Alabama Baseball's Zane Denton Enters Transfer Portal

The Crimson Tide's rising senior third baseman led the team in RBI and home runs in 2022.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball third baseman Zane Denton has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, BamaCentral has confirmed with multiple sources.

After solid freshman and sophomore campaigns in 2020 and 2021, Denton returned for his junior year in 2022 and continued to make solid contributions for the Crimson Tide in both the lineup and the infield. On the season, he batted .263 with 61 hits, 35 runs and a team-leading 48 RBI. Denton's 13 home runs on the season were also the most by any Alabama hitter on the season.

Denton also had a fielding percentage of .971 in 2022, with just four errors at third base all season.

"He’s just one of those guys that’s got the hitting gene — that is just a pure hitter," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said during the 2022 season. "He’s done a really good job of developing his body here, developing some athleticism and becoming a much better defensive player. He’s also grown as a person and achieved success at a high level in the classroom, which we as a staff are proud of.”

Here are Denton's career highlights with the Crimson Tide, courtesy of Alabama Athletics:

Career Accolades

• Newcomer All-SEC Team (2021)
• SEC All-Defensive Team - 3B (2021)
• SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll (2021)
• SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2019-20)

2022

• Alabama’s everyday third baseman who started all 58 games
• Batted .263 (61-232) with 12 doubles and 13 home runs, including a grand slam
• Totaled 48 RBI and 35 runs scored to go with 22 walks and six hit-by-pitch
• Led UA in home runs, RBI and total bases (112) while ranking third in doubles and slugging (.483)
• Recorded a team-high 14 multi-RBI games, including six in SEC action to rank second on UA
• Tied for the team lead in home runs with five during SEC matchups
• Homered in back-to-back games five times - March 1-2, March 9-11, March 13-16, April 9-10 and from April 16-17
• Went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and two runs to go with a career-high and Alabama season-high tying five RBI on May 10 at Jacksonville State
• Recorded a seven-game hitting streak from April 9-19, batting .357 (10-28) with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI, six runs and five walks during that stretch
• Got aboard in 10 consecutive games from April 3-19
• Reached base safely in 10 straight games from March 5-20
• Put together a six-game hitting streak from March 5-March 18, batting .500 (11-22) with a double, four home runs, nine RBI, eight runs and six walks across the streak
• Recorded a five-game hitting streak from June 4, 2021-Feb. 20, 2022, batting .350 (7-20) with three doubles, one home run, three RBI, three runs and a pair of walks during the stretch
• Selected to the 2022 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List to start his junior season

2021

• Earned SEC All-Defensive Team recognition for his standout play at third base
• Selected to the Newcomer All-SEC Team
• Started all 58 games with 53 starts at third base and five at first
• Led UA with a .308 (68-221) batting average that included 10 doubles and 10 home runs
• Drew a team-high 35 walks while also leading the Tide in on-base percentage at .405
• Ranked second on UA in hits and runs scored (40) while tying for second in RBI (40)
• Tied for the UA lead in multi-hit games with 21, including a team-high tying 11 in SEC play
• Recorded 14 multi-RBI games to rank second on UA, seven of which came against SEC foes
• Walked off McNeese on Feb. 20 with a solo home run
• Put together a six-game hitting streak from May 2-16, batting .360 (9-25) with two doubles, a home run, five RBI, two runs scored and a walk during that stretch
• Registered a five-game hitting streak in SEC play from April 10-17, batting .500 (11-22) with a home run, six RBI, five runs, two walks and a stolen base across the streak
• Posted a six-game hitting streak from April 10-17, batting .520 (13-25) with a home run, eight RBI, seven runs, five walks and one stolen base during that time
• Notched an eight-game hitting streak from game two of the Feb. 27 doubleheader to March 13, batting .333 (11-33) with two doubles, three home run, seven RBI, nine runs and six walks across that stretch
• Recorded a six-game hitting streak from March 8, 2020 to Feb. 23, 2021, batting .526 (10-19) with a double, triple, two home runs, five RBI, five runs scored and a walk

2020

• Saw time in 13 games with 11 starts in his first season at the Capstone
• Recorded nine hits, including three doubles and a triple, to go with nine RBI and five runs scored
• Also tallied three walks and was hit by a pitch
• Made his Alabama debut on Opening Day against Northeastern, starting at third and going 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored