Freshmen Power Alabama Baseball to Error-Laden Midweek Win Over UAB

Alabama's young stars shine despite defensive struggles in victory over in-state rival UAB.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 6:34am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a college baseball game, with overlapping planes of crimson red, navy blue, and white, capturing the dynamic energy and action of the sport.Alabama's freshmen stars shine through the Crimson Tide's defensive struggles in a hard-fought midweek win over in-state rival UAB.Today in Birmingham

Despite committing a season-high six errors through the first five innings, Alabama baseball's freshmen hitters stepped up to power the Crimson Tide to a 12-6 midweek win over UAB. Standout performances from Andrew Purdy, Eric Hines, and Caleb Barnett helped Alabama overcome its defensive miscues and rally past the Blazers.

Why it matters

This win showcases the promising future of Alabama baseball, as the team's talented freshmen continue to make an impact and force their way into bigger roles. While the defensive issues are a concern, the offensive production from these young players bodes well for the Crimson Tide as they head into a crucial weekend series against Texas.

The details

Alabama jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a leadoff home run from junior Justin Lebron, but UAB quickly tied the game in the second inning. The Crimson Tide's defensive struggles then took over, as they committed six errors through the first five innings - the most in a game for Alabama since 2008. However, the bats stayed hot, with freshman Andrew Purdy hitting his first career home run and fellow freshman Caleb Barnett delivering a key three-RBI double in the sixth inning to give Alabama the lead for good. Pitchers Sam Mitchell and Neal provided strong relief efforts to secure the victory.

  • On the fourth pitch of the game, Justin Lebron hit a leadoff home run to give Alabama a 1-0 lead.
  • In the bottom of the third inning, Lebron committed his 14th error of the season, surpassing his previous career-high of 11 in a season.
  • In the bottom of the fifth inning, UAB took a 6-5 lead after Alabama's sixth error of the game.
  • In the top of the sixth inning, Alabama's freshmen hitters loaded the bases, setting up Caleb Barnett's three-RBI double that gave the Crimson Tide the lead for good.

The players

Justin Lebron

A junior on the Alabama baseball team who hit a leadoff home run to start the game, but also committed a season-high 14th error later on.

Andrew Purdy

A freshman first baseman for Alabama who hit his first career home run in the fourth inning, part of a standout performance from the team's talented freshmen.

Caleb Barnett

A freshman making his first career start for Alabama, he delivered a key three-RBI double in the sixth inning to give the Crimson Tide the lead for good.

Sam Mitchell

The Alabama pitcher who came in to record the final out in the fifth inning and then threw 2.1 scoreless innings to settle things down on the mound for the Crimson Tide.

Rob Vaughn

The head coach of the Alabama baseball team, who praised the performance of his talented freshmen players and their ability to force their way into bigger roles.

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What they’re saying

“This has been about as bad as you could defend a game through five innings, but at the end of the day, we're down one. So go find an excuse to win anyway.”

— Rob Vaughn, Head Coach

“You've got a real picture of the future of Alabama baseball with that group of guys there. The beauty is, they are playing at a level where they force your hands, and the future comes a lot sooner than maybe was planned on.”

— Rob Vaughn, Head Coach

What’s next

Alabama will look to build on this win as they head to Austin this weekend to face a tough Texas team. The performance of the Crimson Tide's freshmen will be a key storyline to watch as they continue to make an impact and potentially earn more playing time.

The takeaway

Despite a sloppy defensive effort, Alabama's talented freshmen stepped up in a big way to power the Crimson Tide to victory over in-state rival UAB. This win showcases the bright future of Alabama baseball, as these young players force their way into more prominent roles and provide a glimpse of what's to come for the program.