Alabama Welcomes Alcorn State to The Joe on Tuesday Evening
4/17/2017 5:06:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Braves will meet for the 22nd time in series history on Tuesday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama closes out its five-game homestand with a midweek matchup against Alcorn State on Tuesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide and Braves are slated for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. The non-conference pairing can be seen live on SEC Network+ with the duo of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier calling all the action.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow Tuesday's game via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
LEADING OFF
• Alcorn State comes to Tuscaloosa with a 9-22 overall record, including a 5-10 mark in SWAC play. The Braves are coming off a weekend series win over Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena in which ASU claimed victories in the first and third games of the series. The win in Thursday's series opener with the Delta Devils broke an 11-game losing streak for Alcorn.
• Alabama and Alcorn State will meet for the 22nd time in series history on Tuesday night. The Crimson Tide holds a 20-1 all-time advantage, with all 21 games being played in Tuscaloosa. The two teams met last season for a doubleheader on April 5, with Alabama claiming an 8-5 win in game one before an 8-0 shutout victory in seven innings in game two.
• The Crimson Tide will look to freshman Deacon Medders in the start on Tuesday. Medders has not factored into a decision this season and has made nine total appearances, including two starts. In those starting efforts, Medders has maintained a 2.16 ERA (2 ER/8.1 IP) while allowing eight hits and striking out eight batters compared to four walks.
• The Braves will likely look to senior left-handed pitcher Patrick McMahon. This season, McMahon is 0-1 across seven appearances, including two starts. He owns a 5.04 ERA (14 ER/25.0 IP) with 11 walks and 16 strikeouts.
• Tuesday's game will be the Tide's second-to-last "Taco Tuesday" promotion of the 2017 campaign. Fans can purchase a game ticket and a pass to the Third Base Patio to take part in the Tide's taco bar for only $10.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
UA – Deacon Medders (Fr., RHP) vs. ASU – Patrick McMahon (Sr., LHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama posted a 1-3 record this past week in Tuscaloosa, first claiming a 6-4 victory against UAB on Tuesday evening before falling three straight games vs. Texas A&M.
• The Tide's comeback effort fell short in Saturday's series finale with Texas A&M, as the Aggies claimed a 3-2 win. Alabama received an impressive performance from its starter Nick Eicholtz, who worked 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing only one hit while walking four and striking out a season-high six batters.
• UA struck first with one run in the bottom of the first on Saturday, but a three-run home run by A&M in the seventh put the Aggies out front. The Tide threatened in the ninth, scoring one to make it a one-run affair, but a strikeout went as the game's final out with the tying and winning runs left on base.
• Alabama suffered an 8-2 to loss to A&M on Friday evening. The Tide's starter was chased early, but the threesome of Zac Rogers, Mike Oczypok and Sam Finnerty combined to limit the Aggies to only one run over the final 4.2 frames. Texas A&M starter Corbin Martin picked up his fourth win of the season with 7.0 innings of one-run baseball.
• A total of five errors resulted in five unearned runs as Alabama fell to Texas A&M, 9-5, in the series opener on Thursday. A&M built an early 4-0 lead, but UA rallied back to take a 5-4 lead after four innings of play. UA was able to chase the Aggies' starter early after 3.2 innings, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. The Aggies scored three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to regain the lead and then put things out of reach.
• The Crimson Tide took down the UAB Blazers, 6-4, on Tuesday night. Alabama received a strong outing from Rogers. In his first career start, the junior tossed 4.0 innings of hitless and scoreless baseball, issuing two walks and striking out a career-high four batters. Rogers was followed by Garrett Suchey who notched his second win of the season with 3.0 innings of scoreless relief. Oczypok eventually collected his first career save in the top of the ninth after recording the final two outs for the Tide.
• Offensively, Alabama was paced by Cobie Vance, who finished 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored. Cody Henry and Connor Short each contributed two-RBI nights, with Henry going 1-for-2 with a run and a walk, while Short added a 1-for-3 night that included a double.
• Vance led the Tide in hitting on the week, batting .588 (10-17) with two doubles, one RBI and four runs scored across the four contests. Vance and Chandler Avant each extended their hitting streaks over the week, with Avant recording a hit in 10 consecutive contests overall and in eight straight SEC pairings, while Vance is right behind with a hit in nine straight games overall and seven SEC contests.
• 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 – ALCORN STATE
• Alabama and Alcorn State will meet for the 22nd time in series history on Tuesday evening in a series that dates back to 1987.
• The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 20-1, with all 21 games being played in Tuscaloosa.
• The initial matchup was a two-game series from April 14-15, 1987, with Alabama taking game one, 15-5, before Alcorn State took game two of the pairing, 6-5. Since that loss, the Tide has gone on a 19-game winning streak over the Braves.
• Last season, Alabama hosted Alcorn State for a doubleheader on April 5. The Tide built an early lead in game one, but fell behind, 5-4, in the seventh inning. UA would rally for a four-run eighth inning for the win.
• Game two of the doubleheader went in favor of Alabama, as the Tide arms shut out the Braves, 8-0, in seven innings. Jake Hubbard worked 5.0 innings and was followed by Zac Rogers and Colton Freeman to complete the shutout victory.
• Alabama head coach Greg Goff is 1-0 for his career against Alcorn State.
ON DECK
Following the midweek matchup, Alabama will hit the road to take on the 11th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville. The two teams are set for a Thursday-Saturday series at Dudy Noble Field. Game one of the series is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch followed by a 6:30 p.m. CT start on Friday. The finale on Saturday is slated to begin at 2 p.m. CT. Thursday's opener will air nationally on SEC Network with the final two games streaming live through SEC Network+.
