaves batted .400 while hitting five home runs.
3BManning the hot corner for the Tide will be soph-omore Brett Booth. While splitting time between catcher and left field, Booth batted .255 and hit two home runs last year for the Tide.
?The Tide has yet to name a starting first baseman this season. The list of possible suitors includes Freshmen Patrick McGavin and Austen Smith, junior college transfer Josh Rosecrans and junior Jon Kelton.
Softball team motivated after last season’s disappointing end
page 2
Gaspard more comfortable after successful first year
page 6
Dunne and Braud named to National Player of the Year list
Last season, the No. 1 Alabama softball team fin-ished its season in disap-pointing fashion with a Super Regional loss to the University of Hawaii; it was a loss many thought shouldn’t have hap-pened. However, for this team, that loss simply translates into motivation for this season. Even after last season’s loss to Hawaii, the Crimson Tide remains focused on this year. For Cassie Reilly-Boccia, a junior on the team, last year’s loss in the Super Regionals served as motivation during the summer. “Of course it’s going to hurt,” Reilly-Boccia said. “The fact that we didn’t win a national championship was motivation enough. We came out here to win.” That motivation resulted with the Tide accomplishing something no other team has accomplished in the program’s 15-year history. When the team arrived last fall in preparation for this season, all 17 players on the team were able to run in a fitness test and pass after only one try. For head coach Patrick Murphy, the fact that the play-ers were self-motivated the entire summer translates into one thing for this season: suc-cess. “It was the first time ever that all kids ran the fitness test and that all 17 passed it on the first try,” Murphy said. “We were four weeks into the pro-gram when we showed up the first day. “That a couple of them know how hard it was, and there was a lot of texting and phone call-ing in July, and they passed, all 17, which I think to me is a huge sign to me that they were motivated. We really have very little contact with them in the summer, and when they show up and they do that test on the very first day, it’s kind of like do or die.” The accomplishment didn’t go unnoticed on the softball team either. For Reilly-Boccia, the team had already achieved one of its biggest milestones on the first day of practice. “I think it was really spe-cial,” Reilly-Boccia said. “I think everybody was kind of excited. We kind of treated it like we had just won a game. It felt so good to celebrate with
SOFTBALL
Tide motivated for new seasonthat team. We’re on our way to something special.” The Tide carried its motiva-tion into the preseason. Reilly-Boccia said that remaining motivated to compete at a high level was not a problem at all during the preseason. “Only one team can win a championship, and that’s abnormal,” Reilly-Boccia said. “It requires abnormal behavior. Like, it’s not normal to practice in the rain, but we’re going to have to play in it. So let’s go.” For Murphy, the message to his team during the preseason was simple. “Just take care of the little things,” Murphy said. “All these little things add up to big things in the end. We were really trying to do the little things right. Most of the time, that’s what comes back to kill you.” So far this season, the team hasn’t had to worry about doing the little things. In its open-ing weekend, the team com-peted in the inaugural Hibbett/Easton All-Alabama Classic in Vestavia. Of Alabama’s nine Division-I softball programs, Alabama competed against five. Over the course of three days, the Tide beat Samford, Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State, South Alabama and Troy en route to winning the All-Alabama Classic. The Tide out-scored all five of its opponents 47-1 throughout the entire weekend. For Alabama, however, this dominating performance wasn’t so much a result of last year’s loss in the Super Regionals; rather, it reflected a desire to play against someone who wasn’t wearing crimson and white. “We put last year behind us,” Reilly-Boccia said. “Right now we’re real excited about this team, the 2011 softball team. We were so ready to hit off another pitcher. It was a lot of fun.” Murphy also attributed his team’s focus to the leadership of Kelsi Dunne, a senior on the team. “She’s had her share of great victories, but she’s had some tough, tough losses,” Murphy said. “One of the first practices she said, ‘Look, we have Jackie Traina coming in, one of the best pitchers in the country, a freshman, and if she beats me out, that means we’re never going to lose a second game in the SEC series, because I’m
going to be pitching it.’ And that’s a heck of a way to look at it. And she’s right.”
