TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama Baseball head coach Rob Vaughn took the podium Tuesday, accompanied by shortstop Justin Lebron, pitcher Tyler Fay, and catcher Will Plattner, to discuss Vaughn's third season with the program a month out from the Crimson Tide's opening day matchup against Washington State.
"I'm fired up to be back," said Vaughn. "The guys look like they're in a pretty good spot, and we'll find out pretty quick, but the guys put in the work this offseason and we're ready to go."
Vaughn previewed a potential starting rotation that returns a 1-2 punch of starters in RHP Tyler Fay and LHP Zane Adams. Still, the rotation suffered the departure of Riley Quick, who was selected in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2025 MLB Draft.
"I think you're doing pretty good returning two of the three," said Vaughn, "I think Zane [Adams] and [Tyler] Fay are a heck of a place to start when you look at that rotation."
Vaughn would go on to discuss potential arms for the third and final spot in the weekend rotation, such as southpaw Matthew Heiberger.
"I think there's a ton of options. A guy like Matt Heiberger stands out to me. Matty has the competitive gene; he's done it in the Cape, and he has the intangibles as a competitor that we love."
Heiberger has been a key part of the Crimson Tide bullpen over the last two seasons, posting a 5.24 ERA in an injury-shortened 2024 and a 4.46 ERA in 2025.
Heiberger's most notable performance in an Alabama uniform came against Troy last season, where the southpaw tossed four high-leverage innings, holding a talented Trojans offense to a lone hit en route to a 3-1 Crimson Tide victory.
Vaughn noted that with Heiberger, the question is whether he is more valuable in the rotation or the bullpen: "It's a little bit of, where is he best? Is he best in that role? Is he best kinda being that fireman out of the bullpen that he's been? It's kinda, both for him personally and for our team, what fits best?"
Vaughn also mentioned two freshman arms that could make a bid for the last spot in the rotations, "Myles Upchurch and Luke Smyers, they're gonna be the face of this pitching staff as we move into next year and we start losing some guys, I think you have two young, budding superstars right there that I think, if you look up, would not shock me to be that third guy."
Vaughn also cited sleepers for the role, including Bobby Alcock, Hagan Banks, and JT Blackwood. All of whom have starting experience for the Crimson Tide. He also mentioned Austin Morris as an option, who has exclusively served as a reliever during his collegiate career.
While the competition for the final spot in the weekend rotation is ablaze, Fay and Adams -- the presumed Friday and Saturday starters for the Crimson Tide -- are focused on helping everyone involved, including each other.
"There's a ton of guys that I think could start any of the three days," said Fay about the Crimson Tide's competition for the weekend pitching duties and the open third spot in the rotation. "It's been really fun, the competition side of it, especially with me and Zane [Adams]. Every time we throw a bullpen, we're texting each other about whatever like how hard we're throwing or what our stuff was like. I think it’s kind of fun having five or six guys in my opinion that could fill that role."
Fay moved into the rotation during the middle of league play and didn't look back. Eventually sliding into the Friday role, where he gave strong performances against LSU, Vanderbilt, and Florida. A role that the native Nebraskan can very well see himself in to start the 2026 campaign.
In his eight starts last season, Fay posted a 4.58 ERA, nearly cutting his 2024 ERA (8.35) in half. Including his relief efforts in 2025, the right-hander recorded a 4.69 ERA.
Adams holds the most starting experience in the SEC out of the Crimson Tide pitching staff. Beginning his freshman campaign in 2024 as the midweek starter, the lefty moved into the weekend rotation following an injury to Hagan Banks. Adams has remained in the rotation since.
Adams' freshman campaign saw him earn multiple SEC honors, earning a spot on the All-SEC freshman team thanks to a solid 5.54 ERA over 15 appearances. Adams was also named the Co-SEC Pitcher of the Week following an eight-inning shutout against Arkansas to pick up a series win over the No. 1-ranked Razorbacks.
Adams brought over his 2024 production into 2025. The lefty posted a 5.54 ERA last season, but that number was inflated due to a pair of bad outings vs. Mississippi State (7 ER/4 IP) and vs. Auburn (6 ER/ 1 IP). But outside of those two starts, Adams was a strong part of the Crimson Tide rotation, giving the Crimson Tide a win over top-ranked Tennessee and a seven-inning complete game shutout in a run-rule victory over Missouri.
Adams' growth and dependency will be critical for the Crimson Tide pitching staff heading into the 2026 season.
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