Crimson Red Sports

University of Alabama baseball coach Mitch Gaspard had the look of a man who hadn't slept much the night before as he sat in his office Wednesday morning.

Following a 4-2 loss to Samford on Tuesday, the outlook was bleak with Alabama's biggest test of the season just ahead.

Midweek games against unranked, non-conference opponents should serve as tune-ups for conference play on the weekend. Instead of a quick tune-up, Alabama got dismantled.

The timely hitting Alabama had grown accustomed to en route to earning a No. 19 ranking in the polls all but disappeared. Alabama had only three hits on the night, and errors plagued the defense, allowing an unearned run. It was an example of yet another night where the pitching showed up but little else did. Taylor Wolfe combined with five other Alabama pitchers to allow three earned runs over nine innings.

Last week Alabama dropped a midweek game to UAB in Hoover, putting up the same type of anemic offensive numbers. While Alabama was able to recover last week after facing South Alabama at home before a series against Arkansas, this time will be different.

There is no second chance to get it right before a big Southeastern Conference series this time around. And to make matters worse, Alabama has to go on the road to face No. 1 Vanderbilt.