Tide Catcher Will Plattner Sees Hard Work Pay Off As SEC Play Opens

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Crimson Tide catcher Will Plattner has made plenty of noise this year with the bat and his arm despite flying under the radar at the start of the campaign.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

The junior human environmental sciences major from Springfield, Illinois recorded his fifth multi-hit game in 11 starts Thursday night as No. 12 Alabama snagged the 6-5 upset win over No. 1 Tennessee to open the highly anticipated home series.

Plattner also showed off his arm and clutch ability when he threw out the tying run during a steal attempt in the top half of the 9th inning.

"He's one of the toughest humans I've ever met," Tide head coach Rob Vaughn told Patch after the win Thursday. "It's unbelievable and I mean that. Will Plattner is not the most talented kid I've ever recruited. But I've done this a long time and I don't know if I've ever coached a tougher kid."

Indeed, Plattner did not see playing time for the Tide last season after transferring from Ole Miss, where he appeared in seven games — hitting .300 with a double.

The son of Ben and Lynn Plattner, his father played baseball at the University of South Florida, while his brother, John, also played baseball Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

Across his 11 starts in 2025, Plattner is hitting .375 with 9 RBIs on 15 hits. He has also slapped five doubles, quite productive for a catcher, and which is good enough to be fifth on the squad for extra-base hits.

"He has willed himself into this position," Vaughn said. "He kind of came in this year, very honestly as the No. 3 [catcher]. We had another catcher go down and he just kept showing up and kept working and kept working. It is now a linchpin of what we're doing. He's tough as nails, he's an awesome teammate, he shows up and he works his tail off every day and I know this group of dudes in the locker room will play behind Will Plattner."

Vaughn went on to say that all of the work Plattner has put in behind the scenes is starting to yield success in a big way not just for the catcher but the Tide lineup. This was also put on display Thursday night in Alabama's win over Tennessee.

"Sometimes you say that about guys who are hitting .120, that they are really good teammates but not very good," he said. "So it's great to see him having some success and being rewarded for the countless hours of work nobody gets to see. I love the kid. He is a leader of this group and he has really risen to the occasion this spring. It's been fun to watch."

Plattner and the No. 12 Crimson Tide (22-1, 4-0 SEC) will return to action for game two of its series with No. 1 Tennessee Friday at 6 p.m.

SEC Network+ will carry the broadcast.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.