For Reilly-Boccia, the fact that freshmen can come in and immediately compete is a
good thing. She said there was no need to try and motivate the younger players because they were already motivated to come in and be great. “Well, I think we really do have something special,” Reilly-Boccia said. “We trust the coaches. Of course [fresh-men] are going to have the ability to play here. They think right away that this is a cham-pionship program. It’s all about
the team.” For this year’s softball team, the ultimate goal, the only goal even, is to win the national championship. “We definitely know what we’re capable of,” Reilly-Boccia said. “This team will be so much fun to watch. There’s going to be some ups and some downs. We’ll just hope our best will take us where we want to be.”
2 Friday, Febraury 18, 2011 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SPECIAL SECTION The Crimson White
LEFT: Head coach Patrick Murphy high fi ves senior Whitney Larson in last yearʼs loss to Hawaii. The Tide lost on a walk-off home run hit by a Warrior, eliminating the team from the post season.
BELOW: The Hawaii team celebrates last summer as a home run in thefi nal game of the Super Re-gionals against Alabama advanced the Warriors to the College World Series. The Tide fans in the background were disap-pointed with the loss.
UA ATHLETICS
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City of Tuscaloosa
Sunday Alcohol SalesSpecial ElectionTuesday, February 22
Tuscaloosa voters will decide whether to allow restaurants, bars, and stores to sell alcohol between noon and 9pm on Sundays. Polling places are the same as the municipal elections. The city has sent postcards to residents indicating where to vote.
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The Crimson White BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SPECIAL SECTION Friday, February 18, 2011 3
They say pitching wins championships. The Alabama baseball team better hope “they” are right. After losing much of its heralded lineup, the Crimson Tide will rely on a pitching staff that looks to be deeper and more experienced than last year. Though the Tide lost tal-ented pitcher Jimmy Nelson to the draft, they enter the year with a staff that appears to be deep enough to carry them through Southeastern Conference competition. “Jimmy is a great guy, but he did what he needed to do,” starting pitcher Nathan Kilcrease said. “It would defi-nitely help to have him back, but I think the guys we have coming back will be perfectly fine.” The Tide has two returning starting pitchers back for this season in Adam Morgan and Kilcrease. The duo combined for a combined 15 wins last season with Kilcrease catch-ing fire towards the end of the season, finishing with an 8-3 record and a 2.85 ERA. “I just want to pick up were I left off last year,” Kilcrease said. “With Adam Morgan and everybody else on the staff coming back, I’m competing with them and just trying to get better.” Last year, pitching was any-thing but consistent for the Tide. It was not until the end of the season when the Tide went on its torrid stretch of victories that the pitching started to click. During that stretch, the Tide not only saw the success of both Nelson and Kilcrease, but also was encouraged by the performance of Morgan, who had previously struggled in the season. If Morgan can duplicate his success from the SEC tournament and postsea-son, the Tide looks to have two aces heading into next season. “We are going to have to lean on the core guys we got early in the season,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “On the mound, having Morgan and Kilcrease, that is a really good one-two punch there.” The Tide will also bring back pitchers Tucker Hawley,
COLUMN | BASEBALL
Morgan pitching for success
Brett Whitaker and Taylor Wolfe, among others, which should provide the Tide with a solid back of the rotation as well as a deep bullpen. A good rotation should prove more consistent results for the Tide, which seemed streaky last season. Along with talent, the Tide staff has also brought back a working chemistry among players, something that might go a long way throughout the season. “We returned a lot, so we had a solid group that really got a feel for each other,” Kilcrease said. “When the new guys came along, they fit right in with us so it is like one big happy family. Everybody on the team loves each other.” Nothing might advantage the Tide more than a new NCAA rule, which thick-ens the walls of the alumi-num bats, thus lessening the
amount of power generated by contact. The new bats, which lack the same pop as the old bats, are changing the strategy among teams. Instead of relying on power from their lineup, more teams are moving towards pitching and timely hitting. Alabama will look to capital-ize on the rule change, as they already seem to fit to play a more small-ball approach. With the rule changes, Alabama appears to have an ideal club going into what is sure to be a different year in baseball. If the Tide can live up to its potential on the mound, fans could be watching Alabama baseball from Omaha, the sight of the College World Series, this sea-son. “I like our chances,” Kilcrease said. “We are hun-gry and very excited for the season to start.”
