Offseason movement continues for Alabama baseball

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Juliet Brown

University of Alabama pitcher Ben Hess announced he will return next season under new baseball head coach Rob Vaughn. Hess returning for another year provides a much needed boost to next year’s roster that will look a lot different from this season’s.

The Crimson Tide’s home run leader Colby Shelton announced his plans to enter the transfer portal Wednesday. Bryce Eblin also entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. 15 Crimson Tide players were honored on Senior Day.  While some have eligibility remaining, many will get drafted in this year’s Major League Baseball Draft.

Six of the nine players who made up the batting lineup either ran out of eligibility, are projected to get drafted, or are transferring. That’s a lot of production gone from this year’s outstanding squad.

As far as pitchers go, many of the staple stars will move on. Sunday starter Jacob  McNairy ran out of eligibility. According to Austin  Hannon, Grayson Hitt and Hunter Furtado will enter their names into the 2023 MLB Draft Combine. Hitt only played in eight games before undergoing a season ending surgery. Hitt was expected to be apart of the weekend starting rotation. Furtado pitched out of the bull pen mainly but started a couple games. Both have major league worthy stuff.

Vaughn will have a big task ahead of him, revamping this roster. Hess will at least give him a reliable weekend starter if he can stay healthy. The Charleston, IL native started seven games this season. He pitched 36.1 total innings, recorded 49 strikeouts, and ended with a 3.22 earned run average before being sidelined with a season ending injury during the Arkansas series.