How Does Alabama's Bid to Host Stand after Successful Weekend?

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama entered last week attempting to move on from its heartbreaking 7-9 rubber match loss in Nashville, where Vanderbilt scored seven runs in the last two innings of the game to steal a series win from the Crimson Tide.

Looking for a push to put itself firmly in the hosting conversation, Alabama had two crucial opportunities at its feet in No. 19 Troy on Tuesday and a home series against No. 6 Georgia.

Faced with a season-defining week, the Crimson Tide didn't back down, picking up a 10-2 win over Troy and a two-game-to-one series victory over Georgia. Now, the Crimson Tide find themselves on the right side of the hosting conversation, yet work is still to be done to secure their hosting bid.

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Alabama currently sits at 15 league victories, with three chances in Gainesville this weekend and the SEC tournament in Hoover, the Crimson Tide has several chances to confirm its place as a top-16 national seed.

16 SEC wins is considered the magic number to host, albeit not a guarantee. 17 wins should lock up a hosting bid for the Crimson Tide. 18 wins make Alabama a hosting lock, barring a shocking decision, and a fringe top-8 seed.

The rating Percentage Index, or RPI, is another metric the selection committee holds in high esteem. RPI is a formula that ranks teams based on their wins, losses, and strength of schedule.

As of the publication of this article, Alabama currently sits at No. 8 in RPI. While it's not the end-all be-all, it greatly aids Alabama's case as a national seed. The Crimson Tide also has a chance to improve their RPI this weekend in Gainesville, as the Gators currently sit at No. 13 in the metric.

Remember that none of these 100% guarantee a hosting bid for the Crimson Tide, but it matches up with historic trends and criteria of teams that have done so.

Alabama looks to continue its push for June baseball at The Joe in Gainesville Thursday evening, where the Crimson Tide begin their series against the No. 23 Florida Gators.

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