Alabama Baseball Welcomes Missouri to Begin Southeastern Conference Play
3/16/2017 2:29:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the eighth time in series history on Friday evening
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama begins Southeastern Conference play this weekend when the Crimson Tide plays host to the Missouri Tigers for a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The trio of games from Friday through Sunday will close out UA's 20-game homestand to start the season. The Crimson Tide and Tigers are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT start on Friday evening as part of the conference's whiparound coverage of opening night, highlighting all seven games simultaneously on the Network broadcast. Saturday's second contest is slated for a 1 p.m. CT start with Sunday's series finale set for a 12 p.m. CT first pitch. All three games will air live on the SEC Network, with Dave Neal handling play-by-play for each contest. Neal will be joined by Alabama's Lance Cormier on opening night before Chris Burke takes over analyst duties for the final two games of the series.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
LEADING OFF
• Missouri comes to Tuscaloosa with a 16-1 overall record and has won 16 consecutive games since falling in the season opener to Eastern Michigan. The Tigers are coming off a Wednesday win over Chicago State, 7-6, in a 13-inning affair with the Cougars.
• Alabama and Missouri will meet for the eighth time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide owns a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series, with a 2-1 mark at home in Tuscaloosa.
• The Crimson Tide will look to its pair of regular weekend starters in righties Jake Walters and Nick Eicholtz to begin the weekend. Walters, a junior, will make his first career Friday night appearance in game one after previously serving as the Tide's game two starter across his three seasons in a starting role. Eicholtz will follow on Saturday with the senior making his first start in two weeks. Sunday's starter is still to be determined for Alabama.
• The Tigers are set to use their regular weekend rotation from the first month of the season, starting with junior right-hander Tanner Houck on Friday evening. Saturday's second contest is set to feature sophomore lefty Michael Plassmeyer while junior right-hander Andy Toelken will take the hill in Sunday's series finale for Missouri.
• Opening weekend of SEC play at The Joe is full of promotions. "Little League Weekend" will begin on Friday and run through the three games, with any little leaguer who shows up in his or her uniform receiving the group ticket rate of $5 at the gate. The series opener against Mizzou will celebrate St. Patrick's Day, with "Luck of the Tide" T-shirts for the first 300 fans through the gate along with green-themed food items at the concession stands. Saturday will recognize all students in Tuscaloosa County schools as well as Birmingham City school districts for their academic achievement with standout students getting a pair of free voucher tickets to the game. The Tide's "Saturday Entertainment Series" will continue as well for game two, with Jus Gruv performing on the main concourse two hours before the game up until first pitch. The series finale on Sunday will once again be "Kid's Day" at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, featuring inflatables throughout the day while all children 12 and under can run the bases and get autographs from the Crimson Tide postgame.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY:  UA – Jake Walters (Jr., RHP) vs. MIZ – Tanner Houck (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Nick Eicholtz (Sr., RHP) vs. MIZ – Michael Plassmeyer (So., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. MIZ – Andy Toelken (Jr., RHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama has gone 4-2 in its last six games, first claiming a 3-1 a series win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff last weekend and then splitting midweek contests. The Crimson Tide took down Eastern Illinois, 5-0, on Tuesday before falling to in-state foe Samford, 10-3, on Wednesday afternoon.
• Cody Henry led UA in hitting across the six games, finishing at a .526 (10-19) pace that included a double, all three of his home runs this season, five RBI, three walks and a team-leading seven runs scored. Henry notched at least one hit in every game and tallied four multi-hit efforts during that time.
• The Tide suffered a 10-3 loss in its Wednesday contest with Samford. The two teams were close most of the game until a five-run ninth inning by the Bulldogs put the game out of reach.
• UA shut out the Eastern Illinois Panthers with a 5-0 victory on Tuesday afternoon. Freshman starter Garret Rukes tossed 8.0 innings of two-hit baseball to earn his first career win. Rukes retired the first 11 batters before issuing a walk and maintained a no-hitter through the first five full innings before giving up a single to start the sixth inning. Henry paced the Tide in hitting, finishing 2-for-2 with his third home run of the season. The junior also added a pair of RBI, two runs scored and two walks.
