Alabama to Host 15th-Ranked LSU at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Thursday through Saturday
4/26/2017 4:25:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 367th time in series history when the series opens on Thursday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama hosts No. 15 LSU at Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a three-game SEC series from Thursday through Saturday. The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch in Thursday's series opener. The second game of the series is slated to start at 6 p.m. CT with the series finale scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The opener will air nationally on ESPN2 with the duo of Tom Hart and Gabe Gross on the call. The final two games of the series will air live on SEC Network+ with the tandem of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier calling all the action.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow the three-game series via the below outlets:
Watch: ESPN2 (Thursday) / SEC Network+ (Friday & Saturday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and LSU will meet for the 367th time overall when the two teams square off in the series opener on Thursday night. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 201-162-3 and 115-66 in home games. The last time the Tide was the home team for a weekend series with the Tigers came from April 2-4, 2015, in Hoover, with LSU sweeping Alabama. Last season, the Crimson Tide traveled to Baton Rouge from March 19-20, nearly completing the sweep, but still claiming a pair of victories in a Saturday doubleheader to open the weekend before falling in the series finale on Sunday.
• LSU comes to Tuscaloosa with a 27-15 overall record, including a 10-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers have split their conference series thus far, 3-3, most recently falling twice across three games in Lexington to Kentucky last weekend. LSU is coming off a Tuesday night matchup at Tulane that saw the Tigers fall, 9-6, in New Orleans.
• The three-game set for Alabama will feature two of its regular weekend starters in the first two games, with the Saturday starter still to be announced. Thursday's opener will feature sophomore left-hander Dylan Duarte, who will be making his team-leading 11th start of the season. Following Duarte will be senior righty Nick Eicholtz on Friday. The outcomes of the first two games will determine who will throw for UA on Saturday.
• The Tigers will call on their regular weekend trio of pitchers for the series in Tuscaloosa. Thursday's opener will feature junior right-hander Alex Lange, followed by senior lefty Jared Poché on Friday evening. LSU will feature freshman right-hander Eric Walker for the series finale.
• The series between the Tide and Tigers at The Joe will be "Alumni Weekend" for Alabama baseball. The program welcomes back all Crimson Tide baseball alumni to be celebrated each game while the alumni and their families will also receive admission at a discounted ticket rate. Thursday's opener will be "'90s Night" with a throwback theme to the entire gameday experience. Crimson Chaos members will also receive a '90s hat as part of the giveaway on Thursday night. The opener will double as "Greek Night" with all members of a sorority or fraternity receiving Greek points for their check in at Gate 6 and the Greek Life Council throwing out the game's ceremonial first pitches. Friday's contest will be the Tide's "Crimson Out" with all fans asked to wear their Crimson in support of the Tide. That same night, fans coming through the gates of Sewell-Thomas Stadium will receive commemorative pennants celebrating the 125 years of Alabama baseball. The first 150 students through the gates on Friday will also get an Alabama baseball T-shirt and free Chuy's. That Friday contest will be "Alumni Association Night" as well. Students will also have the chance to enter to win a Yeti cooler at Friday's contest. Finally for the finale, Alabama will resume its "Saturday Entertainment Series" with the Voodoo Saints playing a pregame concert on the main concourse. Saturday will also feature first pitches by former Alabama softball great Haylie McCleney and Alabama alumnus, Dan Chavers, who was a part of the Crimson Tide's 1997 team that reached the College World Series in Omaha.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
THURSDAY: UA – Dylan Duarte (So., LHP) vs. LSU – Alex Lange (Jr., RHP)
FRIDAY: UA – Nick Eicholtz (Sr., RHP) vs. LSU – Jared Poché (Sr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – TBA vs. LSU – Eric Walker (Fr., RHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama suffered close losses in its last four games. falling in three one-run games at No. 11 Mississippi State from Thursday through Friday into Saturday morning, and then coming up short against Jacksonville State on Tuesday, 11-8.
• Jacksonville State's four-run seventh inning proved the difference in Tuesday's game, as Alabama fell, 11-8, to the Gamecocks on Tuesday night. The two teams traded runs throughout the evening. Both clubs played a pair in the first. JSU then scored single tallies in the third and fourth, before UA matched with a two-run bottom of the fourth. The very next inning saw each squad post a three-spot, before Alabama jumped out front with one run in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, JSU used five singles to score four runs for the win.
