Alabama News

The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby is scheduled to transpire today, as batters compete for the trophy this evening. The event will begin at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Eight MLB players are set to compete in the event tonight: Matt Olson, Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Oneil Cruz, Cal Raleigh, Brent Rooker, and James Wood.

Raleigh will be a key hitter to watch this evening, as he leads the MLB with 38 home runs this season. He hit two home runs in his most recent series, so he will look to continue his great play tonight.

Notably, Raleigh has three more home runs than Aaron Judge this season.

Wood and Caminero will also be key participants to watch this evening. Wood has hit 24 home runs this season, while Caminero has hit 23.

Fans can watch the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Seattle Mariners made Hayden Murphy the fourth pitcher picked from Auburn’s 2025 team in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft when the American League club selected the right-hander at No. 453 on Monday.

Murphy attracted big-league attention even though his 2025 campaign didn’t go as well as hoped.

In his second season for the Tigers, the 6-foot-4 pitcher made 14 relief appearances, posted a 4.32 earned-run average and struck out 17 in 16.2 innings in 2024.

In 2025, Murphy had an 0-1 record and a 9.45 ERA in nine games. He pitched only 6.2 innings.

Murphy entered the transfer portal after the Tigers’ season ended with a Super Regional loss to Coastal Carolina.

Murphy followed Dylan Watts, Cam Tilly and Samuel Dutton into the draft on Monday.

The Toronto Blue Jays chose Watts at No. 202, the New York Mets took Cam Tilly at No. 223 and the Athletics selected Dutton at No. 290.

The four pitchers picked on Monday joined two other draft picks from the 2025 Auburn team so far. The Baltimore Orioles chose catcher/outfielder Ike Irish at No. 19 on Sunday and the Toronto Blue Jays selected infielder Eric Snow at No. 172 on Monday.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Diego Pavia didn’t want to jinx it. Asked at SEC media days about his dominance over the state of Alabama throughout his career, Vanderbilt football’s quarterback played it cool.

“We got two games facing up against them,” Pavia said. “We got Auburn and Alabama. So I won’t say too much. But they’re obviously great teams.”

Pavia is 2-0 against the Tigers, with last year’s win with the Commodores, and another in 2023 quarterbacking New Mexico State. He beat Alabama in 2024, one of the biggest upsets in college football last season, and took down Jacksonville State in 2023.

He brought up the Gamecocks unprompted.

“Jax State was good that year too,” Pavia said. “Really, really good, and they almost got us back. But I’ll be excited for those games (against Alabama and Auburn.)

Pavia has also had a run of success against Hugh Freeze. He and NMSU beat Freeze’s Liberty team before either of the two made their way to the SEC.

The quarterback praised Freeze on Monday.

“Hugh Freeze is a great coach,” Pavia said. “They have a very well-run program at Auburn. But it’s a battle of the warriors, so I feel like it comes down to who’s more prepared that week. Obviously we’ve got the best of him two times and obviously we always want it to play in our favor, but they run a well-ran program and they got some good talent there too. So it’ll be a fun game in Nashville this year.”

The preparation was a theme for Pavia. It’s the same thing he credited for the Vanderbilt win over Alabama in October.

”We had (tight end) Eli Stowers, who had a big game for us that week,” Pavia said. “And then obviously (wide receiver) Junior Sherill had a big week too. But I think it’s just who comes more prepared to the game. And I feel like that week, we were the more prepared team.”

Vanderbilt is scheduled to face Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 4. The rematch with Freeze and Auburn is set for Nov. 8 at FirstBank Stadium.

The Alabama game will be Pavia’s first game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. He’ll be looking to keep up his dominant run against the Yellowhammer State.

“That stadium is electric,” Pavia said of what he was looking forward to. “I’ve heard about it. And you, just going to come down to who’s more prepared that week and who wants it more.”

Jay Mitchell, who resigned from the Alabama Supreme Court to run for attorney general, got a boost to his campaign on Monday.

Progress PAC, the political action committee of the Business Council of Alabama, endorsed Mitchell.

Mitchell faces Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey and Katherine Robertson, chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall, in the Republican primary.

“Jay Mitchell has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the rule of law,” Helena Duncan, president and CEO of the BCA, said in a press release.

“He has been a proven ally of Alabama’s job creators and a committed defender of the free enterprise system. We’ve worked closely with Jay over the years, previously endorsing him in his two campaigns for the Alabama Supreme Court, and are confident in his ability to lead as our next Attorney General.”

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Progress PAC’s chairman praised Casey and Robertson as “impressive public servants.”

“All three candidates bring remarkable talent, conservative credentials, and strong records of service to the table,” Chairman Gary Smith said.

“Our decision to endorse Jay Mitchell is grounded in our longstanding relationship with him and our belief that his judicial temperament, legal expertise, and leadership style make him uniquely qualified to take on this critical role at a critical time.”

