HOOVER, Ala. — Alabama pitcher Luke Holman says he was indeed dealing with back tightness when he was scratched an hour before his scheduled start against LSU on April 28.

The decision to leave out the ace coincided with two suspicious bets placed on LSU to win, which prompted an investigation that ultimately resulted in the firing of former head coach Brad Bohannon. The bets were placed at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to a report from ESPN, surveillance video showed that the person placing the bets was in communication with Bohannon at the time.

With Holman scratched, Alabama sent Hagan Banks to the mound against LSU. Banks, a sophomore who hadn't started since March 16, took the loss, giving up four earned runs over three innings in an 8-6 to the Tigers.

Holman has made his last four starts since the scratch, including Alabama’s 7-6 loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night, but had yet to be asked about last month’s scratch. Following Wednesday’s outing, he reflected back on his status at the time.

“I thought I was going to start the whole day,” Holman said. "But I had a couple of back issues, and I just didn't feel good after that."

Bohannon, who was in his sixth season at Alabama, was fired by the university on May 4 for “violating the standards, duties, and responsibilities expected of university employees.” Pitching coach Justin Jackson has filled in as the interim head coach, leading the team to a 9-3 record during his time in charge.

Before Wednesday’s loss to Florida, the Crimson Tide was riding a six-game winning streak. Alabama (39-17) is still alive in the SEC Tournament and will face either No. 4 seed Vanderbilt or No. 5 seed Auburn on Thursday. At the moment, the Tide is on the bubble of earning a hosting bid in the NCAA Tournament. Alabama hasn’t hosted a regional since 2006.