TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Friday, May 29, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Alabama State Hornets 21-3 to begin their run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Alabama finished the game with 15 hits as a team. Nine different Alabama players had hits in the game.
Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn talked about the big win his team had to open the NCAA Tournament.
“It was a business-like win,” Vaughn said. “Our guys were hooked from the jump. We just kept scoring and kept answering. It allowed us to save the bullpen a little bit.”
Justin Lebron leads Alabama in RBIs
Top ten 2026 MLB Draft prospect Justin Lebron had a big night to open the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Lebron had a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored the Crimson Tide’s first run of the game.
Then, in the fifth inning, Lebron hit a three-run home run that gave Alabama a 10-run lead. It was his 15th home run of the season.
Lebron finished the game with four RBIs, leading the Crimson Tide statistically.
Vaughn sounded off on Lebron as a player after he opened up his postseason on a high note.
“He is just a freak of nature,” Vaughn said. “He can take over a game on both sides of the ball very quickly.”
Bryce Fowler, Brady Neal, and Luke Vaughn put together big performances
Bryce Fowler and Brady Neal have been Alabama’s two leading hitters all season long. Both players had three hits apiece on Friday night against the Hornets.
Fowler had a triple to lead off the game and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Lebron. Later on, he had a two-run home run in the sixth inning. The Alabama center fielder finished the game with three RBIs and four runs scored, along with his three hits.
Fowler talked about the big night he had during the win over Alabama State.
“I was seeing the ball well,” Fowler said. “It was just fun to play in front of our fans. The right field area and grandstand were slammed. Having the fans behind us helped for sure.”
Much like Fowler, Neal had a home run in the sixth inning. It was a solo shot to right field. He also had an RBI double in the fourth inning that scored Fowler.
Luke Vaughn had a big night for the Crimson Tide with two hits. He hit the first of Alabama’s four home runs against Alabama State in the second inning. He later had an RBI knock into center field in the fourth inning. Vaughn finished the night with three RBIs and four runs scored.
Up next for the Tuscaloosa Regional
Here is the schedule for the Tuscaloosa regional games on Saturday, May 30.
Alabama State vs Oklahoma State – 2 p.m. ET – elimination game
USC Upstate vs Alabama – 7 p.m. ET – “1-0” game
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Alabama catcher Luke Vaughn (13) during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