The race is to succeed Attorney General Steve Marshall, who has held the office since 2017. Marshall is running for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.

The primary is May 19, 2026.

A football player from Michigan was shot in Birmingham during a gun sale that was brokered on social media.

Ethan Carter, 18, was shot multiple times – including wounds to his skull, hand, arm and chest, according to a Facebook post from Hudsonville High School in Michigan, where Carter was a former student-athlete.

He had recently graduated and has committed to play football at Davenport University.

The high school said he was in Birmingham for training.

“By miracle, the shot to his skull did not go through,” according to the high school’s post.

“Praise God. He is currently conscious and has full function this morning, but he is beat up pretty badly. He is currently in a trauma unit in Alabama.”

The high school shared information from Carter’s mother that said the shooting bruised his brain but did not require surgery.

He could be released from the hospital as early as Tuesday.

Birmingham police did not identify the victim by name, but said the shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Saturday.

Officers responded to a call of a person shot near Winchester Drive and Ridgewood Circle on the city’s east side.

They arrived to find Carter wounded on the ground.

He was taken by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said the preliminary investigation suggests that the victim had arranged through a social media platform to buy a Glock firearm.

There was nothing to suggest the sale was illegal, police said.

The transaction escalated into a robbery, during which the victim was shot, and his vehicle was stolen.

“The Birmingham Police Department strongly urges the public to never purchase firearms off the street or through social media platforms,” Wade said.

“These types of transactions are among the most dangerous and often result in violence.”

“For your safety and the safety of others,” she said. “Always use legal and licensed dealers when acquiring a firearm.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham robbery detectives at 205-254-1753 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.

Another Trojan is off the board in the 2025 MLB draft.

The Chicago Cubs picked Troy pitcher Noah Edders in the 15th round of the draft on Monday with pick No. 451.

Former Troy catcher Brooks Bryan was also drafted on Monday, going to the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round.

In his lone season with Troy, Edders posted a 5.12 ERA with a 5-2 overall record in 14 starts and 65 innings pitched. He struck out 67 batters and walked 27 as a junior with an allowed batting average of .241.

He pitched a seven-inning complete game against ULM in April, allowing four hits and one earned run while walking one and striking out nine; his 67 strikeouts ranked No. 14 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Before his time with the Trojans, the Woodridge, Ill., native spent three seasons at Bradley where he led the team with 79 innings pitched in 2024 across 15 starts; he struck out 76 batters with a 6.15 ERA.

Edders is the second Troy pitcher drafted in three seasons, joining 2023 ninth-round pick Zach Fruit, who is with the Baltimore Orioles organization.

One of Alabama’s two Republican candidates for secretary of state says he will not attack his opponent with negative ads and calls on her to make the same commitment.

State Auditor Andrew Sorrell and Montgomery attorney Caroleene Dobson are the two GOP candidates in the race.

In a campaign news release on Monday, Sorrell urged Dobson to join him in signing a “Clean Campaign Pledge.”

“As Alabama’s chief elections officer, it is important for the next secretary of state to set a moral example that other candidates and campaigns should follow,” Sorrell said.

“The ‘Clean Campaign Pledge’ I propose simply states that we will not engage in negative campaigning against each other or condone attacks from outside groups or individuals. In essence, it embraces Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment – Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.”

Sorrell is a business owner from Muscle Shoals and a former state legislator who was elected auditor in 2022.

Dobson is a lawyer who was the Republican nominee in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district last year. Dobson lost to Democrat Shomari Figures in a district redrawn by a federal court to favor Democrats.

Dobson did not immediately respond to an email from AL.com on whether she would sign the “Clean Campaign Pledge.”

“The ball is in Caroleene’s court, and I hope she will accept my request to engage in a civil and friendly campaign that will make every Alabamian proud,” Sorrell said.

“We’ve seen enough discord, division, and deceit among Democrats on the national level, and those kinds of attacks and tactics have no place in the Alabama Republican Party, where we pride ourselves on being Christian conservatives.”

Sorrell said the main points in the “Clean Campaign Pledge” are:

• The candidates understand that running to become Alabama’s chief elections officer obliges them to conduct a positive campaign that sets an example for others to follow.
• The candidates will vigorously debate policy issues but will not engage in negative attacks on their opponent.
• The candidates will not allow, condone, or endorse negative attacks on their behalf by third-party groups or individuals.
• The candidates will encourage all of their supporters to engage in positive campaigning and avoid negative tactics.

The race is for an open seat because Secretary of State Wes Allen, who was elected in 2022, is running for lieutenant governor.

The primary is May 19, 2026.

In 60 minutes, Vanderbilt football totally flipped the national narrative about itself. When the Commodores beat Alabama in October, Clark Lea’s group went from the perpetual cellar-dweller, which had spent the past several years playing in an active construction site, to a competent, fun team, that could beat anyone in the country on its best day.

