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

Caleb Barnett and Andrew Purdy had career days in a 12-6 win over the Blazers

Apr. 15, 2026 at 3:20am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a college baseball game, with players and the field deconstructed into abstract shapes and planes of vibrant colors.Alabama's freshmen stars shine through the chaos of an error-filled midweek win, hinting at the program's bright future.Today in Birmingham

Alabama baseball committed six errors through the first five innings on Tuesday night in Birmingham, but the bats were hot, waking up from a disappointing outing on Sunday to power the Crimson Tide to a 12-6 win over UAB. Freshmen Caleb Barnett and Andrew Purdy had career days, with Barnett clearing the bases with a double and Purdy hitting a three-RBI double in the ninth inning.

Why it matters

The performance of Alabama's freshmen, including Barnett, Purdy, and Eric Hines, shows the promising future of the program, as head coach Rob Vaughn noted that the young players are 'playing at a level where they force your hands, and the future comes a lot sooner than maybe was planned on.'

The details

Alabama jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a home run from Justin Lebron, but UAB tied it in the next inning. The teams went back and forth, with Alabama committing six errors through the first five innings. In the sixth inning, freshman Caleb Barnett cleared the bases with a double to left-center, giving Alabama the lead for good. Freshman Andrew Purdy also had a big day, hitting a three-RBI double in the ninth inning.

  • On the fourth pitch of the game, Justin Lebron hit a home run to give Alabama a 1-0 lead.
  • In the bottom of the third inning, Lebron committed his 14th error of the season, a career high.
  • In the bottom of the fifth inning, UAB took a 6-5 lead after Alabama committed its sixth error of the game.

The players

Justin Lebron

A junior on the Alabama baseball team who hit a home run to start the game and has 12 home runs on the season, but has also struggled with errors, committing a career-high 14 so far this year.

Caleb Barnett

A freshman making his first career start for Alabama, he cleared the bases with a double in the sixth inning to give Alabama the lead for good.

Andrew Purdy

A freshman first baseman for Alabama, he hit his first career home run in the fourth inning and added a three-RBI double in the ninth inning.

Rob Vaughn

The head coach of the Alabama baseball team, he praised the performance of the freshmen players and said they are 'playing at a level where they force your hands, and the future comes a lot sooner than maybe was planned on.'

Eric Hines

A freshman outfielder for Alabama who scored a run and recorded a double in the game.

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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 head to Austin this weekend to face Texas as they look to build on the strong performances from their freshmen players.

The takeaway

Despite committing six errors in the first five innings, Alabama's freshmen stepped up in a big way, with Caleb Barnett, Andrew Purdy, and Eric Hines all making key contributions to power the Crimson Tide to a 12-6 win over UAB. This performance showcases the promising future of the Alabama baseball program.