No. 17 Alabama baseball traveled on the road Friday night to College Station for its first SEC conference series of the year against No. 19 Texas A&M and won, 6-4. All of the Tide offense came by way of the long ball. They slugged four homers and Brennen Norton and Kade Snell’s back-to-back solo blasts in the ninth proved to be the difference in this one.
Alabama entered SEC play with a strong 17-1 record, and this series initially shaped up as a showdown against the preseason No. 1 team. Though Texas A&M hit a few early-season bumps, this remained a battle between top-25 squads—something that will be a regular occurrence in the SEC this year.
The Crimson Tide offense struck early in the second inning with a two-run blast from Will Hodo to right-center field—his fifth homer of the 2025 season. That hit extended Hodo’s on-base streak to 19 straight games to open the year. A key theme for Alabama’s offense this season has been its ability to get on base, particularly by drawing free passes and turning them into runs. Jason Torres set the table with a leadoff walk before Hodo capitalized.
Texas A&M battled back to tie the game at 2-2, with Jace LaViolette delivering an RBI double in the third and a string of hits leading to another run in the fourth. However, Alabama responded in similar fashion in the fifth. Will Plattner led off with a walk before Bryce Fowler crushed a two-run homer, putting the Tide back in front, 4-2.
The Aggies clawed their way back, pushing across runs in the sixth and eighth innings to even the score at 4-4. A clutch RBI single in the sixth trimmed Alabama’s lead before Hayden Schott doinked one off the left-field foul pole to tie the game in the eighth.
With extra innings looming, Brennen Norton delivered in the ninth, crushing a two-out solo homer to left to put Alabama back on top. Kade Snell followed up with a towering solo shot of his own to right, giving the Tide some late insurance and sealing the 6-4 victory.
On the mound, Zane Adams delivered a strong start for Alabama. The sophomore went 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out four.
Matthew Heiberger followed in relief and came up big, escaping a sixth-inning jam with a crucial strikeout. Behind him, Carson Ozmer turned in his best performance in an Alabama uniform. The senior from Penn earned the win, tossing 2 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out two to help secure the victory.
With the win, the Crimson Tide secured its third victory over a ranked opponent this season. Now, Alabama has a chance to clinch a statement series win on the road with a victory tomorrow at 2 pm CT – a massive opportunity to kick off conference play on the right foot.
