TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – After the weekend sweep, the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team is back in action for its first-midweek game of the season with a 12-2 run-ruling win in eight innings over Middle Tennessee State, which was won number 2,800 as a program. 

“I thought (JT) had good stuff tonight, which set the tone for us early. I thought offensively we were unbelievable at setting some stuff up and let the game come to us late,” said head coach Rob Vaughn.

After a long review in the first, Alabama took the lead on an RBI walk from Jason Torres, who is tied for the season in RBIs with nine on the season. In the second, Alabama’s Garrett Staton took a check swing off the hand, went straight down into the dugout, and did not return.

“Not a whole lot yet it was precautionary, and it got him good on the finger,” said Vaughn on Staton’s status.

A pair of walks led to runs, but the game was blown open in the third when Coleman Mizell got his third start on the season with an opposite-field double off the chalk to score two runs. Justin Lebron also added on after a good weekend at the dish with a two-run single that was smoked off the bat in what has been a good two-out hitting team to start the season. 

After struggling at the plate over the weekend, Will Hodo hit the game’s first home run into the opposing bullpen in right-center and finished the day 3-5 with three RBIs. 

“It felt good after a weekend I didn’t feel myself. It just felt awesome to do something solid,” said Hodo.

Lebron let the fans go home early in the eighth after hitting home run number two on the season with a solo shot to left center for RBI number 10 in four games. 

JT Blackwood got the midweek start for the Tide and looked sharp despite the nerves early. He was working counts around the strike zone, striking out three in 4.0 innings and getting the all-important pitcher’s win. The bullpen picked up Blackwood with Tyler Fay, Coulson Buchannan, Tate Robertson, and Aiden Moza, who were all getting work and tallying six punchouts as a group. Moza walked the first two batters but struck out the side in his first appearance on the season.

A quick turnaround for the Tide with a midweek tomorrow versus Alabama State, a tuneup before the Jacksonville Classic this weekend.