Alabama allowed Miami’s first three batters to score in Friday’s opening game of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi regional of the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament and was unable to take a lead in what became a 5-3 loss to the No. 3 seed Hurricanes.
The No. 2 seed Tide will next play the loser of Friday night’s game between Southern Miss and No. 4 seed Columbia in an elimination game Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. Southern Miss is the region’s host and the tournament’s No. 16 overall seed.
Friday’s loss means Alabama must now win four consecutive games in three days to win the double-elimination regional bracket and advance to the NCAA super regionals. If Alabama wins Saturday’s game, it will play another elimination game Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. If it wins that game, the Tide would play again Sunday evening trying to force a pivotal Monday finale.
Miami’s Daniel Cuvet hit a three-run home run in Friday’s first inning before Alabama starting pitcher Riley Quick recorded his first out, and the Hurricanes added runs in the third and fifth innings to protect its lead.
Quick allowed all five runs, all earned, while giving up eight hits and walking four batters over six innings. Quick did strand two Miami runners with consecutive outs to complete his outing with 108 pitches. Matthew Heiberger pitched the final three innings for Alabama without allowing a run.
All three of Alabama’s runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning, including a two-RBI double by Brennen Norton, and the Tide was otherwise unable to rattle Miami starter AJ Ciscar, who struck out eight batters with one walk over seven innings.
Alabama threatened Miami closer Brian Walters in the bottom of the ninth inning when Bryce Fowler reached on an error after a 13-pitch, two-out at-bat. Justin Lebron then walked, but what would have been a game-winning, three-run home run by Kade Snell instead was caught on the warning track for the final out.
Alabama has now lost five consecutive NCAA baseball tournament games. Under then-interim coach Jason Jackson, the Tide was swept in two games by Wake Forest in the 2023 super regionals. Last season under first-year coach Rob Vaughn, No. 2 seed Alabama was upset in the Tallahassee regional by UCF and then Stetson to be eliminated without playing host Florida State.
Alabama is appearing in its third consecutive NCAA tournament, a first for the program since 2009-11.
HATTIESBURG REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 30
Game 1 – #3 Miami defeats #2 Alabama, 5-3
Game 2 – #4 Columbia vs. #1 Southern Miss – 6 p.m. CT
Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – #2 Alabama vs. Loser of Game 2 – 2 p.m. CT
Game 4 – #3 Miami vs. Winner of Game 2 – 8 p.m. CT
Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – 2 p.m. CT
Game 6 – Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 6 p.m. CT
Monday, June 2
Game 7 – Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 (if necessary) – TBA
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