Meet the Crimson Tide… A team on the upswing in Year 2 under Rob Vaughn
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Alabama
Mascot: This Guy | School Location: Tuscaloosa, AL | Conference: SEC
2025 Record: 5-0 (0-0, T-1st West) | 2025 RPI Rank: n/a
2024 Record: 33-24 (13-17, T-4th West) | 2024 RPI Rank: 28
2023 Record: 43-21 (16-14, 4th West) | 2023 RPI Rank: 10
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: VyStar Ballpark (Jacksonville, FL)
Game Time(s): Sat, Feb 22 @ 4:00pm
TV: Saturday (D1Baseball.com)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Game)
Tell me about this team
Gonna (again) get some more mileage out of the preseason preview here:
The Crimson Tide are poised to take a huge leap forward in their second season under Rob Vaughn, a young coach who previously led Maryland to back-t-back Big Ten titles and NCAA Regional appearances in each of his last three years there. Alabama made an NCAA Regional last year, but this year they look like a potential Regional host.
The lineup lost a lot from last year, but preseason All-American Justin Lebron is a great piece to build around. Two other key cogs of the offense return, but it’s the transfer class that’s exciting. The rest of the infield around Lebron is rebuilt from experienced and productive D1 transfers, while the outfield welcomes a pair of super talented JUCO players.
Pitching was the weak link of last year’s team, and getting Bobby Alcock, Riley Quick, and Hagan Banks back healthy will be huge in shoring that up. Alcock and Quick are potential options for the starting rotation, joining Zane Adams. Tyler Fay is another option who could find a starting gig, as could JUCO transfer Beau Bryans. There’s a lot to like about the arms they brought in via the transfer market.
The freshman class lost INF Carter Johnson to the draft (2nd round, Miami), but getting top 30 national recruit Andre Modugno to campus was huge. With the transfers dominating the lineup, it’s most likely that the freshman class will make their impact on the mound, and there are plenty of options there to do just that. Anthony Pesci was one name that stood out in Alabama’s fall camp.
If you couldn’t tell from the preseason non-conference preview, I’m big on Alabama this year. It’s early, but through their first five games, they’ve made me look good by laying to waste everything in their path, jumping out to a 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents 67-16. Granted, those were while facing Bradley, Middle Tennessee, and Alabama State.
In the Crimson Tide’s first true test of the year last night against Coastal Carolina, Alabama passed with a 9-2 win, although the comfy win was in large part thanks to the Chanticleers falling apart. Bama’s nine runs came on just three hits. The first run in the 2nd inning came via three walks and a hit-by-pitch. The run in the 3rd came on a walk, fielder’s choice, wild pitch, and passed ball. The Tide scored five runs in the 5th on just two hits – only one ball left the infield – with five walks and a HBP doing the damage. The final two runs in the 9th came via a walk, HBP, two errors, and a fielder’s choice.
It was a pretty ugly game overall, though. Even Coastal’s two runs scored thanks to a combination of wild pitches and balks.
This is still a dangerous lineup and their patient approach at the plate (12 walks yesterday, 19.6 BB% for the year) doesn’t exactly matchup well for State’s pitching staff that has struggled to find the zone so far this year (12.4 BB%). The good news is that Tide hitters struck out 12 times yesterday against their first taste of higher level pitching. That’s an area for State to potentially exploit again today.
Pitching may be the strength of this team, though, and that doesn’t bode well for a State team that struggled come through with the timely hit in yesterday’s loss to Ohio State. The Tide return several significant arms from last year, but the biggest boost is in the return of several arms from injury.
Quick – who will get the start against the Wolfpack – and Alcock have made their way into the weekend rotation and are potential difference makers there. Alcock was the Big South Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2023 at Gardner-Webb (7-3, 2.51 ERA, 89.2 IP, 10.7 BB%, 28.3 K%) while Quick earned the Saturday starter gig for 2024 but tore his UCL in his first start, missing the remainder of the year with Tommy John Surgery. Banks missed almost all of 2024 with an elbow injury after being one of Bama’s best relievers in 2023.
The good news for the Wolfpack is that Bama used Tyler Fay (36 pitches) and Braylon Myers (26 pitches) last night, so they are unlikely to see the mound again today. The bad news is there are still a ton of other options in the bullpen, even with Quick unlikely to have a deep outing as he continues to work his way back from TJS.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Heath Andrews (SO) — RHP Riley Quick (rSO)
Key Players:
Offense
SO SS Justin Lebron – .421/.600/.947, 4 2B, 2 HR, 23.3 BB%, 30.0 K%, 3-4 SB. One of the top shortstops in the 2026 draft class. Was a Freshman All-American last year and 1st Team All-SEC and spent time with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer.
rJR OF Bryce Fowler – .391/.548/.565, 1 2B, 1 HR, 21.9 BB%, 21.9 K%, 4-4 SB. Was a reserve on Southern Miss’ 2023 Super Regional squad as a freshman before hitting the JUCO ranks last year and crushing it. Very athletic lefty with a good blend of power and speed.
JR 3B/1B Jason Torres – .375/.516/.625, 1 2B, 1 HR, 19.4 BB%, 22.6 K%, 0-0 SB. Transfer from Miami where he was the Hurricane’s starting first baseman last year before missing the latter part of the season with an injury. Big power potential, but strikeouts were a problem last year for him at Miami.
SO OF/DH Coleman Mizell – .353/.522/.824, 2 2B, 2 HR, 26.1 BB%, 13.0 K%, 0-0 SB. Big 6’3, 230 lbs lefty who was a reserve last year, but has looked the part so far this year. Another guy with huge power potential, but strikeouts have shown an issue in the past.
Pitching
rSO RHP Riley Quick – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 0.0 BB%, 33.3 K%. Big-time prospect prior to having TJS last year. Has an upper 90’s fastball with a really good slider, plus a changeup that he mixes in. He’s going to fly up draft boards with his 6’6, 255 pound frame.
JR RHP J.T. Blackwood – 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4.8 BB%, 14.3 K%. 6’2, 210 lbs JUCO transfer who struck out 116 over 99.1 IP at Wallace State. Mainly a two-pitch guy with a low 90’s fastball and mid-80’s slider combo.
rJR RHP Hagan Banks – 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 25.0 BB%, 25.0 K%. Missed almost all of last year with a partial UCL tear. Not an overpowering guy, but has a slider that is a true out pitch. Has starting experience.
JR RHP Zach Kittrell – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 10.0 BB%, 40.0 K%. A wildcard for this club as he’s a JUCO transfer who missed all of last year with TJS. Struck out 52 in 33.1 IP in 2023 at Pensacola State, though.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Four of the last six times Alabama has made an NCAA Regional, they’ve ended up in the Tallahassee Regional.
NC State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 4-2. Five of those matchups have occurred in the NCAA Tournament, with the last meeting being an 8-1 Wolfpack victory in the 2021 Ruston Regional.
Alabama had four alums play at the MLB level in 2024: OF Tyler Gentry (Royals), RHP Matt Foster (White Sox), RHP Spencer Turnbull (Phillies), RHP David Robertson (Rangers)
The Key To A Win For State
State pitchers need to pound the zone and the defense has to play a clean game. The Wolfpack won’t get back on the right side of the W/L ledger until they stop giving away freebies.
Prediction
Unfortunately, I don’t see this one going the Pack’s way. This is a very strong Alabama team and until State can prove it, it’s going to be hard to trust the Pack’s consistency.
Outcome: Alabama tops State, 8-5