Debuting Alabama Relief Pitcher Impresses Rob Vaughn in Tuesday's Win

A freshman Crimson Tide reliever made his season debut against Samford.

Alabama pitcher Connor Lehman (50). | Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The No. 8 Alabama baseball team will get opponents' best punch thrown its way from here on out. To withstand that, the Crimson Tide needs all the reinforcements it can get. In Tuesday's 11-9 win over Samford, a freshman reliever impressed his head coach in his debut.

Connor Lehman, a freshman from Tennessee, was the fourth pitcher of the night for Alabama (26-4). His shutout line in 1.1 innings of work was key as the Bulldogs stormed back, plating seven runs in the top of the seventh. Lehman didn't start that fire, or any for that matter; he was out of the game by then.

"Connor Lehman's gonna be a weapon for us," Crimson Tide coach Rob Vaughn said. "Finally getting him back healthy, and he feels great. He threw the ball really good. We've been looking for that lefty swing-and-miss pitch in the pen, and it looks like we might've found something with Lehman there."

Vaughn did not specify what specific injury held Lehman out of action up to this point approximately halfway through the regular season. He said the southpaw was available this past weekend against Oklahoma, but a situation in which to use him never materialized.

"He just worked his tail off to get back," Vaughn said. "No coach will ever complain about having a lefty that's 93 [miles per hour] with a slamming slider, right? We can use that. We can use that out of the pen... It's also huge for us down the road."

What's down the road mean in this context? In Vaughn's eyes, it means Lehman is a potential starter in the future. He mentioned some of the Auburn hitters (whom Alabama will face in an away series this weekend) as potential matchups for him.

"As a college coach you're always, yes, we're looking at the short term," Vaughn said. "But we're also looking towards the future, and there's no reason Connor Lehman can't be a big-time starter here."

That's a big endorsement from a coach who has guided a Power Four program to a national seed in the past. Similarly to what Vaughn expressed, no coach will also complain about adding bullpen depth 30 games into the college baseball season. Lehman can be an important player throughout the middle of SEC play and down the stretch for this Alabama relief corps.