SEC Roundup: Blackman, Jones Help Teams Advance

HOOVER, Ala.—Separated by a year in school, Tate Blackman and Alonzo Jones landed at Southeastern Conference schools in consecutive years, Blackman coming to Mississippi in its 2014 recruiting class, and Jones arriving at Vanderbilt in its 2015 class. They were highly regarded infielders in high school—Blackman ranked No. 106 on the 2014 BA 500 and Jones was No. 64 a year later—but questions about their defense helped push them to college.

Blackman and Jones helped their teams’ advance Tuesday from the win-or-go-home first round of the SEC Tournament to the double-elimination portion that begins Wednesday. While their offense remains their best asset—Blackman hit third for the No. 10 Rebels and Jones hit cleanup for the 12th-ranked Commodores—both have settled at second base and showed they can impact the game defensively as well.

Jones had the first turn on the big stage of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, as Vanderbilt defeated Missouri, 7-0, in the first game of the tournament. For much of his freshman season, the Georgia native has been limited to DH duties. He entered Tuesday with eight career starts in the field—six at second base, one at shortstop and one in left field. But for the fourth straight game, coach Tim Corbin put Jones in the lineup at second base.

Jones rewarded his coach with web gem in the fourth inning. On a bouncing ball off the bat of Jake Ring, Jones ranged far to his left, snared it, spun and, while falling toward the right field foul pole, threw to first baseman Ethan Paul for the out.

The Catch. The 🔄. The Throw.@VandyBaseball‘s Alonzo Jones … WOW! https://t.co/HAElM51jip #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/ShCgu4sMpD

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) May 24, 2016

Jones said on plays such as his spinning web gem, he lets his instincts take over.

“On the spinning play, the tough plays, it’s just kind of instinctive,” Jones said. “But I just try to be ready every pitch, regardless of whether it’s a routine play or not routine.”

Jones is an elite athlete with top-of-the-scale speed that helped him get to the ball in the fourth inning. It also helps him impact the game in many ways offensively, and he is hitting .287/.364/.427 with 10 stolen bases.

But Jones’ his infield actions were raw coming out of high school, and it has taken time and many, many ground balls in practice to get him ready to play second base for Vanderbilt down the stretch.

Corbin said Jones is gaining more confidence with every game he plays.

“A few weeks ago, I went over to coach (Travis) Jewett at a certain time in training and saw him make a couple plays,” Corbin said. “And I said, ‘Watching him now, the balls he gets hit to him in a training environment, there are few mistakes.’ It’s just a matter of him getting as many balls as he can.”

Blackman can relate to that kind of work. After a disappointing freshman season that saw him hit .197/.293/.254 and fall out of the lineup by the end of the year, he went to work in the offseason. It began in the Cape Cod League and continued through fall ball.

Blackman said he has adjusted his swing since last season.

“I got a little long,” Blackman said. “I have to stay short, stay toward the middle of the field and get a good two-strike approach. I was chasing a bit with two strikes. I have to stay short to the ball and get the barrel on it.”

The change has worked. Blackman is hitting .330/.395/.455 with three home runs, and he has played every game for the Rebels. In Mississippi’s 5-1 victory Tuesday against Georgia, he extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games.

Coach Mike Bianco said Blackman has improved in all phases of the game in the last year.

“Now he’s an All-SEC second baseman in the No. 1 conference in the country,” Bianco said. “I’m proud of him, very proud.”

Defensively, Blackman forms a solid double-play combination with Mississippi shortstop Errol Robinson. Their chemistry is so good that their teammates have taken to calling the duo Batman and Robin (Blackman said it isn’t clear who is Batman and who is Robin).

Blackman and Robinson didn’t turn any double plays Tuesday, but Blackman did make an impressive play coming in on the ball and then making a long flip to Robinson for a putout. Blackman said he has worked to improve his footwork and get better at coming in on balls, but has always felt good at second base.

“Second base has always been comfortable to me,” he said. “I like playing second base.”

Blackman and Jones are far from finished products defensively. Blackman’s below-average speed limits his range and will likely push him to third base as a professional. Jones’ infield actions are still raw, and he will require more time on the practice field to hone his skills.

But, for at least one day, two players more known for their offensive prowess showed they can rise to the occasion with their gloves as well.

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Tennessee’s Season Ends


The final game of the day was also the most dramatic. Tennessee, the 12th seed in the tournament, led Louisiana State, the fifth seed, 4-0, at the seventh-inning stretch. The Tigers cut the deficit to one run with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the deficit to one run.

It remained a one-run game going to the ninth. But Greg Deichmann tied the game at 4 with a long home run to right center field to lead off the inning. Five batters later, Kramer Robertson laced a line drive just inside the left field line to bring home the winning run and give LSU a 5-4 victory.

The loss knocked Tennessee (29-28) out of the tournament and ended its season. After the Volunteers made a late push to make the tournament field, coach Dave Serrano said it was especially tough to lose the way they did.

“I just got done telling 27 guys and a coaching staff and a support staff that’s really truly hurting that they gave us everything they could,” Serrano said. “We have a slogan at the University of Tennessee, ‘I’ll give my all.’ They gave their all. We were short in some areas, that was evident to me as the season went on, but this team never quit.”

LSU coach Paul Mainieri said the way the Volunteers played Tuesday showed their respect for Serrano.

“The way his players played for him tonight reflects what they think of him and how much respect they have for him,” Mainieri said. “Because I thought they played their hearts out tonight, I really did.”

Serrano, the 2007 Coach of the Year, will now await a decision from athletic director Dave Hart about his future. He was hired after the 2011 season and his five-year contract ran through this season. He inherited a rebuilding project, but the Volunteers are 130-138 in his tenure and have not made the NCAA Tournament since reaching the College World Series in 2005.