2025 Alabama Crimson Tide Baseball Preview: Pitchers

With a mix of new and returning faces, the Crimson Tide's 2025 pitching staff has immense potential.

Will Miller | Feb 10, 2025

May 11 2024; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama pitcher Zane Adams (20) was the starting pitcher at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Saturday. Alabama lost 6-3 as LSU evened the weekend series. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

A lot goes into winning and losing baseball games. There's plenty in the way of clutch hits, throws and more that underscores how things play out on the diamond. However, what happens on the mound is all-important, and this year's Alabama baseball arms have a lot of upside and a lot of promise.

Critically, the stable gets some of the depth back that it lost due to various injuries last spring. That includes starting pitcher Riley Quick, a junior right-hander whose 2024 season was cut short after just three innings due to Tommy John surgery. However, the team must also replace contributions of, among others, the likes of starters Ben Hess and Greg Farone (turned professional) and former closer Alton Davis II (transferred to Georgia).

He isn't the only hurler returning to on-field production for the team following an extended absence. In addition to those players, key contributors (both starters and relievers) and newcomers are in a position to make pitching a major strength in year two of the Rob Vaughn era.

Riley Quick, RHP, junior (jersey No. 4)

Quick pitched three innings in his lone start during the season-opening series against Manhattan last February before elbow discomfort gave way to an injury requiring Tommy John surgery. His velocity has ticked back up, and he's got staff ace written all over him. It's a possibility he plays during the opening game this Friday, though it would be a limited outing innings-wise, but his recovery has gone smoothly enough that he figures prominently into the team's plans for the full season. As a freshman reliever in 2023, he split two decisions across 16 appearances while posting a 3.68 earned run average in 22 innings.

Beau Bryans, LHP, junior (jersey No. 6)

Bryans played two seasons at Jones College in Ellisville, Miss. As a member of the Bobcats, he was a two-way player, but he is listed solely as a pitcher on Alabama's online roster. He started 15 games in 2024 and struck out 110 batters in 70.2 innings. In 13 relief outings during his stint at Jones College, he had a comparably limited sample size of 12.2 innings. However, he built himself up to a starter's workload after that 2023 campaign.

Matthew Heiberger, LHP, sophomore (jersey No. 7)

A Birmingham, Ala., native, Heiberger showed serious potential as a hard-throwing freshman in 2024. He did his best work against a tough field at the Frisco Classic, collecting a save against eventual regional host Arizona and helping buoy the team with a scoreless outing during a battle against Dallas Baptist to close out the event. He wasn't at his healthiest down the stretch and missed a chunk of the spring schedule. Heiberger can be used in different spots, including potentially as a stopper if need be. Whatever capacity he's used in, Heiberger will be a valuable piece out of the bullpen for Vaughn and pitching coach Jason Jackson.

Tyler Fay, RHP, redshirt sophomore (jersey No. 8)

After making 14 appearances during league play last year, Fay is a breakout candidate entering his sophomore season. This is a player who will be helped by experience; he did some good work as a reliever in a team-leading 23 trips to the mound despite a 7.94 ERA (34 innings). Another arm with versatility, Fay could get the ball for midweek games (though that particular role can always be fluid) and/or continue displaying his repertoire in relief. His 32 strikeouts ranked sixth on the 2024 team.

Coulson Buchanan, RHP, senior (jersey No. 11)

A veteran who now has a year of experience in Tuscaloosa under his belt, the former Wofford transfer saved a game and logged 29.1 innings in his maiden voyage with the Crimson Tide. He can take up leverage innings while providing leadership in the pen. Buchanan's 2024 season saw him record a 2-1 record and 20 punchouts, though he also had an ERA above seven. He and Fay were both better than the numbers showed, with each having an eye toward steps forward in 2025.

