After a 41-18 record in Year 2 under head coach Rob Vaughn and an early exit from the Hattiesburg Regional, Alabama baseball could be forced to replace its entire outfield this offseason, depending on the results of the MLB Draft. The draft will also determine if the ideal replacement heads to Tuscaloosa after all.
On Tuesday, 2025 Alabama baseball commit Eric Hines was named the Gatorade Alabama Baseball Player of the Year after smashing 20 home runs and driving in nearly 60 runs in his senior season at American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa. The star outfielder led the ACA Patriots to a 5A State Championship, and his rising profile could see him forgo a collegiate career to begin his professional climb towards the major leagues.
Alabama outfield commit Eric Hines named Gatorade Alabama Baseball Player of the Year
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-handed power hitter signed with the Alabama 2025 class as an outfielder and right-handed pitcher. He is the No. 2 overall recruit in the state of Alabama according to Perfect Game USA, and the 11th best outfielder in the country. With those rankings, he’s unlikely to find himself in the first round of the MLB Draft, so unless a team is interested in handing him a major signing bonus well over slot value as a later-round selection, then he’ll join the Crimson Tide.
Hines’s draft status is paramount for Vaughn’s program because starting left fielder Kade Snell is out of eligibility after leading the team with a 1.039 OPS and 77 hits in his final season. Snell will be heading to professional baseball this summer, and both centerfielder Richie Bonomolo Jr. and right fielder Bryce Fowler are eligible to follow him into the MLB Draft.
Both Bonomolo and Fowler were major producers for the Crimson Tide last season, so if they return with Hines potentially slotting in as the starting left fielder in his freshman season, then the Crimson Tide could continue their ascent through a loaded SEC under Vaughn.
Hines was a major recruiting victory for Alabama, especially with him playing his high school ball in the shadow of campus, and his latest accolade only increases his importance in the 2025 class.