• The Alabama offenses collected 13 total hits with eight of the nine starters recording at least one knock. The output was paced by Cody Henry, who finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a team-high four RBI and a pair of runs scored. Also homering was Chandler Taylor, who finished 1-for-4 with two RBI, a walk and one run. Rounding out the Tide's offensive performance was Kyle Kaufman, who finished a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, a hit-by-pitch, one RBI and two runs scored, reaching base safely in all five plate appearances.
• Alabama was unable to complete the comeback against State on Thursday evening, as the Tide suffered a 6-5 loss at Dudy Noble Field. Thursday's contest featured four lead changes and two ties as the Tide and Bulldogs exchanged runs from the second through the top of the fourth. MSU trailed by one after the top of the fourth, but answered with a three-run bottom of the fifth, which would prove the difference in the game. Alabama battled for a two-spot in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run affair, but came no closer.
• The Tide offense was led by Sam Finnerty on Thursday, with the sophomore finishing 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a team-high two runs scored. Henry also contributed a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-5 with one run scored.
• Alabama came up short in both games of Friday's doubleheader, first falling 4-3 in game one before suffering a 13-12 defeat in a 13-inning affair in game two.
• Game one of the day finished in favor of the Bulldogs, as State edged Alabama, 4-3. The Tide build an early 3-0 lead heading to the bottom of the third, but MSU would collect one in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to secure the win and the series victory. Crimson Tide starter Nick Eicholtz worked 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two. The senior starter then handed it over to Finnerty, who tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball and punched out a career-high seven batters.
• UA fell, 13-12, in a 13-inning contest for game two that extended into Saturday morning. The game totaled 5:43, marking the longest recorded game in Alabama baseball history. The two teams maintained large leads, with the Tide going up by five heading into the bottom of the sixth before the Bulldogs plated nine runs in that inning. Alabama then tallied two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to even things up and send it to extras. In the 11th, each team scored three before Mississippi State secured the win with one run in the bottom of the 13th.
• The Crimson Tide returned to 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 – LSU
• Alabama and LSU will meet for the 367th time in series history when the two teams square off in the series opener on Thursday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadiun.
• The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 201-162-3, and improves to 115-66 when playing at home. The last "home" series for Alabama against LSU came from April 2-4, 2015, with the weekend series being played at the Hoover Met. The Tigers claimed the sweep in that series, with the two teams playing in a 16-innning and a 13-inning contest, both of which ranked amongst the Crimson Tide's top-10 longest games by time in program history.
• Last season, the Tide traveled to Baton Rouge from March 19-20, nearly completing the sweep, but still claiming a pair of victories in a Saturday doubleheader to open the weekend before falling the series finale on Sunday.
• Saturday in Baton Rouge featured a doubleheader at Alex Box Stadium following a rainout in last year's series opener. The first game of the twinbill went in favor of Alabama, 6-0, as the Tide shut out the Tigers in Baton Rouge for the first time since May 14, 2000. The UA offense strung together 12 hits, with every starter recording at least one knock. Will Haynie highlighted the offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
• The second game of the doubleheader also went in favor of the Tide, 4-3, as Alabama claimed the series victory with the win. UA's offense tallied four runs across the game and took a 4-1 lead into the ninth. The Tigers were able to get two and put the tying run at second, but a popup in foul territory ended the game and earned Matt Foster his first save of the season with Thomas Burrows out still with an oblique strain.
• UA led most of the day in Sunday's finale, but a six-run eighth inning proved the difference, as the Tide fell, 7-5. Alabama carried a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but five Tiger hits led to a six-run frame as LSU took its first lead of the weekend. Alabama rallied for one in the ninth and had the tying runs in scoring position, but a questionable strike call ended the game in favor of the Tigers as LSU avoided the sweep.
• Alabama head coach Greg Goff is 0-1 for his career against LSU.
ON DECK
Alabama will take the midweek off as the University enters exam week. Following the break, the Crimson Tide will travel to Auburn to take on the fifth-ranked Tigers at Plainsman Park. The two teams will meet for a traditional weekend series, with Friday's opener set for a 6 p.m. CT start followed by a Saturday 2 p.m. CT first pitch. The series finale on Sunday is slated for 4 p.m. CT. SEC Network+ will stream the first two games of the series before Sunday's finale, which will air nationally on SEC Network.