By Brett HudsonContributing Writer
Alabama baseball will be opening its season against Alcorn State in a three-game series Feb. 18-20 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide will not be as experienced as it has been in the past. The Tide lost all but four of its starters from the eventual elimina-tion game in last year’s Super Regional against Clemson, including every infield posi-tion but pitcher. The heavy losses are the main reason coaches predict-ed the Tide to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference Western Division this season. “With what we lost, I can see why we were put there,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “But no one has seen us practice or play. [The pre-season ranking] is not what we’re concerned with right now.” What Alabama has been concerned with is develop-ment, as a team and for every individual. That was the men-tality throughout the off-sea-son, and it will remain that way for the first few weeks of the season, according to Gaspard. “At this point, there aren’t a lot of scouting reports,”
junior infielder / outfielder Jon Kelton said. “It’s just about our preparation. At this point in the season, it’s about focusing on ourselves.” Junior pitcher Adam Morgan echoed those thoughts. “I don’t know too much about Alcorn State,” Morgan said. “But we know what we need to do. We need to get some consistency in our pitching staff, execute on defense and hit the baseball.” This intense focus on personal development has turned into some very inter-esting starting position bat-tles. The right-field battle between sophomore Brandt Hendricks and freshman Jeremiah Tullidge stands out, but the first base battle between freshmen Austen Smith and Patrick McGavin has turned heads as well. “Any time you can create competition within the team, it’s a good thing,” Gaspard said. “It’s what you strive for.” As the Tide gets closer and closer to finally making its season debut, there is curios-ity among the coaching staff. “We’re curious to see how some of [the] younger play-ers play when the lights cut on for opening day,” Gaspard said. That curiosity is spread-
ing to the older teammates aswell. “As soon as the stands startfilling up and the lights comeon, it can go one of two ways,”Morgan said. “They caneither elevate their game ornot do as well. We just have tosee what happens.” For the team as a whole,Gaspard said he has a planfor the first few weeks of theseason. “I’ve always tried to playas many players as I can inthe beginning of the season,”Gaspard said. “We’re lookingforward to getting a lot of dif-ferent guys out of the bullpen.We want to get position guysout there and get them someat-bats, too.” Now that all the develop-ment work in the off-seasonis coming to a close and theplan for the early part of theseason is set, the OpeningDay jitters are starting to setin. “We’re obviously excitedabout playing,” Gaspard said.“Opening Day always has alot of energy.” Look for Governor RobertBentley to throw the firstpitch on Friday to start offAlabama’s season againstAlcorn State at 6 p.m. TheTide will play the Bravesagain Saturday at 2, then fin-ish the series Sunday at 1.
BASEBALL
Tide ready to open against Alcorn StateJunior
pitcher Adam
Morgan delivers a pitch during
the 2010 season. Morgan will take
the mound tonight at
6:05 as the Tide
opens its season against Alcorn State.
UA Athletics
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VENICE Tutwiler HallFerguson Center Bryant Museum
(hoop’la)noun. Informala. Boisterous, jovial
commotion or excitement. (Think Crimson Tide souvenirs from the SUPe Store.)
b. Extravagant publicity.(Think Crimson Tide apparel from the SUPe Store.)
