Alabama baseball 2025 season preview: 3 biggest games, key players, predictions and more
Alabama baseball endured a difficult season this year. In Rob Vaughn's first season in charge, they were one of five teams in the SEC to finish with a 13-17 conference record and suffered a first-round elimination in the SEC Tournament.
Despite those setbacks, the Crimson Tide made the postseason for the second consecutive season with an at-large bid. While they were the second seed in the Tallahassee Regional, they were the first team eliminated from the tournament following consecutive losses to the UCF Knights and the Stetson Hatters.
Vaughn, who led the Maryland Terrapins to two consecutive Big Ten regular season titles before joining the Crimson Tide this year, will look to improve the roster with his staff in the off-season to mount a more serious challenge next year.
Let's preview the Crimson Tide ahead of the 2025 NCAA baseball season.
3 key games for Alabama baseball in the 2025 season
1. Tennessee Volunteers
The Volunteers were the strongest team in 2024, winning the SEC regular season, the SEC Tournament, and their first-ever College World Series. However, the Crimson Tide pulled off an upset series win against Tennessee at home during the regular season.
The Volunteers are touted as an early favorite to retain their NCAA Tournament crown in 2025. With the Volunteers being one of their permanent opponents, they are likely to pose the biggest threat to the Crimson Tide's ambitions in 2025.
2. Auburn Tigers
The Tigers and the Crimson Tide share an athletic rivalry that has seen their baseball programs produce some incredible games. While the Tigers came out on top in a three-game home series during the regular season this year, they failed to make the postseason with a disappointing 8-22 conference record.
With the Tigers as the other permanent opponent, the Crimson Tide will look to get even in 2025 and extend their 150-129 lead in their all-time head-to-head.
3. LSU Tigers
The rivalry between the Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers has been intense in recent history. The Tigers looked far from their best in 2024, losing a three-game series to the struggling Crimson Tide away from home.
With the Tigers going on a strong recruitment drive in the off-season, they could cause problems for the Crimson Tide in their push for glory next year.
Key players for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2025
1. Brady Neal, C
Mac Guscette's departure prompted the Crimson Tide to pick up Neal from the transfer portal. This year, he hit nine home runs and 31 RBIs with an average of .276 for the LSU Tigers.
Entering his junior year in 2025, Neal has the traits to excel in Tuscaloosa as a key part of the Crimson Tide's offense.
2. Aeden Finateri, RHP
Finateri enjoyed his best season in college baseball with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this year. He finished the season 6-4 while striking out 80 batters with an ERA of 6.24 in 75.0 innings.
With the Crimson Tide losing star pitchers Ben Hess and Greg Farone in the draft, they picked up Finateri from the transfer portal to strengthen their bullpen with a talented starter in 2025.
3. Justin Lebron, INF
Lebron was one of the most impressive freshmen for the Crimson Tide this year. He hit 12 home runs and 37 RBIs in 57 games, with his .338 batting average ranking only behind Gage Miller, who the Miami Marlins picked up in the third round of this year's draft.
Lebron earned First-Team Freshman All-American honors and made the Freshman All-SEC Team. He was also picked as the shortstop on the All-SEC First Team. With a year of college baseball experience under his belt, he could emerge as a top hitter for the Crimson Tide in 2025.
Predicting Alabama Crimson Tide's 2025 season
The expansion of the SEC will see two top Big 12 teams, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns, join the conference. This could pose problems for the Crimson Tide next year, and they are likely to struggle in the regular season.
They have an outside chance of making the postseason in 2025. Should they get through, they could struggle to make it past the NCAA Regionals, given the competition they could face from the top 16 national seeds.