Latest news with #RileyQuick
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tigers projected to boost infield with latest mock draft selections
The 2025 MLB Draft is just a little under 24 hours away, and the Detroit Tigers have a chance to add some real firepower to their farm systems this season. As if their main roster isn't dominating enough. Advertisement The team has been blessed with two selections in the first 35 picks, the opportunity to ring in the new generation of Motor City baseball. The team's biggest need is a third baseman and also some more reliable arms in the bullpen, which they can take care of at the trade deadline if not during the draft. Baseball America, in their most recent MLB mock draft, projects that Detroit will go with shortstop Kayson Cunningham with the 24th pick in the first round. Even if they do select the top-ranked prospect out of the state of Texas, the shortstop just committed to the Texas Longhorns baseball team, which would make it even harder to officially land Cunningham in the draft, but would surely benefit the Tigers if they decide to take the high schooler and he decides to forgo his college play. Advertisement Cunningham currently sits at No. 14 in the MLB Pipeline rankings. And at No. 34 in the mock draft, the Tigers are projected to go with Alabama Crimson Tide pitcher Riley Quick, a second-team All-SEC pitcher, who went 8-3 with 70 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched and also held a 3.92 earned run average. The 2025 Major League Baseball Draft will take place on July 13-14 in Cumberland, GA.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Riley Quick's fast recovery from Tommy John has ex-football player's MLB Draft stock soaring
The phrase 'he's a football player on the mound' is thrown around liberally to describe pitchers with aggressive mentalities. Alabama right-hander Riley Quick is the rare hurler who actually fits that cliche. A star offensive lineman in high school who entertained offers from several top Division 1 programs to play football, Quick chose baseball but has leaned on his football background to become one of the top college right-handers in this year's MLB Draft. Advertisement 'You got a guy that's as strong as an ox,' Alabama strength and conditioning coach Brett Price said. 'He's an offensive lineman playing baseball, a fierce competitor with a big-time arsenal that loves winning more than anything else.' Quick, who was projected to go No. 21 to the Houston Astros in Keith Law's latest mock draft, hasn't had an easy road to draft day. After his freshman season, he underwent ankle surgery to address a nagging injury from his days as a football player. Quick spent that offseason working his way back into baseball shape, had a strong fall and then blew out his elbow in his first regular-season start of his sophomore season. Recovery from Tommy John surgery generally takes 12 to 18 months, but from the moment he came out of surgery, Quick was determined to be back on the mound by opening day of the 2025 season. Alabama pitching coach Jason Jackson and its training, strength and medical staff worked with Quick to focus less on reaching the ultimate goal and more on achieving weekly benchmarks in his rehab. That incremental progress boosted Quick in what turned out to be a fairly seamless recovery. He not only returned almost a year to the day of the surgery, but also with his upper-90s velocity intact. Quick, 21, never doubted he'd be ready at the start of the season, but he knew that goal was a reality about eight months into the rehab, when he was throwing hard in bullpen sessions. 'It was really rewarding,' he said. Alabama athletic trainer Sean Stryker worked closely with Quick throughout his recovery. He said the competitive right-hander had no hesitation when he got to the point of his rehab where he could start throwing again. 'I played catch with him his first day of playing catch at 45 feet, and I had to tell him to back off,' Stryker said. 'He's so competitive, he wanted to get to that next phase. He was ready to go, but it was more like, 'Hey, back off. Here's where we're at. Let's stay within the threshold.' And he respected it, he understood why we were doing it that way to protect him.' Advertisement Though Quick returned on opening day, he was on a strict pitch count until his final start of the season, when he threw 108 pitches in the NCAA Regionals. Over 14 starts, he logged 62 innings, posting a 3.92 ERA with a 70:24 K:BB. He remained healthy throughout the season and was able to go from throwing three pitches — a two-seamer, a changeup that Law rated as a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and a slider — to utilizing his full arsenal, which also includes a four-seamer and a cutter. 'He was really consistent with his recovery process, which I think is what helped him a ton,' Stryker said. 'His routine was his routine. He knew, 'OK, I came out of the game, I'm doing X, Y, Z. The next day, I'm going to do this.' I think that's what helped him stay on track.' Why not add No. 9? Q is through 6.0 IP for the first time in his career too!@rileyquick12 I #RollTide — Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) May 3, 2025 Quick admits the command and the consistency of his stuff took a little while to return but he was happy with where he ended up by the end of the season. 'He's got a really good idea of who he is and what he wants to do with different types of hitters — right-handed hitters and left-handed hitters — and he's got an arsenal that can get both out,' Jackson said. 