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Vic Moten, Bryce Fowler Headline Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week

Recognizing the Crimson Tide athletes who dominated this week from Tuscaloosa to the pros.
Theodore Fernandez|
Bryce Fowler (9).
Bryce Fowler (9). | Alabama Athletics

With the full attention on the diamond sports in the wake of basketball's NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan, both teams delivered massive performances. Baseball went into Norman and took down the No. 11 Sooners for its third straight ranked series win, while softball showed it is a legitimate title contender with its victory over No. 1 Texas. Here are the Crimson Tide Athletes of the Week for the week of March 31 - April 6, 2026:

Freshman of the Week: Vic Moten

Moten has shown plenty of flashes this season as one of the most impressive freshmen in the nation, even being named SEC Pitcher of the Week earlier in the season after an elite outing against Florida State. The Daphne native was not lights-out last weekend against No. 1 Texas, but she did enough to set Alabama up for wins in the final two games of the series.

Moten pitched 9.1 innings, giving up three runs in each game while striking out 13 batters. She walked a career-high five batters in the first inning on Friday and was pulled after allowing three runs, but re-entered the game and got Alabama out of a bases-loaded jam. From there, it was smooth sailing for a player who should be in the mix for a Freshman All-American nod.

Athlete of the Week: Bryce Fowler

Fowler set the tone for Alabama baseball's first road series win of the season on the first pitch in Norman, taking that ball oppo for a leadoff home run to left field. He was far from finished, as Fowler went yard again the next inning for his first career multi-homer game. That blast, a no-doubter to right, brought in three runs to blow the game open for the Crimson Tide.

Fowler ended up going 7-for-14 on the weekend, and his numbers have skyrocketed throughout a torrid start to SEC play. He is now batting .361 on the season, good for eighth-best in the conference.

Pro Athlete of the Week: Ben Hess

The former Alabama ace, who is now the Yankees' No. 5 prospect, struck out a career-high nine batters in his season debut with the Double-A Somerset Patriots. Hess' strikeout rate was one of the biggest reasons New York took him with its 2024 first-round pick, and he has continued to record punchouts at every level.

Hess is a very likely deadline trade candidate if the Yankees are buyers this year, as expected, but he could very well end up playing his way into the majors this year, whether in New York or elsewhere.

Clutch Athlete of the Week: Brady Neal

Neal has put up career numbers this season as Alabama's leader in just about every hitting statistic except for home runs. He had an incredible game in Thursday's opener, going 4-for-4 with a home run, and is the recipient of this award for two plays, one of which occurred in that game. He made an incredible catch at the right field wall to rob a three-run Oklahoma home run that could have completely changed the game.

But the biggest play Neal made came back on Tuesday, where he hit a go-ahead ninth-inning home run to give Alabama a 4-3 win over Jacksonville State. The hit gave Alabama the victory over a tough Gamecocks team and kept the momentum rolling heading into Norman.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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