When Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn watches Justin Lebron , he doesn't think about the posterchild for the Los Angeles Lakers , or his son.
Instead, Michael Jordan comes to mind. Not because of the six-time NBA champion's stint in the minor leagues, or because Lebron's cleats are Jordan 1 Retro Low 'Chicago's.
As No. 8 Alabama (27-6, 7-5 SEC) trailed 6-3 against Auburn in the finale of a 2-1 rivalry series loss, Vaughn put on the headset for an on-field interview to speak on Lebron's prowess. Even in the events leading to defeat, it was hard to forget "Bronny's" highlight-reel hit to start Saturday's doubleheader, and the sophomore only kept making plays that forced broadcasters to admit they have a "crush."
GAME 1 RECAP: Bats fall flat for Alabama baseball in series opener at Auburn
DOUBLE-HEADER RECAP: Auburn denies late rally for Alabama baseball to win series
Any time Lebron is on the field, there's hope — or fear — that UA can rally. A shaky day for Alabama pitching continued in the eighth inning of Saturday's first game as Auburn (22-10, 6-6) reclaimed a 5-4 lead.
Leadoff hitter Richie Bonomolo Jr.'s bat was daunting enough. Then AU reliever Carson Myers had to face Lebron.
For the second time in the game, Lebron brought Bonomolo home in the ninth inning just how you'd expect a potential No. 1 draft pick to do it:
A two-run blast over the left field wall at Plainsman Park to see Myers give up his first run in SEC play.
"Sometimes you need your best player to be your best player. And Bronny got a slider out over the plate and didn't miss it," Vaughn recalled on the SEC Network. "He loves the moment. He's not afraid of the moment. And so many guys get in that spot right there and they try to do too much."
"Michael Jordan said it the best, man. You're in that situation a lot, you're going to miss a lot of them, but if you can stay present, stay engaged, you got to fight the shot. He [Lebron] tends to do that a lot," Vaughn continued.
For kicks and giggles, in Jordan's single season with the Birmingham Barons, the then-AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox , the 31 year-old slashed .202/.290/.266 with three home runs in 127 games. On Saturday, Lebron hit his 14th home run through 31 games, carrying a .336 clip with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.193.
When Lebron's homer was replayed on the SEC Network's 'SEC Now' broadcast, host Peter Burns called it a "tough day on the diamond" for Auburn. It didn't seem like Auburn had won the series minutes earlier, nor did it feel like the Tigers were winning for the majority of the broadcast for anyone listening to analysts Dave Neal and Gregg Olson.
Coming into the series after missing six games straight with injury, rightfielder Ike Irish had a solid storyline as he led AU with two runs on two hits and had six putouts. 2024 MLB Draft pick Bub Terrell was a freshman stud, but his three RBIs on three hits weren't the main conversation.
It was all about Lebron. Even when he came out 0-for-5 in Game 3.
Neal and Olson said they'd still like Lebron if he were to land in "an 0-20 slump and had no runs." Why?
His glove is just that good.
Lebron proved it as he floated around the infield with ease for five putouts in his second outing against the Tigers on Saturday.
In the sixth inning, Chris Rembert appeared to have stolen second on Lebron, but Vaughn used a challenge to let umpires get a closer look. The Hawk-Eye video review used by the SEC confirmed what the Crimson Tide's second-year coach already knew. Lebron touched the plate with his glove before Rembert's fingertips could make it to second base safely, which saw the call reversed and ended the inning.
The following inning, Lebron kept the momentum going on defense with two silky outs after Alabama rallied to make it a two-run game. He got all the way to the first base dugout to catch a foul ball and retire redshirt senior Cooper McMurray for the second out of the seventh.
Lebron prevented Auburn from getting on the board in the first inning of Game 1 with a 6-3 out, and he cleared the bases again with the out to end the seventh inning in Game 2. Terrell got on base with a single and tried to steal second, but was picked off by Lebron, who grabbed a short hop and barely had to move his glove as he knelt to the base to make the tag.
Olson, who spent 13 seasons in he MLB, said Lebron was "as good as some of the major leaguers that I've played with."
"This is the last thing I'll say about Lebron unless he does something else," Neal said. "He's really, really good."
As per usual, Lebron did something else.
In the eighth inning, Auburn's Lucas Steele swung out of his sockets for a single, and the doink off of the right field wall was caught by Bryce Fowler. Ready and waiting at second base for Fowler's laser throw was Lebron, who tapped Steele and sent him back to the dugout.
The "crazy part" to Olson and Neal is that Lebron just keeps getting better, and has more room to grow at age 20 in his second season of college baseball.
"He's an incredible teammate, incredible player, and just keeps working his tail off. And I think that's the reason he's seen the results," Vaughn said.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: When you see Alabama baseball's Justin Lebron, think Michael Jordan
