Tide Trio Garners Honors

Alabama third baseman Colby Shelton was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Wednesday. Shelton is the 24th freshman in Alabama baseball history to receive the honor. Previous awardees for the Tide include long time major leaguer players Lance Cormier (1999), Wade LeBlanc (2004), David Robertson (2005), Tommy Hunter (2006), Josh Rutledge (2008), as well as Jeremy Brown, Taylor Dugas, and Taylor Tankerlsey among others. In 2020, Connor Prielipp, Anotine Jean, and Owen Diodati were all honored in the season that was cut short by Covid.

Shelton, a native of Lithia, Florida, is hitting .291 on the season with 22 home run, 10 doubles, and 47 RBI. The lefty hitter lead the team with a slugging percentage of .689. The 22 home runs by Shelton broke the Alabama freshman home run record of 15 previously held by Jeremy Brown and Ross Wilson. Shelton had five game two home run games, the most on the team. From March 3-7 Shelton hit seven home runs in five games including grand slams in back to back games.

Also this week sophomore right hander pitcher Luke Holman, and freshman left hander Alton Davis II were both invited to the 2023 USA Baseball Collegiate National Training Camp. There was 56 non-draft eligible players invited to try out for the team. The 56 players will play in an four game intrasquad series in Cary, N.C. from June 25 to June 28. Team USA Baseball will select 26 of the 56 players to represent the USA in playing against Chinese Taipei and Japan from June 30th to July 12th.

Holman, a native of Sinking Springs, PA, is a 6’4” right hander pitcher and has spent the majority of the season as the Tide’s Friday night starter. Holman carries a 7-3 record with a 3.46 ERA into this weekends Super Regional series with Wake Forest. Team are hitting just .180 against Holman in his 75.1 innings pitched.

Davis II, a 6’5” left hander, is a native of Hueytown, AL and became the Tide’s closer about half way through the season. The fireballer has appeared in a team high 24 games thus far and has a record of 1-2 with eight saves and an ERA of 3.86. Davis has six of his eight saves in SEC play and his ERA in league play is 2.76.

If either player is selected they will be the first “sitting” Tide player since Tommy Hunter to make team USA in 2006. David Robertson was on Team USA for the 2021 Olympics, but had already been in the Major Leagues since 2008. Diodati and Jean represented Canada in U-18 prior to their freshman seasons.

Congratulations to these young men.

Roll Tide

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