Alabama Closer Carson Ozmer Steadies Crimson Tide Pitching Against Texas A&M

The Penn transfer came up huge in the Crimson Tide's win over the Aggies.

Will Miller | Mar 14, 2025

Alabama baseball closer Carson Ozmer (14). / Alabama Athletics

When the going gets tough in a Friday night college baseball game, it's always useful to have a veteran arm to step up in late innings. No. 17 Alabama got the experienced Carson Ozmer from Penn and quickly installed him as the team's closer; he was massive in Friday's 6-4 win over Texas A&M.

Ozmer entered a 4-3 game in the bottom of the seventh still without an earned run in seven nonconference appearances. He went 2.2 innings, not customary for a closing pitcher, against the No. 19 Aggies (10-7, 0-1 SEC) and locked down the win in his biggest performance this season.

He did give up that first earned run of the campaign in the eighth, a game-tying, opposite field shot from Texas A&M designated hitter Hayden Schott, but that was all the home team could muster against him at Blue Bell Park.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide (18-1, 1-0 SEC) offense lifted Ozmer up with two solo home runs in the ninth inning. The righty responded in the home half of the inning by making the Aggies hit into a double play in the ninth and later finishing the game off entirely.

He also faced former Penn teammate Wyatt Henseler, the Aggie third baseman with pop in his bat, and retired him twice as part of a tough 0-for-5 night for Henseler. Ozmer's old buddy is far from the only threat in Texas A&M coach Michael Earley's lineup, and the Alabama reliever still kept things level prior to pitching with another lead; Henseler is also the one who hit into that double play.

The end result was that Alabama is now 1-0 in SEC play with an opportunity on Saturday afternoon to win its first series of league play in two games. Crimson Tide starter Zane Adams threw well in his 5.2 innings, with just one earned run. Without Ozmer, however, the game's result may have been different.

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