JT Blackwood, RHP, junior (jersey No. 12)

Blackwood is another Alabama native whose trip to Tuscaloosa from his prior school was a short one; he arrives to the 2025 team by way of Wallace State C.C. He was an impressive 8-1 on the hill as a freshman in 2023 (12 starts, 14 appearances) with a 2.49 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

Carson Ozmer, RHP, graduate student (jersey No. 14)

NCAA Tournament experience is something a baseball program which expects to compete at a high level welcomes. That's what Alabama is getting in Ozmer, who put in four strong years at Penn with 10 career saves for the Quakers as the 2023 team made noise in a regional and was one game away from a berth in the supers. In 2024, Ozmer led the bullpen in strikeouts and saves, also possessing a difficult arm slot to hit against. He had a 1.83 earned run average in the 2023 season.

Jonathan Stevens, RHP, sophomore (jersey No. 16)

Stevens was on the roster in 2024 but did not see any playing time. He's notably local (Birmingham is his listed hometown) and tossed a no-hitter during a playoff game while in high school.

Aeden Finateri, RHP, senior (jersey No. 19)

This Georgia Tech transfer threw 75 innings last season in 16 starts for the ACC's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Power Four starting experience from the portal is a big deal, and Finateri also made four starts in 2023. He has 172 collegiate strikeouts to his name, including 80 last season, and he'll be a name in the hat when it comes to possible starting opportunities for this spring.

Zane Adams, LHP, sophomore (jersey No. 20)

Adams had to grow up pretty fast last year when injuries in the weekend rotation forced him to take on starts with an increased level of importance. He acquitted himself well and even earned his way onto the Freshman All-SEC team. He finished with a 5.37 ERA in 58.2 innings, and his best game was last April 14 against Arkansas. In that game, he threw eight shutout innings against one of the country's elite programs and helped lock up a huge series win. He will be in the weekend rotation again, likely getting the ball to open the campaign if Quick does not.

Braylon Myers, RHP, senior (jersey No. 22)

Myers saved three games and held the lowest earned run average among Crimson Tide relievers in his junior year. He's been with Alabama all the way through and is not lacking in experience, having played in 10 games as a true freshman back in 2022. He's got a good pitch mix and will be a factor out of the pen once again.

Aidan Moza, RHP, senior (jersey No. 23)

After a down year in 2024, Moza will be looking to rebound in his third season in an Alabama uniform. The former UAB Blazer has had bright spots during his Capstone career, including a strong outing against Florida in the 2023 SEC Tournament and pitching under immense duress to close out a series win against eventual national champion Tennessee this past season. He began the 2024 campaign as the third man in the opening-weekend rotation but finished with an ERA approaching 10. He still ranked fourth in strikeouts on the team. What he needs is consistency, which he can find in 2025 if he gets into a groove.

Tate Robertson, LHP, senior (jersey No. 24)

Robertson is a Northridge High School product and no stranger to Tuscaloosa even beyond that, pitching two seasons at Shelton State from 2022-23 and joining his team in the 2023 NJCAA World Series. He was 7-3 across 15 2023 starts. Robertson did not play last season.

Danny Heintz, RHP, redshirt senior (jersey No. 29)

Alabama has two pitchers on its 2025 roster by way of Penn; Ozmer is one, Heintz is the other. The latter owns 55 strikeouts in four seasons with the Quakers, with 33 of those coming in 2022. He pitched in eight games in 2024, totaling 10.1 innings and nine runs.

Anthony Pesci, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 30)

Pesci won multiple state titles in high school and was ranked by Perfect Game USA as a top-500 recruit nationwide. He was rated in the top 50 recruits in his native Michigan by Prep Baseball Report.

Ariston Veasey, RHP, sophomore (jersey No. 33)

Veasey pitched in just one game as a freshman in 2024, against in-state foe Samford on April 23. He is also listed as a utility player on the online roster, in addition to being poised for more potential appearances on the bump in 2025.

Hagan Banks, RHP, redshirt junior (jersey No. 36)

Banks only made four appearances in his third season last spring before joining Quick on the list of Crimson Tide pitchers to undergo Tommy John surgery. He had earned his way into the weekend rotation by the time his elbow forced him out of action during SEC play in March. His surgery was more than a month after Quick's, though. Banks has started in every season during which he has played, and when he's fully back in the swing of things he will be in the starters' picture. In his most robust season, he went 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 16 appearances as a sophomore in 2023.

