No. 17 Alabama Baseball Dismantles Alabama State in First of Two Meetings

Two midweeks thus far have turned into two wins for the Alabama baseball team.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— In the early innings of Wednesday's game against Alabama State, it seemed that Alabama might be in for something of a fight. Instead, a big inning midway through the game all but put things on ice, and the No. 17 Crimson Tide (5-0) blew out the visiting Hornets 12-0 in the first of two 2024 meetings between the in-state programs. 

"We did enough tonight, which was good," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "Would've loved to be more consistent offensively early, but that's kinda normal this time of year. We're not expecting to be a finished product in February... The focus stayed there, the energy stayed there. We've just gotta execute offensively [at] a little higher level. If I'm sitting here complaining about a 12-0 game, that's a pretty good place to be."

Freshman southpaw Zane Adams got the start in his second appearance and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first of his four shutout frames. That was good for the win in a seven-inning game. High stress innings have been tough to come by at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, but the new pitcher got a big one under his belt. "We got a little bit of a flash of what he's capable of," Vaughn said.

Adams felt he settled in as his first college start wore on, and Vaughn agreed. "I was a little bit nervous. I tend to thrive whenever I get nervous, so I think it was a good thing," said Adams. "Towards, like, the third inning, I started to settle in, get a good feel for the game."

 As it turned out, the early going was tough for Crimson Tide batters. Things initially played out in completely different fashion than last season's 21-7 demolition, with the score knotted at two zeroes apiece through three. 

That all changed in the bottom half of the fourth inning. 

Alabama State starter Luis Gonzalez surrendered just one hit in two innings of work but exited following only 29 pitches. His replacement, Will Smith, walked a pair in the third but induced a double play by Alabama left fielder Ian Petrutz to end that inning. The free passes reared their heads again in the next home frame.

The Crimson Tide loaded the bases on a base on balls sandwiched between a pair of hard-hit singles. Shortstop Justin Lebron popped out, and Smith had catcher Kam Guangorena at a 1-2 count, but eventually walked in a run. It was Guangorena's first RBI in an Alabama uniform, the easy way. For the Hornets (2-3), it only went downhill from there. Smith left the game with a 31.50 earned run average and just one recorded out in his last inning.

After Guangorena walked, infielders Bryce Eblin and Gage Miller hit back-to-back singles. Each produced the same number of RBIs as their back-to-back solo home runs on Tuesday night. The game was then broken open by hot-hitting center fielder TJ McCants, who hit his third home run in as many games: a grand slam, the first for the team this season. 

"I'm just trying to hit the ball, stay within the zone, lay off pitches outside the zone," McCants said. "Just getting the barrel to the ball... I'm just taking it game by game." He said the efforts of the pitching staff have taken pressure off the bats. "That's huge as a hitter," he said, describing the feeling as going to the plate carefree. "The guys on the mound are gonna do their jobs."

The home fifth inning sent the contest into run-rule territory with more action from Eblin and McCants. Both singled home a pair of runs, the other score coming on a passed ball. McCants now has 13 RBIs in five games. "Co-ops Alabama State's offense was a far cry from the unit's 2023 display in the same venue. The first Hornet hit to leave the infield happened in the top of the fifth. Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for the bullpen after Adams' departure. Matthew Heiberger, Pierce George (the Texas transfer making his debut) and Jansen Kenty preserved the shutout with four combined strikeouts.

"We had the leadoff guy on the first four innings... [and] there was kind of some uncompetitive at-bats behind it," Vaughn said. "This game is such a game that kinda works together... Heiberger, that guy's gonna throw real, real hard. That's a special, special heater, and he's not scared. 

Those guys go out there and they trust their stuff. Heiberger was outstanding, Pierce George throwing 102 with a hammer, that'll play most places... Kenty at the end, those guys, the bullpen's huge." Vaughn and associate head coach Jason Jackson have a good feeling knowing the sheer number of bullpen hurlers they can trot out. 

As the Crimson Tide approaches a three-day date with Valparaiso for its second weekend tilt of the campaign, the offense is rolling on all cylinders. The pitching corps has done what's been asked of them, and only surrendered a single midweek run. Three of five games have ended in shutouts and two have come by run rule. The offensive output has a major say in the latter category, but the pitching has to uphold its end, which to date has happened. The Valparaiso series begins Friday. Alabama and Alabama State meet again in Montgomery next month.

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