Alabama OF Owen Diodati Announces Transfer Destination
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Former Alabama baseball outfielder Owen Diodati announced his transfer destination on Saturday afternoon, revealing that he will be headed to Eugene, Ore. to play for the Oregon Ducks.
Diodati, who entered the transfer portal back on May 31, made his announcement via social media.
My time at the University of Alabama has been unforgettable. With that being said, I am beyond excited for the next chapter. Proud to announce my commitment to play baseball & further my education at the University of Oregon! Go ducks! @OregonBaseball @CoachWazUO @JackMarder14 pic.twitter.com/FH9cA0Aw3H
— Owen Diodati (@owendiodati) June 26, 2022
"My time at the University of Alabama has been unforgettable," Diodati's tweet reads. "With that being said, I am beyond excited for the next chapter. Proud to announce my commitment to play & further my education at the University of Oregon. Go ducks!"
This past season, Diodati posted a .242 batting average with eight home runs and 26 runs batted in over the course 49 games, which included 41 starts.
Diodati, a native of Ontario, Canada, joined the Crimson Tide in 2020. He was selected as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball News after batting .309 with three doubles, a triple and five home runs in his 17 games of action, including 14 starts. During the COVID-shortened season, Diodati led the team with 22 RBIs while putting together seven multi-RBI games. He led all SEC freshmen in RBI and slugging percentage (.673) while tying for the lead in home runs and walks among first-year players.
“Owen’s a guy that a year ago I could’ve told you I had really, really high expectations for him,” Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said during Diodati's freshman season. “But you never know who’s going to be nervous at first and who’s going to get off to a hot start and how they’re going to handle the distractions of college and being away from home, some failure."
Diodati saw his production begin to slip in 2021 when he batted .230 with three doubles, a triple and 11 home runs over 56 games while splitting time as an outfielder and a designated hitter. One of the highlights of that season came as he recorded grand slams in back-to-back games against College of Charleston and South Alabama, becoming the first player in Alabama history to accomplish the feat.
With Diodati's departure to join the Ducks, a total of three former Crimson Tide baseball players have announced their new teams. Along with Diodati to Oregon, right-hand pitcher Jacob Eddington announced earlier this week that he would be headed to Missouri State, while catcher Graham Crawford departed Alabama to move back to his home town of Hattiesburg, Miss. and play for Southern Miss.
Gallery: Owen Diodati