Andre Modugno, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 37)

This IMG Academy product is a versatile player who can also hit and play third base. Perfect Game USA ranked him the No. 1 player in New Jersey for the 2024 cycle, also earning the No. 2 spot at the hot corner. It remains to be seen exactly what role he will take on once his college career begins in earnest. He's also got good size for a true freshman, checking in at 6'5" and 215 pounds.

Zach Kittrell, RHP, junior (jersey No. 38)

Kittrell had Tommy John surgery in March 2024, and transferred in from Pensacola State College. He did not play at all during the 2024 campaign, and has one start on his college ledger to go with a career 5.94 ERA.

Sam Mitchell, RHP, sophomore (jersey No. 39)

Mitchell saw fairly limited action during his true freshman campaign but still managed five games and his first college win. He is one of a number of players who can carve out bigger roles this season. He got looks against SEC competition, including the Friday game of the aforementioned SEC series against then-top ranked Arkansas.

Connor Ball, LHP, redshirt junior (jersey No. 41)

Ball's absence from last season's bullpen flew somewhat under the radar. He's appeared in 13 career games, two in 2022 and 11 in 2023. He boasts a collegiate win from Feb. 25, 2023 against High Point. He had a 5.40 ERA that season; the 4.50 he put up as a freshman the year prior is impacted by a very low sample size (two innings).

Jack Ketchum, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 43)

Perfect Game USA ranked Ketchum the top right-handed pitcher out of Mississippi. He has a 13-6 record as a high schooler, also batting over .400 during his career at that level.

Packy Bradley-Cooney, RHP, senior (jersey No. 44)

After a sneaky good midmajor program in Campbell University lost head coach Justin Haire to Ohio State, the Camels' leader in saves came to the Power Four as well and found himself in Tuscaloosa. Bradley-Cooney was 2-0 in 25 relief appearances with 53 strikeouts last season, recording five or more punchouts in a single outing five times.

Jackson Hunter, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 45)

Another local product, Hunter made waves at Hazel Green High School in Alabama en route to an area title and state Final Four appearance in 2023. Perfect Game USA had him tabbed as a top-10 recruit in the state.

Carson Kuehne, LHP, freshman (jersey No. 46)

Also a former IMG player, Kuehne was rated the No. 22 left-hander in California by Perfect Game USA. He's originally from Kentfield, Calif., and is a long way from home. Kuehne goes 6'5" tall.

Bobby Alcock, RHP, redshirt senior (jersey No. 48)

Alcock transferred from Gardner-Webb prior to the 2024 season but was unable to make it to the mound. The 2023 Big South Pitcher of the Year started 14 games that year and led the league with a 2.51 ERA. He had a 2.08 earned run average across three 2022 starts before taking a redshirt.

Nash Wagner, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 49)

A top five overall recruit in the state of Indiana by Perfect Game USA, Wagner pitched to a sub-2 ERA as a high school junior and finished his career as Perfect Game's No. 227 recruit in the country.

Connor Lehman, LHP, freshman (jersey No. 50)

When it came to left-handed pitchers in Tennessee for his recruiting cycle, Perfect Game USA gave Lehman the top spot, also naming him his home state's No. 16 overall recruit. He pitched in the Geico National High School Championship after his junior year.

Ashton Alston, RHP, freshman (jersey No. 52)

A multi-time all-conference honoree during high school, Alston represented Tennessee at MLB States Play in his sophomore year. Perfect Game USA ranked him as the No. 4 recruit in all of Tennessee.

Egan Lowery, RHP, sophomore (jersey No. 67)

Lowery hails from McCalla, Ala., and attended McAdory High School. He was ranked in the top 20 as a catcher by Perfect Game USA in the 2023 class (statewide).

Austin Morris, RHP, sophomore (jersey No. 99)

Morris became a relied-on bullpen arm as his freshman campaign took shape, eventually tallying 14 games and 24.2 innings of work. He was 2-0 with a 4.74 ERA and made his debut during the team's opening weekend. He showed good intangibles and can become a force to be reckoned with as he's already put some of the learning curve behind him.