Crimson Corner: Preliminary Thoughts on Alabama Baseball

When it comes to Alabama baseball, there's a little bit more excitement around the program this preseason than usual.

Last season, the Crimson Tide made it to an NCAA Tournament Regional for the first time since 2014, but failed to make it past the first stage. That being said, Alabama making it to a regional was a big step for the program after such a long drought.

These are just some preliminary thoughts on Alabama baseball with just nine days left before the start of the season. Stay tuned at BamaCentral for our full season preview next week, as well as plenty of coverage of games and features:

Much of the heavy-hitters in the lineup are returning this year, including third baseman Zane Denton, second baseman Jim Jarvis and shortstop Bryce Eblin. Drew Williamson will also be back at first base, providing a consistent bat that has seen him playing the role of leadoff hitter in scrimmages this spring.

While catcher was a position with many question marks after the departure of Sam Praytor to the MLB, JUCO transfer Dominic Tamez seems to have answered the call. Along with solid fielding this spring, Tamez also brings a solid, middle-of-the-lineup bat to the table.

Outfield has more questions than the infield does, but not due to lack of talent. In fact, Alabama has a lot of talented players in the outfield, making it a little bit more difficult to predict the starting lineup. That being said, Owen Diodati and Will Hamiter both make their returns and will no doubt continue to play large roles for the team this season. Caden Rose, Andrew Pinckney are also returning, alongside Harvard transfer Tommy Seidl. Those three players are currently vying for the starting position in center field. Diodati could also play designated hitter, giving other players an opportunity to fill out his spot in right field.

While fielding will likely be improved, Alabama's offense in its lineup is where fans might see the most improvement. The Crimson Tide are loaded with much more power than last season, so the Right Field Ragers could be taking home a lot of souvenir baseballs this year.

In terms of pitching, regular starters Tyler Ras and Dylan Smith along with Chase Lee have all left to the MLB, leaving plenty of spots for the younger guys to step up. Antoine Jean, Grayson Hitt, Luke Holman, Jacob McNairy, Dylan Ray, Hunter Furtado and Garrett McMillan are all pitchers that could provide quite a few surprises this season. McMillan, who transferred in from Shelton State this past offseason, has looked stellar in scrimmages and has been getting a lot of time on the mound. Ray is also expected to take a step up, while Green will likely take over the closer role.

If you'd like to know more about some of the Crimson Tide's standout transfers, you can read about them by clicking the links below:

Keeping it Crimson: Alabama OF Tommy Seidl Brings Experience to Tuscaloosa

Alabama Catcher Dominic Tamez is Turning Question Marks into Exclamation Points

Late-Bloomer: Alabama LHP Hunter Furtado Brings the Heat