Here's a look at Alabama baseball for the 2021 season.

2020 record/RPI: 16-1 (3)

2019 record/RPI: 30-26, 7-23 SEC (44)

Coach: Brad Bohannon (third season, 72-56 at Alabama)

Rank in preseason polls: 25 (BA), 27 (CB), 30 (NCBWA)

Rank in conference forecasts: 7th in West (D1)

Last NCAA tournament appearance: 2014 (third in Louisville Regional)

Home field: Sewell-Thomas Stadium (8,500)

Left: 325, left center: 365, center: 395, right center: 365, right: 320

There weren't many teams that hated the abbreviation of the 2020 season more than the Crimson Tide, which was picked a distant last in the Southeastern Conference Western Division by the coaches. But Alabama out-scored scored opponents 148-48 in coach Brad Bohannon's second year, as the Crimson Tide cracked the Top 25 in three national polls just as the season ended.

The only blemish on Alabama's season was a 3-2 loss to Lipscomb, which the Crimson Tide avenged the next day with a 14-2 drubbing of the Bisons.

Alabama loses its two two hitters in Tyler Gentry and Brett Auerbach, and starting shortstop Kolby Robinson also opted to graduate. But the Crimson Tide return six position players who started at least 11 games in 2020, plus, pitchers who combined for 11 starts.

To that, Bohannon added a recruiting class that ranked 18th nationally by Baseball America and 19th according to Perfect Game.

Now, Bohannon, the 2015 National Assistant Coach of the Year according to Baseball America--that came at Kentucky--hopes to take the Crimson Tide another step up towards national prominence. Alabama has been to 11 NCAA tournaments this millennium, but none since 2014, and its last of five College World Series appearances came in 1999.

The Crimson Tide bludgeoned opponents in 2020, averaging 8.4 runs per game. It's a big, physical team that has power (returnees hit all 22 of the team's homers last year) and athleticism, too.

Owen Diodati is probably the team's best hitter. Diodati was a first-team Freshman All-American last year and showed good plate discipline, striking out 13 times while walking the same number of times.

But two others could challenge him.

Catcher Sam Praytor is a fifth-year senior who had a terrific offensive season last year, but it remains to be seen what he can do against SEC pitching.

Outfielder T.J. Reeves had an excellent freshman year, but failed to improve on the contact issues that plagued him in 2019 (44 Ks in 141 ABs) and took a step back last season.

Peyton Wilson may be the most interesting position player on the roster, a speedy sophomore who can catch, play second or center.

There's some uncertainty in mid-February about how the Crimson Tide lines up in the middle infield. Wilson could start at second or center, especially if freshman Bryce Eblin grabs the job at short.

Alabama returns nine of 16 pitchers who made appearances in 2020. It's not a great staff but it's a deep one, and the Crimson Tide may try to patch together Saturday and Sunday games with a plethora of arms rather than rely on starters to get Alabama into the middle innings. Bohanon said in early February that Alabama still has eight players in contention for the No. 2 and 3 starting spots.

That won't be the case on Friday because Alabama has one of the best pitchers in the country in Connor Preilipp, who's potentially a top-half-of-the-first-round draft candidate. The Wisconsin native was a first-team All-American as a freshman last season and allowed just 12 base runners in 21 innings.

The best story on the staff belongs to Chase Lee, an aerospace engineering major whose dominance on the university's club baseball team in 2018 caught the coaching staff's attention and led to a spot on the roster the following year. Lee has allowed just 11 earned runs in 41 1/3 career innings.

Lee will probably close, but may share some of those duties with Brock Guffey, a senior lefty with 45 career appearances.

A number of pitchers not listed above could see major action, including freshman Jake Eddington, Eli Giles and Grayson Hitt. Hitt may have the most potential of the group and could start.