Alabama baseball: A look at the Crimson Tide's pitching rotation for Opening Weekend
Alabama baseball's starting rotation for the opening weekend's series against Manhattan College is set.
"We'll go Ben Hess on Friday, Riley (Quick) is going to start Saturday and then Aidan Moza on Sunday," coach Rob Vaughn said on Thursday. "That's our nice three-headed monster on the mound."
All three starters are returners from last year's roster, although Hess missed most of the season with an injury. Before his exit, the right-hander went a perfect 4-0 across seven starts and maintained a 3.22 ERA across 36 ⅓ innings pitched. Hess was Alabama's primary midweek starter as a freshman before becoming a weekend starter last season. Alabama's rotation will largely depend on Hess returning to form and staying healthy.
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Quick, a sophomore right-hander, projects as one of the Tide's breakout players on the mound this year. Like Hess, Quick was primarily a midweek starter as a freshman but has earned a place in the weekend rotation with his work over the offseason.
"I've made a lot of changes, working over the summer after I had surgery was a big thing for me," Quick said. "Then, this fall I really went to work on the mechanics and staying on the ground with J.J. (pitching coach Jason Jackson), he's really helped me a lot there."
In his debut campaign in 2023, Quick went 1-1 with two saves and a 3.68 ERA across 16 appearances. He logged his first career win after tossing 3 ⅔ scoreless innings against Auburn. As a recruit out of Hewitt-Trussville, Quick was the top-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of Alabama by Perfect Game USA.
"Getting a spot in the rotation is obviously awesome, but I was ready to help the team win however I can," Quick said.
Moza is the final piece of the Tide's starting rotation this weekend. He began his college career at UAB, appearing in 23 games with two starts as a freshman for the Blazers before transferring to Alabama. Primarily a reliever in 2023, Moza logged a 3-1 record across 14 relief appearances. He maintained the lowest ERA among Alabama's relief pitchers with a 3.09.
Another key factor in Alabama's bullpen will be Alton Davis II. A rising star in college baseball, the sophomore left-hander was named the second-team all-SEC relief pitcher in the USA Today coaches' poll and was selected to the Stopper of the Year Watch List by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
"AD is just a fun dude to pull for," Vaughn said. "That guy's not afraid of the spotlight, and that's a huge thing in that role. He wants to be that guy, and I think the great thing about him is we've built him up in the preseason to potentially be in the mix to start, and he was outstanding. He showed us a lot of great things for both the short and long term."
Davis II served as Alabama's primary closer as a freshman last season, logging a 1-2 record and eight saves. He saved his best for conference action, maintaining a 2.76 ERA and logging six of his saves against SEC opponents. Those six saves tied for the most in the conference.
"It's hard to be on that mound and get those last three outs, especially on the road and in conference play," Vaughn said. "We're fortunate to have a young guy that's done it and has the experience doing it, but we know if we need to tap AD in any other role, he's ready for that as well."
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama baseball announces starting rotation for opening weekend