'He's just got to continue to refine that and get everything a little bit more consistent.' The sinker and changeup are already above-average pitches, Jackson said, and the slider and cutter have flashed plus, though remain inconsistent. In time, Jackson believes Quick will have four above-average offerings to throw at the next level. His fastball velocity ranged between 95-99 mph during the season. Because of the two surgeries, Quick has thrown only 87 innings over the past three years. His innings were limited at Alabama but he also didn't pitch in summer leagues, such as the Cape Cod League and for Team USA. While that cost Quick valuable experience against upper-level competition, it also means he's a relatively clean slate as he begins his pro career. Advertisement 'That's one thing that's such a feather in his cap is he's got so much room to grow (as a pitcher),' Jackson said. Though it was frustrating for Quick to essentially go from one rehab with the ankle to another with the elbow, Price believes having that extra time away from pitching allowed them to perfect the strength training to maximally benefit his pitching. Because Quick came into college as much a football player as a baseball player, the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder had to work with Price to re-shape his body to better fit the necessary movements on the mound. 'Training was a little bit of a learning curve at first, just some of the adjustments we were making,' Price said. 'He obviously came in with a ton of strength and power already. So it was just teaching how to redistribute that strength and power into different movement patterns of positions that would ultimately impact his pitch and delivery a little bit more.' Quick had to adjust his mindset on the mound too. 'I was going at 5,000 rpms all the time and so emotional, and I had to tone that down to probably like 2,500 rpms and then control my emotions a little better,' Quick said. 'But at the end of the day, it helped me. It made me more aggressive — and that's what one of my strengths is.' Jackson believes Quick's competitiveness was key to his recovery. He was so focused on what he wanted to accomplish on the mound, he didn't allow himself to get distracted by draft chatter or scouts in the stands. 'There's a lot of maturity that comes out of going through a rehab process,' Jackson said. Some pitchers with first-round aspirations may have been anxious to get back to 100 pitches as quickly as possible in their draft year, but Quick trusted his coaches, trainers and medical staff and stuck with the start-by-start plan in terms of pitch count — though Jackson said Quick wasn't always happy to come out of games early at the start of the season. Advertisement After he hurt his elbow, Quick remained involved with the team daily and spent the rest of his sophomore season on the dugout rail each game, rooting for his teammates. 'Guys love being around him. He gets along with everybody. He's got a ton of energy,' Stryker said. 'It's a unique deal where he cares so much that he's going to be invested on days he's not pitching, but when he has the ball in his hand, he's a different person. He loves the game. He wants to get better. He's always looking for ways to get better.' A native of Trussville, Ala., Quick takes pride in being an Alabama athlete. His older brother, Pierce, played football for the Crimson Tide. Quick took full advantage of the resources available to Alabama athletes in terms of coaching and training, working with the training staff as soon as he arrived on campus. 'He knew that he could get resources out of the training room, and he let us be a part of his routine to take care of himself when he was healthy,' Stryker said. 'And I think that made it a lot easier for him when he did get hurt and had to go through that process, because he was already familiar with working with us.' One of the players Quick became close with early in his Alabama career was right-hander Ben Hess, who went in the first round to the New York Yankees in last year's draft. Though they are very different pitchers, Quick learned a lot from Hess about preparation. Stryker points out that Quick still hadn't reached the 18-month point post-surgery — generally considered the end of the Tommy John recovery period — at the conclusion of Alabama's season. Though Quick's stuff impressed during the season, Stryker believes there's still room for another jump as he moves further away from the surgery. 'He's one of the best kids I've ever been around,' Stryker said. 'He's a tough kid. He works hard, but he's also really respectful.' Advertisement 'Very motivated, just a wonderful kid,' Price added. 'Very unique personality, very outgoing, but also knows how to switch gears when it's time to work and get in there and lock in and do what he needs to do.' Although Quick didn't get nearly as many innings for the Tide as he anticipated when he started his collegiate career, he still gained valuable experience pitching in high-profile, high-pressure environments in the SEC. He's learned to block out the noise from rowdy crowds. 'I hear it sometimes,' he said, 'like little chirps from the dugout, maybe, but not much.' Quick grew a lot as a person and a pitcher during his time at Alabama, but Jackson expects him to take an even bigger leap forward at the professional level. 'He still really hasn't pitched a ton,' Jackson said. 'There's such a high ceiling there.'
