Alabama Baseball’s Chandler Taylor Finishes Second in 2017 College Home Run Derby

Alabama baseball sophomore Chandler Taylor finished second in the College Home Run Derby on Saturday evening.

Taylor began the Derby with an opening-round score of 17, ranking second to start the night and advancing himself to the event’s second round. He followed that up with a 16 in the second to set his two-round total at 33, securing a spot in the finals of the 2017 College Home Run Derby. Taylor, with 33 total points, was paired in the finals against Niko Hulsizer of Morehead State, who finished the first two rounds of the Derby with 37 homers.

In the finals, Hulsizer totaled 17 points to set the bar for the finals of the event. After getting in a groove and placing himself in range, down 16 to 17, Taylor lined a two-point ball to right to end the competition. The Montgomery, Ala., native finished second as the Tide’s first ever contest in the eight-year old event.

Taylor was the Crimson Tide leader in home runs with 16, the most by an Alabama baseball player since Clay Jones’ 17 in 2010. Taylor’s homers also placed him among league leaders for the regular season, ranking third in that category. In SEC play, Taylor led everyday starters with a team-leading 10 home runs. His numbers against SEC opposition ranked fourth.