hoop-la!We’ve got the
02/18/11 vs. Alcorn State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
02/19/11 vs. Alcorn State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:05 p.m. CT
02/20/11 vs. Alcorn State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
02/22/11 vs. Alabama State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 3:05 p.m. CT
SOUTH ALABAMA TOURNAMENT
02/25/11 vs. Southeastern La. Mobile, Ala. 1 p.m. CT
02/26/11 vs. South Alabama Mobile, Ala. 1 p.m. CT
02/27/11 vs. UCF Mobile, Ala. 11:00 a.m. CT
03/02/11 vs. Southern Miss Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/04/11 vs. Northwestern State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/05/11 vs. Northwestern State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:05 p.m. CT
03/06/11 vs. Northwestern State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
03/08/11 vs. Troy Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/09/11 at Georgia Lawrenceville, Ga. 6 p.m. CT
03/11/11 vs. Eastern Illinois Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/12/11 vs. Eastern Illinois Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:05 p.m. CT
03/13/11 vs. Eastern Illinois Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
03/15/11 vs. Auburn Montgomery, Ala. 7 p.m. CT
03/18/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 6:30 p.m. CT
03/19/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/20/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/22/11 vs. UAB Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/23/11 vs. Jacksonville State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/25/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
03/26/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:05 p.m. CT
03/27/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
03/29/11 at UAB Hoover, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
03/30/11 vs. South Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
04/01/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
04/02/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2:05 p.m. CT
04/03/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
04/05/11 vs. Samford Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
04/08/11 at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. 6 p.m. CT
04/09/11 at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. 2 p.m. CT
04/10/11 at Vanderbilt * Nashville, Tenn. 1 p.m. CT
04/12/11 vs. Miss. Valley State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:05 p.m. CT
04/13/11 vs. Miss. Valley State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 3:05 p.m. CT
04/14/11 vs. Tennessee * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
04/15/11 vs. Tennessee * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
04/16/11 vs. Tennessee * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 5:05 p.m. CT
04/19/11 at Samford Birmingham, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
04/22/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 6 p.m. CT
04/23/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 5 p.m. CT
04/24/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 1 p.m. CT
04/26/11 at Southern Miss Hattiesburg, Miss. 6 p.m. CT
04/30/11 at Mississippi State * Starkville, Miss. 2 p.m. CT
at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 6 p.m. CT
05/01/11 at Mississippi State * Starkville, Miss. 1:30 p.m. CT
05/06/11 vs. LSU * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
05/07/11 vs. LSU * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
05/08/11 vs. LSU * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
05/13/11 at Auburn * Auburn, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
05/14/11 at Auburn * Auburn, Ala. 3 p.m. CT
05/15/11 at Auburn * Auburn, Ala. 1 p.m. CT
05/19/11 vs. South Carolina * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
05/20/11 vs. South Carolina * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:35 p.m. CT
05/21/11 vs. South Carolina * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:05 p.m. CT
4 Friday, February 18, 2011 BASEBALL AND SOFTALL SPECIAL SECTION The Crimson White
2010-2011 schedulesDATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
BASEBALLDATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME/RESULT
SOFTBALL
*Conference game
HIBBETT/EASTON ALL-ALABAMA SOFTBALL CLASSIC
02/11/11 vs. Samford Vestavia Hills, Ala. W, 8-0 (5)
02/12/11 vs. Alabama A&M Vestavia Hills, Ala. W, 18-0 (5)
vs. JSU Vestavia Hills, Ala. W, 6-0
02/13/11 vs. South Alabama Vestavia Hills, Ala. W, 6-0
vs. Troy Vestavia Hills, Ala. W, 9-1 (6)
BAMA BASH!
02/18/11 vs. Louisville Tuscaloosa, Ala. 4 p.m. CT
vs. UTSA Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
02/19/11 vs. Syracuse Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1 p.m. CT
vs. Louisville Tuscaloosa, Ala. 4 p.m. CT
02/20/11 vs. Syracuse Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1 p.m. CT
02/22/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
USF FAIRFIELD INN AND SUITES TAMPA TOURNAMENT
02/25/11 vs. Illinois State Tampa, Fla. 11:30 a.m. CT
vs. Central Conn. Tampa, Fla. 3:30 p.m. CT
02/26/11 vs. W. Michigan Tampa, Fla. 9:30 a.m. CT
vs. Missouri Tampa, Fla. 11:30 a.m. CT
02/27/11 at USF Tampa, Fla. 11:30 a.m. CT
ESPN RISE TOURNAMENT
03/04/11 vs. Fordham Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 10 a.m. CT
vs. La.-Lafayette Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 12:30 p.m. CT
03/05/11 vs. Notre Dame Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 10 a.m. CT