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama pitcher Riley Quick gets new MLB draft projection
Alabama pitcher Riley Quick gets new MLB draft projection The 2025 MLB Draft is set for July 13-14 during All-Star Week festivities in Atlanta, and the Alabama Crimson Tide have a player who could be taken in the first round for the second year in a row. Right-hander Riley Quick has been on several MLB mock drafts this year and recently concluded a solid season as a redshirt sophomore for an Alabama team that won 40 games in the regular season for the first time since 2002. Quick made 14 starts in 2025, going 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA over 62 innings for coach Rob Vaughn's team. He started the year 5-0 before suffering his first loss on March 21 against Tennessee and had 70 strikeouts to 24 walks this past season for a combined 1.387 WHIP. Over the weekend, veteran baseball analyst Jim Callis of published his updated 2025 MLB mock draft. Callis has Quick going to the Seattle Mariners with the No. 35 overall selection as a supplemental first-round pick. An earlier mock draft by USA TODAY Sports back on May 7 had Quick going at No. 28 overall to the Kansas City Royals. Quick was the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in 2022 as a senior for Hewitt-Trussville High School. He made his first appearance for the Crimson Tide in 2023, appearing in 16 games and going 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 22 innings in relief. He missed most of 2024 due to season-ending elbow surgery. Alabama has had seven players taken in the first round of an MLB draft dating back to 1966. Last year, the New York Yankees selected right-hander Ben Hess with the 26th overall pick. Hess became the first Crimson Tide player selected in the first round since the Marlins took left-hander Taylor Tankersley 27th overall in 2004. The first round of the 2025 MLB draft will be televised on ESPN, with subsequent rounds broadcast and streamed on MLB Network. The draft will feature 20 rounds over two days.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch Alabama vs. Georgia today: Time, TV channel for Top 25 matchup
How to watch Alabama vs. Georgia today: Time, TV channel for Top 25 matchup After months of action, the time has now officially come for the Alabama Crimson Tide to put a conclusion on the regular season action inside of Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Taking place this weekend, Alabama will host their final regular season opponent of 2025 in the Georgia Bulldogs, who come to town for a three-game series as one of the SEC's top teams. Ranked as a Top 10 team nationally according to the latest USA TODAY Sports College Baseball Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs will present not only a challenge for Alabama this weekend, but also an opportunity as well. That is due to the fact that Alabama is likely playing for a chance to host a regional in the coming weeks, and a series win against Georgia would be a massive boost to the Crimson Tide's resume. Here's how to watch the Alabama vs. Georgia series this weekend, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information: What channel is Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs on today? TV Channel: Game 1: SEC Network+ SEC Network+ Game 2: SEC Network+ SEC Network+ Game 3: SEC Network Livestream: Fubo (free trial), ESPN+ The first two games of this series will