Brady Neal’s approach at the plate was simple — and effective.
“Swing hard in case you hit it,” Neal told the Tuscaloosa News.
He did exactly that.
The Alabama catcher and Tallahassee native broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the 11th inning with a two-out, three-run home run, lifting the Crimson Tide past Oklahoma State 9-7 on Sunday, May 31, in the Tuscaloosa Regional at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
With the win, No. 7 national seed Alabama (40-19) advanced to the Super Regional round of the 2026 NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Crimson Tide will host the best-of-three series — its first time doing so since 2006 — and is headed to a Super Regional for the first time since 2023.
There’s also a chance Neal could face his hometown team.
No. 10 national seed Florida State must beat St. John’s twice in the Tallahassee Regional on Monday, June 1, to set up a showdown with Alabama this weekend. The winner advances to the College World Series.
There’s another Tallahassee connection between the programs as well. Alabama’s pitching coach Jason Jackson was raised in Havana, outside of Tallahassee, and graduated from Florida High, where he played baseball, and FSU.
Tallahassee’s Brady Neal helps lift Alabama into Super Regional
Neal, Alabama’s catcher, leads the team with a .333 batting average, along with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. His go-ahead blast in the 11th marked the Tide’s first game-winning home run since his solo shot at Jacksonville State on March 31 earlier this season.
Faced with a 1-2 count, the left-handed swinging Neal laced a line drive into the right-field stands.
“Cutter, slider down – obviously don’t know what it was,” Neal explained. “Saw the spin out of his hand and tried to hit a home run.”
The victory was only the Tide’s second win this season when trailing after seven innings
Neal, who also dislocated his thumb earlier in the Oklahoma State game, was named the MVP of the Tuscaloosa Regional as voted on by media. Neal played at North Florida Christian before he finished his high school career at IMG Academy.
Neal transferred to Alabama two years ago from LSU.
“I can ride with tough dudes like him any day of the week,” Alabama coach Rob Vaughn said of Neal’s thumb injury and dramatic home run following the Crimson’s Tide victory.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee native Brady Neal powers Alabama into NCAA Super Regional
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
