Alabama RHP JT Blackwood 'Should Be Fine' after Early Exit Tuesday

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama baseball's midweek starting pitcher only went one inning of work against South Alabama on Tuesday night. The reason for JT Blackwood's early departure from the game, which Alabama (21-1) won 6-5 in 10 innings, was illness.

"Our plan was to stay short with him anyway, kinda like we did last week," head coach Rob Vaughn said after the game. "Maybe even a tick shorter than last week, just because obviously it's a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series [this weekend]. But he came off the mound, he looked like he was white as a ghost." Blackwood tossed 3.2 innings against UAB on March 11.

Blackwood, who has a 3.71 earned run average in five starts this season and did not factor into the game's win-loss decision, stranded two baserunners in his only inning Tuesday. He threw up in the dugout afterwards and thus was removed for Aeden Finateri, who became the second of eight Crimson Tide pitchers used in the contest.

"I don't know what it was. He competed for us, but the second you see a guy bent over the trash can, you just gotta kinda make a move," Vaughn said. "Should be fine. I haven't talked to our trainer yet, I don't know if it's food-related, or what it was."

Food poisoning infamously impacted Alabama in a road series last May against Mississippi State, which the Crimson Tide won the final game of. Blackwood's start Tuesday was not set to go longer than two innings, per Vaughn. He's only been used out of the bullpen once in 2025.

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