Justin Osterhouse Breaks Out Of Early-Season Slump With Multi-Hit Performance

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Justin Osterhouse entered the season with as much hype as any of Alabama's transfer portal additions. The Purdue Fort Wayne transfer struggled to start the year, going hitless through his first four games, but came alive in Alabama's 19-4 win over Rhode Island on Friday, driving in three runs and hitting his first home run of the year.

"It's just good to get the first one behind him," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "You talk about guys that work hard, this guy works his tail off. Every at-bat had just felt like he's trying to hit a 900-foot home run. Him not being in the lineup on Wednesday was a little more just for him, just take a breath, reset."

Osterhouse did not play in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Alabama State, with the hope that it would provide him a fresh start during Alabama's second weekend series. It did not look that way at first, as he struck out swinging in his first at-bat of the afternoon.

"The thing I love, he goes out and punches out in his first at-bat, and it would've been very easy to feel the 'here we go again,'" Vaughn said. "Instead, he finally gets a ball out over the plate, hammers it, and hits the homer."

Justin Osterhouse's first hit in a Crimson Tide jersey is a home run. He hits a two-run blast to right field, and his teammates go crazy

Alabama leads 11-0 in the second https://t.co/UWUZAKt9fR pic.twitter.com/O1uRvJXRLn
— Theodore Fernandez (@TheoFernandez__) February 20, 2026

Osterhouse's home run came in the second inning. He attacked the first pitch of the at-bat, sending a no-doubter over the batter's eye in center field to drive in two runs and put Alabama up 11-2.

"We were pumped. He works so hard. It sucks to see somebody work so hard and not get results," teammate Brady Neal said. "When you're putting your heart and soul into something, and you're not getting the results, it's tough not to focus on the outcome. It's tough not to be like 'Oh my gosh, I'm 0-for-1,' just mentally."

Osterhouse played with an increased confidence following the home run, notching his second straight hit the following inning to drive in another run. He walked in the subsequent at-bat, marking the first time this season that he has reached base three times in a game.

"Just happy for him," Vaughn said of his performance. "He's such a good player. All of us know what he's capable of and believe in him. So for him, it was just getting that first one out of the way, so now he can just go play baseball."

Osterhouse was brought in to be a top-end hitter for this Alabama team. With just six games of a 56-game season completed, there is no reason to doubt that he can reach that level for the Crimson Tide, a sentiment his teammates wholeheartedly agree with.

"He's going to work hard, he's going to keep going," Neal said. "It's all about how you finish. If you struggle at the beginning, that's fine, just get on a stride. You can get your stuff going, and we get to SEC play, and he's hitting .310, that's just what his mindset, mentality speaks to."

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