Alabama baseball improved to 25-4 overall and 6-3 in the SEC by winning two out of three at home against No. 9 Oklahoma this weekend. The Crimson Tide bounced back from dropping two of three to top-ranked Tennessee last weekend.
The series win over the Sooners is more proof that this Alabama team is the real deal and can compete with the upper echelon of teams in the Southeastern Conference.
Alabama took the opening game of the series on Friday, besting the Sooners 8-6 thanks to a three-run 8th inning. The Tide rallied from a run down, plating three runs off of RBI hits from Kade Snell, Will Plattner, and Jason Torres.
Alabama fell on Saturday, 6-5. The Tide attempted a similar rally, tying the game in the 7th from a 4-2 deficit. Oklahoma scored two to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th, and while Alabama was able to plate one on an RBI groundout, that was where it ended.
But on Sunday's rubber match, the Crimson Tide jumped out to an 8-1 lead through four innings and held on to an 8-6 win through a rain delay. Torres and Will Hodo both hit homers to lead the Tide's offense.
3 Takeaways from Alabama's series win over Oklahoma
3. Aeden Finateri did a nice job filling in on the weekend rotation
With Alabama's usual Saturday starter, Riley Quick, out due to a blood blister on his finger, Alabama had to move up Sunday starter Bobby Alcock to Saturday and then used Aeden Finateri on Sunday.
The Georgia Tech transfer made only his second appearance against an SEC foe on Sunday and threw a season-high 69 pitches. He tossed 4.2 innings, gave up four hits, two earned runs, walked two, and four strikeouts to help the Tide win.
Alabama's pitching was the big question mark going into SEC play. It was a good sign to see they could get a quality start out of Finateri when they needed it.
2. Garrett Staton's return to the lineup gives Rob Vaughn plenty of options
Garrett Staton missed some time with a broken finger but actually returned for Alabama's midweek matchup with North Alabama before playing the first two games of the weekend series against Oklahoma.
Staton went 2/6 with three RBI and a walk. He ripped an RBI double against the Sooners in Alabama's Friday night win:
Alabama is out to a 2-0 lead over Oklahoma after a Garrett Staton RBI double and a Richie Bonomolo Jr. sac fly. Second-straight top 10 showdown in Tuscaloosa. pic.twitter.com/gX0tfsLmOc
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) March 29, 2025
Staton started the first two games at 2B before Brennen Norton took over for the rubber match. Norton was able to provide situational pinch-hitting for the Crimson Tide over the weekend, giving Vaughn some versatility off the bench.
1. Alabama's offense keeps rocking, even against SEC pitching
Alabama has a high-powered offense that keeps rocking and rolling even during SEC play. Alabama averaged seven runs per game in the series win over Oklahoma and got plenty of timely hits from a variety of sources.
Obviously, Justin Lebron is still the superstar in the lineup, but they aren't solely dependent on his ability, either. He went 4/12 in the series and hit homerun in Friday's win. But Alabama also got big weekends out of Kade Snell, Richie Fowler, and Jason Torres, too.
Alabama will face off with Samford in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday in a tune-up game before traveling to face rival Auburn on the road next weekend.