Alabama Baseball Hosts ULM for Three Games this Weekend
3/2/2017 4:52:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Warhawks will meet for the ninth time in series history on Friday evening
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama hosts ULM for a three-game weekend series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium from Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 5. The Crimson Tide and Warhawks are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT start in the series opener on Friday. Saturday's game is set for a 2 p.m. CT start, while the series finale on Sunday is tabbed for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch at The Joe. All three games will air live on SEC Network+ with the duo of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier calling all the action.
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
• ULM enters this weekend with a 4-5 overall record after a 14-5 loss to McNeese State on Wednesday evening. The Warhawks took on Jackson State one day earlier, winning 10-2 in that contest. This season, ULM has split weekend series, losing the first of the season to Dallas Baptist before taking two of three from Southern Illinois this past weekend.
• Alabama and ULM will meet for the ninth time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday night. The Crimson Tide holds a 6-2 all-time advantage in the series and owns a 4-1 overall mark in Tuscaloosa. The last meeting between the two schools came on April 1, 2014, when Alabama claimed a 3-2 win at home over the Warhawks.
• The Crimson Tide's rotation will remain the same as the first two weekends of play. In Friday's series opener, senior right-hander Nick Eicholtz will be called on for the start. Saturday's second contest will feature junior Jake Walters, a righty, while sophomore left-hander Dylan Duarte will get the nod in Sunday's series finale.
• The Warhawks use a trio of righties for the weekend series. Friday's first game will feature redshirt senior Josh Leone, who is followed by junior Keegan Curtis on Saturday. ULM is set to throw junior Chase Beal on Sunday to close out the series.
• This weekend against ULM is jam-packed with promotions. Friday's matchup will be "Faculty and Staff Night" with all Alabama faculty and staff receiving free admission with a promo code or by showing their ACT card at the ticket window and can receive up to four tickets at a group rate. The Tide will also be giving away bit moji T-shirts featuring head coach Greg Goff on Friday. The Phi Beta Phi and Alpha Omicron Pi sororities will be the featured Greek organizations of the game. On Saturday, the Tide's "Saturday Entertainment Series" will begin, with Kay Taylor performing pregame on the concourse. Sunday's series finale with the Warhawks will be "Kid's Day" as well as "Big Al's Kids Club Day," "Camper Reunion Day" and "Jefferson County Day." Residents of Jefferson County receive a group ticket rate, while Big Al's Kids Club members and former Alabama baseball campers will be recognized. "Kid's Day" will feature inflatables throughout the day while all children 12 and under can run the bases and get autographs from the Crimson Tide postgame. Sunday will once again feature UA's "Sunday Brunch" promotion, with chicken and waffles being the featured menu item of the day.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Nick Eicholtz (Sr., RHP) vs. ULM – Josh Leone (R-Sr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jake Walters (Jr., RHP) vs. ULM – Keegan Curtis (Jr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Dylan Duarte (So., LHP) vs. ULM – Chase Beal (Jr., RHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama went 0-4 across last weekend and its most recent contest on Tuesday against Jacksonville State.
• The Crimson Tide fell, 2-1, in an extra-innings affair against Jacksonville State on Tuesday evening. The two teams went scoreless through the first three frames before the Tide struck in the fourth with Chandler Avant leading off the inning with a single. Avant moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before Cobie Vance scored him with a single. JSU would answer in the top of the fifth before the two teams went scoreless the remainder of regulation to send the game to extras. The Gamecocks collected the go-ahead run in the 10th to seal the midweek win.
• Avant and Vance led the Alabama offense on Tuesday, with Avant contributing a 3-for-4 night to match his career high for hits, adding a double a run scored. Vance finished 2-for-4 with one RBI to extend his hitting streak to eight straight games.
• Friday's series opener with Oral Roberts fell in favor of the Golden Eagles, 6-3. Alabama's offense received multi-hit nights from Keith Holcombe and Cody Henry, with each finishing 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Holcombe contributed one RBI. Vance led the Tide in RBI, finishing with two on the night, and notched his first career triple as part of his 1-for-4 effort.
• Alabama's comeback effort fell short on Saturday, as ORU claimed the 5-4 win and the series in game two of the weekend. The Tide bullpen arms of Zac Rogers, Garret Rukes, Mike Oczypok and Davis Vainer shut down the Golden Eagles across the final 3.2 innings, allowing only two hits while striking out five to keep the Crimson Tide within striking distance.
• The series finale on Sunday saw the Tide make a late push to even things up, but Oral Roberts would complete the sweep with a 5-2 win. Facing a 5-1 deficit, UA used an ORU fielding and throwing error to put a runner in scoring position to lead off the ninth. In a pinch-hit role, Holcombe sent a sharp grounder to second that the fielder bobbled before throwing the ball into the dugout, sending the batter to second. In the next at-bat, Gene Wood singled to put runners on the corners for Avant, who sent a sacrifice fly to the outfield to score Holcombe and make it a 5-2 game. Vance extended the Alabama ninth with a one-out single to place runners at first and second, but Henry's fly ball came just short of a game-tying home run for the game's final out.
• 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 – ULM
• Alabama and ULM will square off for the ninth time in series history when the two teams meet on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide owns a 6-2 all-time advantage in the pairings, including a 4-1 overall mark at home in Tuscaloosa.
• The last meeting between the two schools came on April 1, 2014, when Alabama claimed a 3-2 win in Tuscaloosa over the Warhawks.
• Head coach Greg Goff owns a perfect 4-0 record all-time against ULM.
ON DECK
Alabama will next host Troy on Tuesday, March 7 with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. The Crimson Tide and Trojans will meet for the 33rd time in series history when they square off for a midweek contest, with UA maintaining a 22-10 advantage in the series and an 18-4 mark at home. In the most recent home-and-home, Alabama came away with a 2-1 in Troy on March 1 of last season before a 5-3 victory on April 19 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide has won seven of the last 10 overall and three straight in the series.