vs. Oregon Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 3 p.m. CT
03/06/11 vs. Virginia Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 8 a.m. CT
03/09/11 at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. 6 p.m. CT
EASTON SEC/ACC CHALLENGE
03/11/11 vs. North Carolina Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
03/12/11 vs. Florida State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
vs. North Carolina Tuscaloosa, Ala. 4 p.m. CT
03/13/11 vs. Florida State Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/16/11 vs. Auburn * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 3 p.m. CT
vs. Auburn * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m. CT
03/18/11 vs. Georgia * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:30 p.m. CT
03/19/11 vs. Georgia * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7 p.m. CT
03/20/11 vs. Georgia * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/22/11 at Tennessee * Knoxville, Tenn. 3 p.m. CT
at Tennessee * Knoxville, Tenn. 5:30 p.m. CT
03/25/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:30 p.m. CT
03/26/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/27/11 vs. Arkansas * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
03/31/11 at College of Char. Charleston, S.C. 5 p.m. CT
04/01/11 at South Carolina * Columbia, S.C. 5 p.m. CT
04/02/11 at South Carolina * Columbia, S.C. 1 p.m. CT
04/03/11 at South Carolina * Columbia, S.C. 11 a.m. CT
04/08/11 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. 6 p.m. CT
04/09/11 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. 6 p.m. CT
04/10/11 at LSU * Baton Rouge, La. 1 p.m. CT
04/12/11 at Troy Troy, Ala. 6 p.m. CT
04/15/11 vs. Miss. St. * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:30 p.m. CT
04/16/11 vs. Miss. St. * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 4 p.m. CT
04/17/11 vs. Miss. St. * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
04/22/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 4 p.m. CT
04/23/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 3 p.m. CT
04/24/11 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 12 p.m. CT
04/29/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:30 p.m. CT
04/30/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
05/01/11 vs. Kentucky * Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1:30 p.m. CT
05/06/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 5 p.m. CT
05/07/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m. CT
05/08/11 at Mississippi * Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m. CT
The Crimson White BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL SPECIAL SECTION Friday, February 18, 2011 5
The ESPN No. 3 ranked Crimson Tide softball team brought home five wins from the Hibbett/Easton All-Alabama Classic on Feb. 11-13. Alabama bested Samford 8-0, Alabama A&M 18-0, Jacksonville State 6-0, South Alabama 6-0 and Troy 9-1, giv-ing up only one run through-out the tournament. The undefeated Tide is preparing for this weekend’s Bama Bash! season opener in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 18-20. The team is pulling out all of the stops for the first home games of the year, including the first ever use of their newly recon-structed front entrance and ticket booth. “There’s just something about playing on your field,” head coach Patrick Murphy said. “You know the bounce, you know the backdrop, you know the lights, you know the sound system, you know the bullpen, and the girls get to sleep in their own beds. That’s the most important part of it. When you’re on the road
there’s always a team bond-ing that happens but at home, their comfort is key.” Despite the comfort level of the Tide this weekend, no one can deny Louisville’s status coming in as Alabama’s first real competition of the year. In their first tournament, the Cardinals picked up three wins at the 2011 Texas Classic but then fell to Texas in both games. “They’re [Louisville] in a good conference,” Murphy said. “They usually place top three in the Big East. They’ve been to regionals probably seven years running. They’re just a very good team, a very good program overall. They will have good athletes and it will definitely be a good chal-lenge for us.” Another challenge for Alabama might prove to be the undefeated Syracuse. They took home the Georgia State Tournament title last weekend by beating Georgia State 13-1; Morehead State 9-0, 9-1 and Tennessee Tech 2-1. The Orange keeps consistent recognition in the Big East as well. The Tide has been hard at
work all week, sharpeningits techniques for the faceoffahead. Holding daily practices within Rhoads Stadium underclear skies has given the whole team a chance to get excitedabout playing at home for thefirst time this year. “We always say our greatestcompetition is ourselves in thegame so we’re just going to do our best and play our game,”sophomore Jackey Branhamsaid. “We love playing in frontof our fans, we’ve really been working hard, and it’s going tobe a great weekend.” Branham also said that theteam works hard each day tobecome 1 percent better inpractice than the day beforeand that the Tide has highexpectations for this upcom-ing event. Louisville (3-2), UTSA(2-3) and Syracuse (4-0) eachget their chance to defeatthe dynamic Tide (5-0) overthe course of the weekend.The first pitch goes out at 2p.m. when Louisville playsSyracuse at Rhoads Stadiumon Friday Feb. 18. “You can never count anyoneout,” Murphy said. “There’s nosuch thing as an easy win.”
