The new "Joe" a hit with fans

Let the record reflect that the first pitch inside the new Sewell-Thomas Stadium was a fast-ball strike right down the middle. It was the start of a 1-2-3 inning, an appropriate beginning to the new beginning of the University of Alabama’s sparking $42.5 million baseball stadium.

There was a light show just before first pitch, the lights on top of the stadium shut off before displaying blinking LED lights that created a raucous atmosphere, especially in the student section in right field, that showed just what the new stadium is capable of — namely entertaining a sold-out crowd.

Entertainment was the highlight of the evening and that didn’t even include a close game on the field. From the playground in left field for children, to the student-only section in right field that provided a top-notch competitive atmosphere, to the splashy .525 and Home Plate clubs, the new Sewell-Thomas Stadium offered amenities that should keep fans entertained in UA’s newest marvel in facilities.

In the .525 Club two bartenders tended a fully-stocked bar complete with four beers on tap, including Tuscaloosa’s own Druid City Brewing Company.

An observant staff also made sure the buffet was fresh and appetizing, serving teriyaki beef stir fry, shrimp fried rice and vegetable spring rolls.Paul Bryant Jr., who Director of Athletics Bill Battle credited along with the late Mal Moore for their behind-the-scenes work in making the stadium a reality, watched the game in the enclosed club with a crimson hat with a script ‘A.’

In the club seats just outside, former UA player Scott McClanahan (1998-2002) doted on his family, holding one girl in his left arm and lap while another daughter danced in and out his right arm. His wife, seated a few rows up, watched after the couples other children. McClanahan sat next to his baseball steering committee member, Roger Myers, who sat alongside his wife Sherry, as he kept his own scorecard.

All were instrumental in making Friday night such a success, their love of baseball such that they spent many personal hours helping to raise funds and work with UA athletic officials to make sure the new stadium had everything it needed to be competitive in the ultra-competitive SEC.

In the Home Plate Club, behind, you guessed it, home plate, hamburgers, hot dogs and corn dogs were served along with an assortment of snacks. It also had a fully-stocked bar and beers on draft with three attentive bartenders serving fans.

Mike Gray has been an Alabama baseball fan for years, visiting the old Joe frequently. He said the Home Plate Club was comparable to the Zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“I’m impressed,” Gray said. “I like the food better. “I don’t see how baseball can go anywhere but up from here. How could a (recruit) who is coming to look at schools not be impressed?”

The game sold out more than two hours before first pitch, and the line to get into the student section began forming before 1:30 p.m. when Brian Talbot, Anthony Picarazzi and Zack Perry brought their folding chairs and claimed the first spots in line.

Two hours later the line stretched more than 100 yards and curved around the adjacent center-field wall.

The team gave all crimson-loving fans something to cheer for early when freshman Chander Taylor deposited a first-inning offering over the right field wall, setting off a beer shower celebration by the students. It was Taylor’s first career at-bat.

Battle perhaps summed up the night best when he addressed the crowd before the game, asking “Is this a great night or what?”

He’d know more than most. He arrived on the job in 2013 and one of his first major tasks was bringing the baseball facilities up to par. Three years later he helped cut the ribbon to open it.

“It’s just so special, everything came together tonight like a dream — the weather, good baseball teams, a sellout crowd,” Battle said. “This stadium is something special.

“We were at the bottom of the conference. Our baseball tradition is important to us. This was a major step in the right direction toward helping us to get better baseball players to come to Alabama, and I think it’s already happened in this class. We look forward to what happens in the future.”

Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.