• The Alabama offense collected a season-high 15 hits leading to 12 runs as the Crimson Tide claimed the series victory with a 12-2, seven-inning win in the series finale against Pine Bluff. The offense was highlighted by Hunter Alexander's 3-for-4 game which included a double, one RBI and a run scored. Also contributing multiple RBI was Tanner DeVinny, who finished with a team-leading four as part of his 2-for-3 day, and Alex Webb, who collected three thanks to a three-run home run.
• Alabama received a solid starting effort from Dylan Duarte, who recorded career-highs in both strikeouts and innings pitched, striking out eight across 6.0 innings of work on his way to his first win as a starter. Duarte tossed 72 pitches while facing the minimum, and limited the Golden Lions' offense to a hit and a walk over six scoreless frames. The sophomore retired the final 13 batters he faced in order before handing the ball over to his bullpen.
• The Tide fell, 8-3, in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, as a six-run fourth from Pine Bluff proved to be the difference. After evening the game at one apiece in the third, the Golden Lions rallied for six in the fourth to gain a decisive advantage. UA rallied for one in the seventh and ninth innings but the deficit proved too large.
• Alabama extended its winning streak to five games with a 14-1 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff last Friday evening, using 13 hits and a season-high 10 walks for the victory. The Tide received three-hit efforts from Chandler Avant, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, and Cobie Vance, who finished 3-for-4 with a double, a team-high tying three RBI and one run scored. DeVinny also contributed a three-RBI night, collecting his second home run in as many starts and finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk.
• Jake Walters put together a strong start on Friday, striking out five across his 6.0 innings of work to collect his third win of the season. Walters tossed a season-high 95 pitches and limited the Golden Lions' offense to five hits, a walk and one earned run. The bullpen trio of Zac Rogers, Tyler McMurray and Tyler Adams combined to pitch the final three scoreless frames with each reliever throwing one inning apiece.
• The Crimson Tide held on to claim the 6-5 win over UAPB on Thursday evening. Alabama received a strong start from Rukes, with the left-hander working a career-long 4.2 innings of two-run baseball. Garrett Suchey followed Rukes to earn the win, tossing a career-long 4.0 innings, before turning the ball over to Davis Vainer for the game's final out and Vainer's second save of the season.
• The Crimson Tide returned Tuscaloosa in 2016 after spending 2015 on the road while Sewell-Thomas Stadium was undergoing renovations. Alabama finished with a 19-12 home record at The Joe compared to a 13-14 record in road and neutral-site contests in the first year of the new stadium.
• Alabama's roster features 20 letterwinners from the 2016 squad that reached the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The 2017 Tide returns five positional starters and three starting pitchers while welcoming 16 newcomers.
SERIES HISTORY – MISSOURI
• Alabama and Missouri will meet for the eighth time in series history when the two teams square off in Friday's conference opener. The Crimson Tide holds a slight 4-3 advantage in the series.
• The two teams have split series, with the home team claiming a 2-1 series victory each time, and the deciding factor being Alabama's 4-3 victory over Missouri on May 21, 2015, in the SEC Tournament.
• Alabama and Missouri first squared off from May 10-12, 2013, in the Tigers' first year as a member of the SEC. The Tide took the bookend games of the series for the 2-1 victory.
• The Crimson Tide then traveled to Columbia for a three-game set from April 17-18, 2015, with Mizzou taking Friday's opener before claiming the second game of Saturday's doubleheader for the series victory at home.
• The two teams met in the 2015 SEC Tournament, with Will Haynie's solo home run in the seventh putting the Tide in front for a 4-3 win. Alabama received a strong start from Taylor Guilbeau, who tossed 7.0 innings of three-run baseball for the first win of his senior season against an SEC foe, and was followed by Jay Shaw and closer Thomas Burrows, with Burrows earning his seventh save of the season.
• Alabama head coach Greg Goff is 1-0 for his career against Missouri.
ON DECK
Following this weekend's SEC series, Alabama will take to the road for its first of two pairings with UAB this season. The Crimson Tide will travel to Regions Field, home to the Birmingham Barons, for a Tuesday midweek contest with the Blazers on March 21. Alabama will then travel to Columbia for a weekend series with the 10th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks from March 24-26.
