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Pair of Crimson Tide Baseball Players Added To Preseason Watch Lists: Roll Call

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Joe Gaither|
Feb 18, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron throws to first to record and out against Middle Tennessee State at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Feb 18, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron throws to first to record and out against Middle Tennessee State at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alabama baseball is just around the corner with opening day coming next Friday, Feb. 13 as the Crimson Tide hosts Washington State for a weekend series.

Baseball America released its first ever preseason award watch lists on Tuesday with a pair of Crimson Tide players making appearances.

Superstar junior shortstop Justin Lebron was one of 20 players named to the Baseball America Preseason Player of the Year Watch List and was also selected as a Preseason Second Team All-American. It's Lebron's third preseason All-American selection as Perfect Game USA chose him on the First Team and D1Baseball.com chose him on the second team.

Lebron started all 59 games at shortstop last season, with a .316 batting average, tallying 18 doubles, one triple and 18 home runs. He plated 72 RBI and 60 runs scored and was successful on 17 of 18 steal attempts.

Pitcher Myles Upchurch was selected to the Preseason Freshman of the Year Watch List by Baseball America. Upchurch was the No. 1 right-handed pitcher and second-ranked overall prospect from the state of Maryland.

Crimson Tide Roll Call: Wednesday, February 4, 2026

ESPN's family of networks announced its television schedule for the upcoming college baseball season on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will be featured seven times across the cable platforms during the SEC season. All of Alabama’s remaining home games and SEC road games will be featured on SEC Network+.

2026 Alabama Baseball National Television Schedule

  • SEC Network
    March 22 – Florida
    March 28 – Auburn
    April 11 – Arkansas
    May 8 – at South Carolina
    May 9 – at South Carolina
  • ESPN2
    April 23 – at Tennessee
  • ESPNU
    April 30 – Vanderbilt
  • Alabama freshman swimmer Tessa Giele was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second straight week. Giele won the 100-meter butterfly for the second straight week with a 51.67 in the program's dual meet against Auburn. She finished second in the 50-meter freestyle, clocking a time of 22.08. Giele helped the 200-medley relay team notch the nation's fifth-fastest time and fastest time in the SEC this year with a 1:34.34, setting an Alabama Aquatic Center record. Additionally, she helped the 400 free relay team win the event with a 3:13.22 time.
  • Alabama track and field superstar Doris Lemngole was named the SEC Women's Runner of the Week, marking the 10th weekly award of her career and the first of the 2026 indoor track season. Lemngole won the 3,000-meter title at the Millrose Games, finishing in 8:31.39, defeating professional runner Hannah Nuttall in the process.
  • Former Alabama basketball player Keon Ellis was traded on Monday from the Sacramento Kings to the Cleveland Cavaliers as the NBA trade deadline approaches on Feb. 5. Ellis and Dennis Schroder were traded to the Cavs in exchange for forward D'Andre Hunter.

Alabama Crimson Tide Tuesday Scores:

No events scheduled.

Alabama Crimson Tide Wednesday Schedule:

  • Men's Basketball: Alabama vs. Texas A&M, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Countdown to Alabama Football's 2026 Opener:

213 days

On This Date In Alabama History:

February 4, 1940: Billy Neighbors, a consensus All-American lineman and captain of the 1961 national championship team, was born in Tuscaloosa.

February 4, 1966: Fresh off winning a second straight national championship, quarterback Steve Sloan and receiver Dennis Homan were named to the 23-member Academic All-American team. Meanwhile, Kenny Stabler, expected to be the starting quarterback, said he would split time between spring football and baseball. Baseball coach Joe Sewell called Stabler one of the most talented left-handed pitchers he had ever seen.

Alabama Quote of the Day:

"Billy Neighbors was a self-made person. He lost his father extremely early. He had brothers that were good football players, but Billy was different. He was just self-made. He could see something, and he had enough insight of what needed to be done to be great. He was bound and determined to be something special. He became very special in the eyes of everybody."
Bill "Brother" Oliver

We'll Leave You With This:

Former Alabama basketball player Brandon Miller was nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in January after averaging 22.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the first month of 2026. The Hornets went 11-6 in January and ended the month on a six-game win streak.

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Joe Gaither
JOE GAITHER

Joe Gaither oversees videos and podcasts for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral. He began his sports media career in radio in 2019, working for three years in Tuscaloosa covering the University of Alabama and other local high school sports. In 2023 he joined BamaCentral to cover a variety of Crimson Tide sports and recruiting, in addition to hosting the “Joe Gaither Show” podcast. His work has also appeared on the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt web sites.

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