Two Alabama softball stand-outs were recently selected to the Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Senior pitcher Kelsi Dunne was named to the list for the third year in a row, while sophomore outfielder Kayla Braud was also added to the list of 50. “It’s real exciting,” Braud said. “It’s an honor that all the hard work that you put in the season before and you put in the fall and the summer, it all pays off when you get to be rec-ognized a little bit before the season even starts. It’s just an opportunity for our team to be good if we have players on the watch list.” The Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year is the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s softball, recognizing outstanding ath-letic achievement by female collegiate softball players all over the country. This year’s preseason watch list had 36 schools and 15 NCAA Division I conferences. Twenty-three seniors, 12 juniors and 15 soph-omores have been named to the Watch List. “It’s definitely an honor,” Dunne said. “Kind of shock-ing. There are so many great players on the list. I feel privi-leged to be one of those play-ers on the list. As awesome as that is, its kind of irrelevant to what our team is focusing on. There’s just a bigger picture that we are concerned about now. We’re just ready to get out there and achieving our team goals, and that’s what I’m really looking forward to.” On April 13, the Amateur Softball Association will nar-row that list of 50 athletes down to 25. Although a player does not have to appear on the ini-tial watch list to be considered a top-25 finalist, the winner will come from the top-25 list. “We’re really happy that USA softball sponsors this award and to have two kids on our team on it out of the entire country is pretty awe-some,” said head coach Patrick Murphy. “Any how as the sea-son goes on, we’ll get a couple more on there and the ones that are on there will stay on it. It’s kind of an incentive for other kids to work hard and get on that list.” Although both Dunne and Braud mentioned that indi-vidual awards come second to team success, they did recog-nize that individuals are the most important component of the team. “The stronger each individu-al is, the stronger our team is,” Dunne said. “That’s what we work on everyday to push our team to get better.” Last season, Dunne set a school record with 355 strike-outs. In the process, she earned NFCA and Easton All-American honors, All-SEC First team, SEC All-Tournament team and NFCA All-South Region First Team.
SOFTBALL
Dunne, Braud start season on national award watch list
Tide prepares for Bama Bash! Season opener
“Kelsi last year had her best strikeout year she was very consistent,” Murphy said. “She pitched us to the SEC Championship and to the SEC tournament championship game we won all three games. It was the first time in our his-tory that we had one kid pitch all three games, and she won all three games. She has a chance to be a four time All-American. She would be the fourth in our program’s history to be a four time All-American, which is pretty remarkable as a pitcher.” Last season, Braud also made a huge impact on the
Crimson Tide’s softball team hitting over .500. Braud won every honor that Dunne won and was also named to the SEC All-Freshman team. “Braud she had such a great freshman year,” Murphy said. “She was one of the best offen-sive threats in the conference by far. Two thirds of the way through the season she was hitting about .450, and I thought that was no way she could hit .500 because she would have to hit 3-for-4 every game. And she did. It was just remarkable to see. It couldn’t happen to a finer young lady, a 4.0 student and a great kid overall.”
UA AthleticsSophomore Kayla Braud and senior Kelsi Dunne have both been placed on the Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year watch list, which is the most prestigious honor in Division I softball.
The softball team celebrates a home run last season against Ha-waii in late May. This weekend the Tide will play its fi rst games at home since its loss last year to the Warriors..
Alabama baseball coach Mitch Gaspard led the Crimson Tide to a 42-25 record and an NCAA Super Regional finish in his first season at the Capstone. Gaspard tied the school record for most wins by a first-year coach, while becom-ing the first Alabama coach to lead his team to an NCAA Regional Championship in his first season. He will look to continue that success in his second year as the Tide’s head coach. “I think anytime you get a year under your belt there is a little more comfort level going into year two,” Gaspard said. “Even though I had been here, there is a little more anxiety in that first year, but after going through it, the game starts to slow down. “The game slows down for a coach just like it does for a player,” he said. You start to identify some of the weakness-es you had as a coach from the previous year and you hone in on the positives and try to be
a little better in year two than you were in year one.” Under Gaspard, the Tide began last season 16-1, match-ing the best 17-game start in school history. He also led the team to 14 wins over top-25 ranked teams, and finished the season winning 13 of the team’s final 17 games. Despite all of his success, Gaspard stays humble and points to recruiting as the key to a successful program. “Recruiting for me has not changed a whole lot, and I’m very active in our recruiting,” Gaspard said. “I will always stay involved with recruiting because that is the lifeline of our program. My personality is set to be a player’s coach, and I’m very active with our players. We want to build relationships, and it’s impor-tant to myself and all of my coaches that we get to know each player and connect with them.” Players, such as junior pitcher Adam Morgan, said they are excited about playing for Gaspard this year. “This year I feel like he is a lot more prepared and a lot more focused on the plan and
the task at hand,” Morgan said. “He’s a player’s coach, and he makes you feel com-fortable. He’s there for you on and off the field.” Junior outfielder/infielder John Kelton said Gaspard is more than just a coach on the field. “Everything seems to be flowing this year and every-one knows what he expects,” Kelton said. “We play very hard and there aren’t any prima donnas or individuals. It’s very team-oriented. We execute and do all the things we need to do to win. When you play well, it’s very fun to play for Coach Gaspard.” With Gaspard running the show, the Tide looks to have another promising year. There are concerns surround-ing the team due to losing multiple players and some recruits to the Major League Baseball draft and graduation, but other players will be asked to fill the voids left. The Tide is projected to fin-ish fifth in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division this year but is ranked 28th in the country to start the season.
