Alabama second baseman and Center Grove product Bryce Eblin waits for a pitch.
Submitted photo
Bryce Eblin describes his first home run in an Alabama baseball uniform as something of an out-of-body experience.
The sophomore second baseman remembers his tour of the bases.
Kind of.
“It was like a blackout moment,” said Eblin, the former Center Grove standout who last week belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning against South Alabama to help the Crimson Tide to a 5-4 victory.
“It was a 0-2 count, I was just trying to put the ball in play, and I got a changeup. All I remember is stepping on the bases and looking at my teammates. They were very happy for me. It was an awesome moment.”
Awesome moments aren’t in short supply playing in the baseball-crazed Southeastern Conference, a league responsible for five of the last 12 NCAA champions. The competition Eblin faces, combined with the crowds he and his teammates play in front of, are a recipe for self-improvement.
Whether it’s Dudy Noble Field (Mississippi State) or Alex Box Stadium (LSU), each ballpark features its own unique history, traditions and sense of community. The same is true at places such as Florida Ballpark (Florida) or Blue Bell Park (Texas A&M).
Eblin, a 2020 Center Grove graduate, lost what would have been his senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He’s more than making up for lost time.
As a Crimson Tide freshman last spring, Eblin played in 16 games, including nine starts at shortstop, and hit .342 with five doubles. He also contributed as a pitcher, appearing in two games for a total of 1 1/3 innings.
“I love it here in Alabama. The facilities are unreal, and you’ve got fans who are diehard, so you’ve got a lot of people going to the games,” said Eblin, who is batting .325 this season with a .402 on-base percentage — both second on the team. “The environment is very hard to play in. You’re going to have little room for error because it’s SEC baseball.
“You’ve got to be very mentally tough. Playing in the SEC, you’ve got to have a lot of confidence in yourself.”
As a high school freshman, Eblin verbally committed to Purdue. He eventually switched allegiances, sensing that the challenge of playing baseball in the south was too great an opportunity to pass up.
Eblin weighed 173 pounds during the 2021 season, but added 12 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He has generally been batting in the lower half of coach Brad Bohannon’s lineup but was moved into the No. 2 hole for a game against Samford last week.
“Bryce has really improved in his consistency in every area as a player. His bat, his defense and his overall ability to play the game of baseball has grown exponentially since his arrival,” Bohannon said. “He’s also done a really good job of getting stronger and improving his body, which has helped with his athleticism.
“I really wish I was able to play him more last year. He’s someone that our staff has been excited about from Day 1.”
Eblin, who doesn’t turn 21 until Oct. 20, is confident he’ll eventually be selected in the 2023 or 2024 Major League Baseball draft, and he looks forward to the challenges and opportunities that entails.
In the meantime, there are far worse places to be — academically, athletically and socially — than Tuscaloosa.
“Obviously, I hope to only play (at Alabama) three years,” Eblin said. “But if it’s four years, then I think it was meant to be.”
