Plattner Giving Teammates "Exactly What We Wanted" As Alabama Captain

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball lost a significant amount of talent last season with the departures of players including Ben Hess, Will Hodo, Carson Ozmer and Richie Bonomolo Jr. The biggest loss may have come in the departure of 2025 team captain Kade Snell, who, in addition to being one of the most productive hitters in the lineup, was the bona fide leader of the clubhouse.

With Snell's college career ending last spring, head coach Rob Vaughn named redshirt junior catcher Will Plattner his successor, the new bearer of the No. 3 jersey, which represents the three pillars of Rob Vaughn's program: ownership, toughness and grit.

"This has kind of been a full-circle moment for me," Plattner said of being named captain. "Stepping on campus here for the first time in my sophomore year and kind of figuring out what this program was about, everything aligned with what I believe in a program. Seeing the guys ahead of me do it. I'm extremely excited to get to represent this university."

The ultimate teammate. A fiery competitor. And now the captain of the Crimson Tide.

No. 3…@willplattner I #RollTide pic.twitter.com/tEC8SwGbpD
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) December 9, 2025

Plattner was named captain at a team ceremony in December. Players submitted their votes for who would take over as captain in the weeks leading up to the announcement, and the entire team has rallied around Plattner as the new leader.

"He's been absolutely awesome from day one for me, just because he's provided the leadership that I needed to come and do a new program and just kind of show me how they run things around here," Purdue Fort-Wayne transfer Justin Osterhouse said. "He's been the guy that I've always asked questions. He's always been there for me. I had to deal with some stuff last semester, and he helped me through it tremendously, and I wouldn't rather have anyone else in my family. He's been awesome."

Osterhouse and pitcher Zane Adams are both roommates with Plattner and see his leadership every single day, both on and off the field.

"He's been great," Adams said. "He's exactly what we wanted out of it. He's just a great leader, and especially with his story and how we got to where he's at, like he's got some grit, like he's gritty, and we all love him."

Plattner has been a natural leader on the team since first arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2024, despite not seeing the field that entire season. He spent last spring learning from Snell to prepare to lead the team should the opportunity arise.

"Last year, I had a lot of talks with Kade because I kind of felt like I might be next in line for it," Plattner said. "I kind of wanted to feel it out with him, the pros of it, obviously, you get to wear the number, you get all of this. But at the end of the day, having guys behind you in the locker room like we were behind Kade is the greatest importance for me, playing for all these guys right here."

Plattner's actual on-field role this season is very up in the air as the Crimson Tide boasts an embarrassment of riches at the catcher position, with Brady Neal, Johnny Lemm, and Luke Vaughn all also vying for significant playing time this spring. Regardless of how much he sees the field, Plattner fills one of the most important positions for this Crimson Tide team heading into Friday's season opener against Washington State.