BASEBALL
Gaspard looks for even better season
By Jasmine CannonContributing Writer
This year’s baseball team fea-tures one of the top 10 outfield-ers in college baseball, junior Taylor Dugas. The two-time All-American and All-SEC per-former returns to the Tide after leading the team with a .395 bat-ting average and .530 on-base percentage. “Taylor has made a big impact from the day he stepped on cam-pus,” head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “Obviously, he was a fresh-man All-American, and he was an All-American again last year. He’s been a fixture in the top of our lineup and has impacted our team in a lot of different ways. “I think he’s a guy that brings great energy every day to the ballpark, whether we’re in prac-tice or game settings,” he said. Now, here he is in his junior year, and he’s really stepped up as one of the leaders of our team. He’s a guy that’s a really good player and a guy that means a lot to our program, and he’s been a very consistent player for us over a three year period.” Dugas is currently ranked in the top 100 of college baseball prospects by collegebaseball-daily.com and is ranked No. 7 among outfielders by college baseball 360. Though Dugas brings in accolade after acco-lade every year, he said it’s all about the team.
All-American keeps Tide focused on Omaha
“Personally, it’s good to get all those accolades,” he said. “You would hope to get those, but it’s all about the team. I could really care less about those goals; I’d rather just get to Omaha.” The Crimson Tide finished 42-25 overall last season. Dugas finished the regular season with 96 hits, 70 runs and 19 out of 24 stolen bases. He said one of his main focuses during the offsea-son has been working on his
speed to be able to steal more bases. Gaspard said Dugas has worked on every asset of his game and has especially improved with his throwing. This year, Dugas will be put into more of a leadership role on a team that has 20 newcomers, including freshmen, transfers and redshirts. But this should be no problem for him as he has his eyes set on one goal — Omaha. “Coming into this season, we have a lot of new guys on the team,” Dugas said. “Being that I’ve been here for the past two years, I have some experience, and I’ve been around a lot of the older guys trying to do what they did and try and take the next step and get to Omaha.”
So, what can Alabama fans expect from Dugas and the Tide this year? “You can expect to see a team that plays really hard and gets dirty every day,” Dugas said. “We have a lot of energy out here and you know we’re going to have fun every day. That’s what you can expect to see.” Gaspard said, “Hopefully [fans will see] a lot of what they’ve seen the first two years
and that’s a guy that’s going to play hard every night. They’re going to see a very scrappy play-er, a guy that’s going to hit for a high average and make things happen on the bases and a good defensive player,” Gaspard said. “He knows the type of player that he is and he understands that and he really doesn’t get out of that. He stays right in that course of thinking every night and that’s what makes him good night in and night out, so I think fans will see the same player that they’ve seen for the last two years, but a guy with a little more experience and a few more at bats under his belt. Hopefully production will go up from where it’s been.”
Junior outfi elder Taylor Du-gas rounds third base during the 2010 sea-son. Dugas batted .395 last season en route to be-ing named a fi rst-team All Ameri-can.
UA Athletics
Head coach Mitch
Gaspard talks with his team
during the 2010 sea-son. After a success-ful 42- 25
season, Gaspard appears
more com-fortable as
the Tide’s manager.
UA Athletics
“Personally, it’s good to get all those accolades. You would hope to get those, but it’s all about the team. I could really care less about those goals; I’d rather just get to Omaha.”
