Live Updates: Alabama Baseball vs. Stetson (Elimination Game)

Alabama's baseball season is on the line Saturday morning.

Alabama's Justin Lebron (1) and William Hamiter (11). / Alabama Athletics

The first day of the month of June could be the last day of the 2024 season for the Alabama baseball team. The Crimson Tide faces elimination Saturday morning in the Tallahassee Regional after dropping its NCAA Tournament opener to UCF on Friday night.

Facing off with Alabama will be the Stetson Hatters, who lost earlier Friday to regional host Florida State. Stetson (40-21) scored just two runs in the losing effort, while the Crimson Tide plated seven against the Knights and might well have had a different outcome were it not for four leadoff walks, three of which resulted in runs.

As it is, both teams are in a do-or-die situation. Alabama is the only team not based in the state of Florida playing in the regional, and after Saturday, the field could consist of only Florida teams. Head coach Rob Vaughn has decided to send right-hander Ben Hess to the mound. Hess, who's 5-4 with a 5.98 ERA, saw his old form return during the month of May. Stetson counters with Aric McAtee, who has a 4.48 earned run average and a 3-3 mark.

The game is planned to be broadcast on ESPNU. Florida State and UCF face off in the winners' bracket, and the loser of that contest will then face the victor between the Crimson Tide and the Hatters.

Live Updates (most recent at top):

Top 9:

• Eblin strikes out swinging, bringing an end to Alabama's 2024 season. The Crimson Tide goes two and out in the Tallahassee Regional, finishing 33-24 overall. The team finished No. 7 in the SEC standings and the program made back-to-back regionals for the first time in a decade in the first year of the Rob Vaughn era. FINAL: Stetson 4, Alabama 0.

• Will Hodo strikes out swinging. The season comes down to Bryce Eblin.

• Guscette starts the inning with a groundout.

Bottom 8:

• Austin Morris works a 1, 2, 3 inning capped off with a swinging strikeout. The bottom of the order is up next for Alabama, and if the Crimson Tide can't come up with four runs or more, it's curtains on the season. Stetson 4, Alabama 0.

Top 8:

• TJ McCants lines out to the shortstop to end the visitors' eighth. Anthony DeFabbia has been absolutely brilliant, and works a 1, 2, 3 frame. Stetson 4, Alabama 0. The next time the Crimson Tide bats, it will be last call for the 2024 season.

• Hamiter, in what could be his final at-bat in his career, sends one to the warning track in right field and is robbed of extra bases. The Hatters defense has been kryptonite to Alabama this afternoon.

Bottom 7:

• Morris strikes out Hughes to end the inning and complete Hess' line. Stetson 4, Alabama 0. The cleanup spot is set to lead off the eighth.

• Austin Morris is in to pitch for Alabama.

• Isaiah Barkett hits a two-out RBI double that scores Jayden Hylton. William Hamiter, who may be playing in his final game, laid out as best he could for the play. That'll be the end of the line for Ben Hess, who goes 6.2 innings with eight strikeouts and four runs and has a runner still on second. Stetson 4, Alabama 0.

• Ben Hess is back out to pitch.

Top 7:

• The next three Crimson Tide hitters all go down in order, and now Alabama is down to six offensive outs in the 2024 season. Stetson 3, Alabama 0.

• Bryce Eblin, quiet so far, leads off the frame with a single up the middle.

Bottom 6:

• Hess gets out of the inning with no further damage. His strikeout tally is now at seven, and with 90 pitches, his day may well be done. Stetson 3, Alabama 0.

• Moran grounds out, scoring Hughes, making it 3-0 Hatters. One out, man on third.

• A single by Cueto and an error in left field allows runners onto second and third with nobody out.

• Hughes starts it off with a leadoff walk.

Top 6:

• Alabama goes down in order in the bottom of the sixth, ended by a Will Hodo strikeout, and it's getting to be crunch time for the Crimson Tide. The Alabama offense has mustered four hits, but none of scoring impact. Stetson 2, Alabama 0.

Bottom 5:

• Ben Hess works another three up, three down frame in the fifth. He's now got six strikeouts. Stetson 2, Alabama 0. Crimson Tide bats need to get going in the worst of ways with the season on the line.

Top 5:

• Snell grounds out to retire the side. The Hatters continue to play incredible defense. Alabama has left eight men on base.

• Hamiter reaches on a fielder's choice, as Stetson narrowly fails to turn an inning-ending double play. Kade Snell now bats with two out and runners on the corners.

