The 2026 Cotuit Kettleers season opened up June 13 with a 5-0 victory over Wareham. While the majority of the current roster was playing in that big game, Will Plattner (Alabama) was playing in a big game of his own. The catcher was instead at Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha, Neb. playing in the College World Series as the captain for the Crimson Tide.
For Plattner, the experience playing in the game’s biggest stage was a remarkable experience. It also tested him in a way that no other tournament has. While Alabama lost their first two games and were eliminated, Plattner learned a lot from the overall experience.
“It was unreal, a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Plattner said. “Learning to play with that much pressure was a big teaching point for me, because if you can do it there you can do it anywhere.”
Becoming the captain at Alabama was certainly not in Plattner’s original plans, as he started his college career at the University of Mississippi. However, he chose to transfer to the Crimson Tide in 2024 to join new Coach Rob Vaughn.
Once in Tuscaloosa under Vaughn, Plattner thrived. After redshirting a year to get acclimated to the program, he saw his first action in 2025 when he started 23 games.
Before the 2026 season Vaughn named Plattner team captain, giving him the number three jersey that stands for Vaughn’s three pillars of ownership, toughness and grit. On a deeper level, it means that baseball is not a fun sport all the time, but the guys who display the work ethic to play through obstacles will be better in the end. For Plattner, being named as the embodiment of these values in the program felt as if his baseball experience had hit a new milestone.
“Being at Alabama for a while and being able to be under the coaches’ wing for two years was huge for the development of my skills and values,” Plattner said. “But it also made becoming captain just a surreal full-circle experience for me.”
In his redshirt junior season this year, Plattner helped the Crimson Tide earn a fourth place finish in the SEC and win their regional and superregional games. It has been a long season for Plattner that gets extended with his stay on the Cape, but he has no problem adjusting to more games. Plattner will also have to adjust to new pitchers very quickly as the Kettleers play seven games over the next eight days. He hopes to use the values he embodies at Alabama to his play and the rest of the team throughout this long stretch of the season.
“It might be a tough start getting back into the flow, but I know I work pretty well with pitchers so I’m not worried,” Plattner said. “These guys have been so welcoming to me so far and the games we have coming will help even more.”
Of course, playing on the Cape is not just hard work and baseball all the time. While the opportunity to develop excites Plattner, he is looking forward to calling a place like Cotuit home for other reasons as well.
“I can’t wait to sharpen the tools, and I’m obviously excited to play in Cotuit,” Plattner said. “The Cape has beautiful weather, it’s a beautiful place and I’m going to be able to come back to school refreshed and ready to go win.”
Plattner has gotten off to a good start already on the Cape, hitting an RBI double and blocking balls behind the dish in his first game. As the season draws on, both the on-field and the off-field skills he learned from his time as captain of the Crimson Tide will be critical to the success of the Kettleers.