By the time the FirstBank Stadium goalposts landed in the Cumberland River, two miles from the field, Diego Pavia was a superstar. The New Mexico State transfer talked trash in postgame interviews, then backed it up the rest of the year, leading Vanderbilt to a rare bowl appearance.

Speaking Monday at SEC media days in Atlanta, Pavia was asked how his life had changed since the win. He mostly focused on team-related differences, but recalled a recent podcast appearance.

“Maybe I get to hang out with some cool people,” Pavia said. “I hung out with (comedian) Theo (Von). Obviously, recruiting-wise, we got in some good talent. We were able to get in the transfer portal and get some good wide receivers, some good O-linemen. We returned two of the top O-linemen because of the transfer portal… We’re super excited to have those guys and then all the talent around us. I mean, we’re fully loaded on offense this year, and so e have weapons left and right. We’ll be really exciting to watch.”

The Commodores finished 2025 7-6, with a Birmingham Bowl win over Georgia Tech. According to Pavia, that’s not enough.

“I want to finish something I started,” Pavia said. “And that’s going to win a national championship. And last we we fell short, so this year we’re looking forward to the season.”

That part won’t be easy. Vanderbilt still has the institutional limitations it always has, and won’t be a favorite to compete at the top of the SEC in 2025. Still, perceptions have changed.

“People started looking,” cornerback Martel Hight said in Atlanta. “Some people thought it was a fluke. Some people thought it was, you know, luck. And then we had our diehard fans who actually believed in us. So it’s just been mixed personalities and feelings and emotions toward it.”

The Commodores open the season Aug. 30 against Charleston Southern. Expectations have never been higher.

However, Lea, entering his fifth season as head coach in Nashville, cautioned that VU still needs to put in the work.

“As energized as we may be for where we are, it’s important to acknowledge we’ve been here before,” Lea said. “Two years ago I stood before you messaging excitement and progress. That gave way to a failed season. We went backward before we could move forward. Progress is seldom linear.”

UAB catcher Nick Hollifield was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 14th round of the MLB Draft on Monday with the 411th overall pick.

He becomes the third Blazer drafted on Monday, joining outfielder Logan Braunschweig and pitcher Colin Daniel, who were both drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

A 5-foot-11, 190-pound catcher, Hollifield appeared in 52 games for UAB last season and started all but one of those games. He batted .266 with five home runs, 13 doubles and 30 RBIs with a .376 on-base percentage.

He finished with a .995 fielding percentage with 371 putouts, catching 10 runners stealing as a junior. He was also named to the midseason watchlist for the Buster Posey Award.

Hollifield played in 111 games with 98 starts during his UAB career with a career .254 batting average and .375 on-base percentage, logging 722 putouts.

A native of Hoschton, Ga., and graduate of Mill Creek High School, he was a member of the Conference USA all-freshman team in 2023 with a perfect fielding 1.000 percentage in 23 games played.

Nick Saban walked up to Damien Harris right before Alabama football went out for warmups.

The Crimson Tide was about to face Tennessee in 2018, and Saban broke the news to his starting running back.

We’re going to have to play the other guy today. Your job is just to be a cheerleader.

That week, Harris had been late to a meeting. So he wasn’t shocked that Josh Jacobs was getting the start instead.

Saban started to walk away, then he turned around and looked at Harris.

I want you to understand this isn’t because you were late. It isn’t because you made a mistake. It’s because you didn’t come talk to me about it. You didn’t take ownership of your mistake.

“That was one of the most powerful moments to me because that was when I started to realize truly … coaches always talk about these are life lessons,” Harris told AL.com as part of the Beat Everyone podcast. “These aren’t football lessons. You hear that in little league, you hear that in middle school, high school, etc. That was the first time in my life I felt like I was learning a life lesson through football.”

Harris had been late to a Friday meeting, what he said was the first and only time he was late to a meeting. He overslept. Then, he told some people he was going to be late because he didn’t know the best way to handle it.

“The No. 1 thing you don’t do is walk into a Nick Saban meeting late,” Harris said. “They told me, ‘Listen just come in. Lay low. We’ll figure it out from there.’”

Harris never talked to Saban that day, though.

“I’m like, OK, this is weird,” Harris said. “Then you get to Saturday.”

That’s when Saban removed Harris from the starting lineup, who would become a captain that season.

Being that guy and not coming to talk to me about that, I felt like that was a lack of accountability. Because of that, I feel like you should be punished. Not because you made a mistake, but because you just didn’t have any accountability. You didn’t own up to it.

“I tell people this story all the time,” said Harris, now a CBS Sports analyst. “It’s not funny. It’s not a joke. This is what Nick Saban is about.

“Football is a vehicle to teach us how to live our lives a certain way. How to have a certain level of discipline, a certain level of respect, detail orientation, that will benefit us long after we’re done playing football. That for me was an ‘ah-ha moment’ for me.”

Beat Everyone is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on your favorite platform to automatically receive new episodes every Monday and Wednesday evening.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.