Freshman Myles Upchurch Continues To Grow Into Weekend Role For Alabama

Upchurch struck out 11 batters in Alabama's 12-2 win over North Florida.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Freshman pitcher Myles Upchurch had a career-high 11 strikeouts over six innings in Alabama's 12-2 win over North Florida on Sunday. Upchurch, one of the most highly-touted members of Alabama's freshman class, has been impressive in the early part of the season, sitting at 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA through 18.2 innings pitched and 31 strikeouts.

Why it matters

Upchurch's strong performances have given Alabama confidence that he can be a reliable Sunday starter as the Crimson Tide enter SEC play, where the team will rely on him to win crucial rubber matches.

The details

Upchurch struck out four batters through the first 2.1 innings before giving up a solo home run in the third. He then put together three straight 1-2-3 innings, striking out the final batter of all six of his completed frames. Upchurch ran into some trouble in the sixth, giving up a walk and a single to start the inning, before being removed from the game.

  • Upchurch struck out a career-high 11 batters on Sunday, March 9, 2026.
  • Upchurch is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA through 18.2 innings pitched so far this season.

The players

Myles Upchurch

A freshman pitcher for the University of Alabama baseball team who has been impressive in the early part of the season.

Rob Vaughn

The head coach of the University of Alabama baseball team, who has praised Upchurch's poise and maturity.

Jason Jackson

The pitching coach for the University of Alabama baseball team.

Seth Alford

A nine-hole batter for North Florida who hit a solo home run off of Upchurch in the third inning.

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What they’re saying

“I've kind of bragged about his poise, and that's what makes him good. The moment's not too big, and he's not trying to do extra...”

— Rob Vaughn, Head Coach (si.com)

“I think each outing, just consistently, something got better and better and better. I'm still nowhere near where I want to be, but today was a good step forward.”

— Myles Upchurch (si.com)

“It's just a challenge heater, and he beat me there. There's nothing I can really do about it. (Pitching coach Jason Jackson) always says next pitch, next three guys. So that's my mentality every time.”

— Myles Upchurch (si.com)

“It's pretty rare for you to have every pitch working in the outing, but today I did. It was pretty fun. There's times where you throw and you only got two pitches with you, and you gotta grind it out, and there's times where you got everything. So learning how to manage when you don't have your pitches makes it a whole lot easier when you have them there.”

— Myles Upchurch (si.com)

“Everyone knows that the SEC is the best conference in baseball, so we all know that it's gonna be a grind and it's gonna be a challenge. Our preparation doesn't change during the weeks coming up. It doesn't change at all. It doesn't change what I do, and it doesn't change what the hitters do. All we can do is just send our best stuff.”

— Myles Upchurch (si.com)

What’s next

As the locked-in Sunday starter, Upchurch's performances will undoubtedly determine the results of numerous rubber matches in SEC play. If Upchurch continues to execute at a high level, Alabama's Sunday spot may quickly become one of its biggest strengths once conference play begins.

The takeaway

Myles Upchurch's impressive start to the season, highlighted by his career-high 11 strikeouts against North Florida, has given Alabama confidence that he can be a reliable Sunday starter as the team enters SEC play. Upchurch's poise and maturity on the mound have been praised by his coaches, and his ability to execute his pitches at a high level could be a key factor in the Crimson Tide's success in close conference matchups.