Postcard from Alabama Baseball Practice at the College World Series
OMAHA, Neb. - 7-seeded Alabama baseball took the field in Charles Schwab Stadium on Thursday as the program prepares for its first College World Series appearance in 27 years.
"Yeah, we've shown these guys these videos of Kobe Bryant's press conference, and there at the end when he retired in the Staples Center in front of all these people, talking about the journey, and the journey is what matters," Rob Vaughn said. "And, man, we all look at these trophies at the end and you all want all this stuff. But the journey's what makes life worth it. And I think for these guys they've been through it a little bit in some really cool ways.
"You look at we lose opening night. We got beat opening night at home by Washington State. Opening SEC weekend, we got swept at Kentucky. And, man, nobody wants to experience that failure. My guys have heard me say time and time again that failure is a prerequisite to success. Like, it hardens you and it toughens you. It calluses you for what's to come if you let it. Or you recede into your shell and you quit and start feeling bad for yourself. But if you use failure, it can really build you. And I think it's what this team did. And I think that's what makes them such a fun group to coach. Every one of you guys can look at our stat sheet and you'd be like, that team shouldn't be here right now, and instead all they do is the strength of this group is the group. The strength of this team is the team.
"And I think that's what has made it such a rewarding journey for them and to be here in this moment, to have the first team in 27 years kick the door down to be the team that represents toughness and grit. It's what Alabama is, and that's the teams of the late '90s, that's what they were. They were talented, sure, but, man, they were tough and they were gritty. They were all those things. So this team is a very deserving team to get this team back to where it belongs."
Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI baseball writer Joe Gaither shares his quick thoughts and takeaways from inside Charles Schwab Stadium after 7-seeded Alabama spent time in an open practice setting, before speaking to the media about the season, the experience of the College World Series and the game on Saturday.
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Alabama Crimson Tide On SI
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as Postcard from Alabama Baseball Practice at the College World Series.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 6:43 PM.