• There is now a momentary pause in the action because DeFabbia has to take off his bracelets. It appears that issue is now resolved.

• Justin Lebron walks, putting them on first and second with one down for Hamiter, who needs a hit. Anthony DeFabbia will pitch for Stetson. Starter Aric McAtee goes 4.1 innings with no runs so far, but the runners on first and second are his responsibility. Stetson 2, Alabama 0.

• Ian Petrutz hits a long single off the right-field wall with one out.

Bottom 4:

• Ben Hess works a 1, 2, 3 fourth inning. The top of the order is due up for Alabama in the top of the fifth. Stetson 2, Alabama 0.

Top 4:

• It was ultimately decided that too much time elapsed before Alabama asked to challenge on the play at the plate with Snell. A Bryce Eblin groundout strands the runners, retires the side and ends another Crimson Tide threat. Stetson 2, Alabama 0.

• After a Guscette bunt moved the runners to second and third, Snell tried to score on a wild pitch to Will Hodo. He was tagged out just before his hand hit the plate. Following a long review, the original call of out is upheld. McCants advanced to third and is 90 feet away with two gone. Hodo walked on four pitches, putting them on the corners.

• TJ McCants walks, and there are two on with nobody out. The tying run is at first base.

• Kade Snell starts the inning off with a two-strike single.

Bottom 3:

• A strikeout of Landon Moran puts the third inning in the books, stranding Hatters on second and third base. Stetson 2, Alabama 0 with 5, 6 and 7 due up for Alabama.

• A two-out walk to Gio Cueto has them on the corners with two away.

• Stetson adds its second run of the game after a mound visit on a sacrifice fly by Isaiah Barkett. Man on third now, two out. Stetson 2, Alabama 0.

Top 3:

• Lebron strikes out, then Hamiter lines out to end the inning. Another nice defensive play for the Hatters, by Logan Hughes, robs Alabama. He's now 0-7 in the regional and is yet to reach base. Stetson 1, Alabama 0.

• Ian Petrutz draws a one-out walk.

Bottom 2:

• Hess strikes out a pair in the inning and strands a man on first after a two-out walk. Stetson 1, Alabama 0. Hess up to four strikeouts.

Top 2:

• Three up, three down for Alabama in the second. A nice diving play at second base robbed Will Hodo of a hit in the second at-bat of the frame. Stetson 1, Alabama 0.

Bottom 1:

• Hess retires the next three in order with back-to-back strikeouts to retire the side.

• Stetson's Kyle Jones leads the game off with a solo home run to left field, his fourth. An early moment for the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year. Stetson 1, Alabama 0.

• This is the first career NCAA Tournament start for Alabama's Ben Hess, who was injured during last season's supers run.

Top 1:

• McCants strikes out swinging, ending the threat. Three men stranded. McAtee rallies. Alabama 0, Stetson 0 through half an inning.

• Kade Snell reaches on an infield single that should've been the third out. Instead, the bases are juiced with two away for TJ McCants.

• William Hamiter continues his cold stretch with a swinging strikeout and is now 0-6 in the regional.

• Justin Lebron reaches on a fielder's choice, and everybody's safe thanks to a dropped ball on the basepaths. Two on, one out.

• Gage Miller leads off the game with a single, his third hit of the regional.

• Alabama will bat first as the designated visitor for the contest.

Pregame:

• The new start time for the game, per host Florida State, is 2:30 p.m. CT. This has since been corroborated by Alabama's team account.

• Indications are it could be a while before things get underway. There is no official word as of yet as of 12:04 CT.

• The game is currently in a weather delay. Things will be reevaluated at 12 p.m. CT but the scheduled 11 a .m. start will not go on as planned.

• Alabama lineup: 1. Gage Miller, 3B; 2. Ian Petrutz, LF; 3. Justin Lebron, SS; 4. William Hamiter, RF; 5. Kade Snell, DH; 6. TJ McCants, CF; 7. Mac Guscette, C; 8. Will Hodo, 1B; 9. Bryce Eblin, 2B; P: Ben Hess (R)

• Stetson lineup: 1. Kyle Jones, CF; 2. Isaiah Barkett, 3B; 3. Logan Hughes, LF; 4. Gio Cueto, C; 5. Landon Moran, 1B; 6. Lorenzo Meola, SS; 7. Brandon Hylton, DH; 8. Yohan Dessureault, 2B; 9. Jayden Hylton, RF; P: Aric McAtee (R)