be broadcasted live on SEC Network+, which is also available via livestream on ESPN+. Game 3 will be broadcasted live on SEC Network, and in addition to ESPN+, will be available on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Watch Alabama vs. Georgia live on Fubo (free trial) Watch Alabama vs. Georgia live on ESPN+ Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs time today Date & Start Times: Game 1: Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m. ET Friday, May 9 at 7 p.m. ET Game 2: Saturday, May 10 at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, May 10 at 5 p.m. ET Game 3: Sunday, May 11 at 1 p.m. ET Alabama vs. Georgia will take place from Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The series will be played from Friday, May 9 through Sunday, May 11. Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs probable starting pitchers Game 1: Alabama: RHP Tyler Fay (0-1, 4.63 ERA, 27:7 K:BB ratio, .287 AVG against across 35 IP) RHP Tyler Fay (0-1, 4.63 ERA, 27:7 K:BB ratio, .287 AVG against across 35 IP) Georgia: RHP Brian Curley (3-2, 2.96 ERA, 61:18 K:BB ratio, .156 AVG against across 51.2 IP) Game 2: Alabama: RHP Riley Quick (7-2, 3.47 ERA, 50:17 K:BB ratio, .238 AVG against across 46.2 IP) RHP Riley Quick (7-2, 3.47 ERA, 50:17 K:BB ratio, .238 AVG against across 46.2 IP) Georgia: TBA Game 3: Alabama: LHP Zane Adams (6-2, 4.87 ERA, 51:20 K:BB ratio, .274 AVG against across 57.1 IP) LHP Zane Adams (6-2, 4.87 ERA, 51:20 K:BB ratio, .274 AVG against across 57.1 IP) Georgia: RHP Leighton Finley (2-1, 4.82 ERA, 63:19 K:BB ratio, .218 AVG against across 52.1 IP) Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs predictions, picks Series Prediction: Alabama wins two games, Georgia wins one A massive opportunity ahead of Alabama this weekend, I'll say that the Crimson Tide take two-of-three from the Bulldogs to win this series in Tuscaloosa. However, it will likely come to a Game 3 on Sunday, and will need solid showings all-around against a very talented Georgia team. Alabama Crimson Tide baseball schedule 2025 Feb. 14-16: vs. Bradley (W, 10-6), (W, 19-3), (W, 11-4) vs. Bradley (W, 10-6), (W, 19-3), (W, 11-4) Feb. 18: vs. Middle Tennessee (W, 12-2) vs. Middle Tennessee (W, 12-2) Feb. 19: vs. Alabama State (W, 15-1) vs. Alabama State (W, 15-1) Feb. 21-23: vs. Coastal Carolina (W, 9-2), vs. NC State (W, 4-0), vs. Ohio State (W, 12-10) at Jacksonville Classic in Jacksonville, Florida vs. Coastal Carolina (W, 9-2), vs. NC State (W, 4-0), vs. Ohio State (W, 12-10) at Jacksonville Classic in Jacksonville, Florida Feb. 25: vs. Jacksonville State (W, 20-11) vs. Jacksonville State (W, 20-11) Feb. 28-Mar. 2: vs. North Dakota State (W, 12-4), (W, 9-7), (W, 11-3) vs. North Dakota State (W, 12-4), (W, 9-7), (W, 11-3) Mar. 4: at Jacksonville State (W, 11-1) at Jacksonville State (W, 11-1) Mar. 5: vs. Troy (W, 3-1) vs. Troy (W, 3-1) Mar. 7-9: vs. Presbyterian (W, 10-0), (W, 15-1), (L, 11-8) vs. Presbyterian (W, 10-0), (W, 15-1), (L, 11-8) Mar. 11: at UAB (W, 6-3) at UAB (W, 6-3) Mar. 14-16: at Texas A&M (W, 6-4), (W, 6-2), (W, 2-0) at Texas A&M (W, 6-4), (W, 6-2), (W, 2-0) Mar. 18: vs. South Alabama (W, 6-5) vs. South Alabama (W, 6-5) Mar. 20-22: vs. Tennessee (W, 6-5), (L, 10-7), (L, 9-2) vs. Tennessee (W, 6-5), (L, 10-7), (L, 9-2) Mar. 25: vs. North Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama (W, 4-3) vs. North Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama (W, 4-3) Mar. 28-30: vs. Oklahoma (W, 8-6), (L, 6-5), (W, 8-6) vs. Oklahoma (W, 8-6), (L, 6-5), (W, 8-6) Apr. 1: vs. Samford (W, 11-9) vs. Samford (W, 11-9) Apr. 4-6: at Auburn (L, 10-0), (W, 6-5), (L, 7-5) at Auburn (L, 10-0), (W, 6-5), (L, 7-5) Apr. 8: vs. Southern Miss (W, 10-6) vs. Southern Miss (W, 10-6) Apr. 11-13: vs. Mississippi State (L, 13-3), (W, 4-1), (L, 4-2) vs. Mississippi State (L, 13-3), (W, 4-1), (L, 4-2) Apr. 15: vs. UAB (W, 5-3) vs. UAB (W, 5-3) Apr. 17-19: at LSU (L, 11-6), (L, 4-3), (W, 7-4) at LSU (L, 11-6), (L, 4-3), (W, 7-4) Apr. 22: at Samford (W, 11-7) at Samford (W, 11-7) Apr. 24-26: vs. Missouri (W, 7-5), (W, 7-3), (W, 12-1) vs. Missouri (W, 7-5), (W, 7-3), (W, 12-1) May 2-4: at Vanderbilt (L, 12-2), (W, 5-2), (L, 9-7) at Vanderbilt (L, 12-2), (W, 5-2), (L, 9-7) May 6: at Troy (W, 10-2) at Troy (W, 10-2) May 9-11: vs. Georgia vs. Georgia May 15-17: at Florida at Florida May 20-25: SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama Record: 37-12 overall (13-11 in SEC) We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama baseball tumbles in new Top 25 rankings after latest SEC series loss
Alabama baseball tumbles in new Top 25 rankings after latest SEC series loss Two weeks after Alabama baseball rose to No. 8 in the nation in all the major Top 25 polls and rankings, the Crimson Tide are skidding a bit in the hyper competitive SEC. After suffering back-to-back series losses -- first to Auburn and then to unranked Mississippi State over the weekend -- Alabama (29-8 overall, 8-7 SEC) tumbled in Monday's new Top 25 polls and rankings. Rob Vaughn's team went 2-2 last week and fell seven spots to No. 21 in Baseball America's new Top 25 rankings. The Crimson Tide also fell seven spots to No. 20 in Perfect Game's Top 25. Baseball America said of Alabama: "Alabama's bats were held in check for the vast majority of the weekend, but the biggest positive was fireballer Riley Quick's start in which he collected seven strikeouts and allowed just one run in 5.1 innings." Both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and D1 Baseball kept Alabama in the top 15 at No. 15. The Tide fell five spots in the Coaches Poll and are ranked one spot below UC Irvine (25-8) and one spot ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners (25-10). SEC team vaults to No. 1 in new Week 10 college baseball Top 25 polls For the second straight week, there's a new team in the top spot across the Top 25 rankings. The Texas Longhorns (29-5 overall, 13-2 SEC) climbed to No. 1 after taking two of three from Kentucky in Lexington. The Horns jumped the Arkansas Razorbacks (32-5), who dropped two of three to the Georgia Bulldogs (32-6) over the weekend in Athens. UGA is ranked No. 3 by Baseball America and Perfect Game. Arkansas fell to No. 2 in the Coaches Poll and D1 Baseball rankings, and to No. 4 in Perfect Game and Baseball America. Alabama baseball schedule 2025 The Crimson Tide welcome UAB (19-17) to Sewell-Thomas Stadium in midweek play Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed via SEC Network+. Alabama returns to SEC play Thursday when they travel to Baton Rouge to face the No. 7 LSU Tigers (31-6, 10-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday's series opener will be televised on ESPNU, while Saturday's finale can be seen on SEC Network. LSU was swept by Auburn (26-10) over the weekend at Plainsman Park. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
