Alabama Baseball Hosts No. 7 Florida for Final Home Series of 2017

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama welcomes seventh-ranked Florida to Sewell-Thomas Stadium to close out the Tide's regular-season home schedule with a three-game weekend series. The Crimson Tide and Gators are set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch in the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday on SEC Network+. The duo of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier will call all the action for games one and two. The series finale on Sunday will feature a 3 p.m. CT first pitch with the game airing nationally on SEC Network. Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Gabe Gross (analyst) will cover the final matchup.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:

Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday & Saturday) / SEC Network (Sunday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Leading Off

Alabama and Florida will meet for the 115th time when the two teams open the series on Friday evening. The all-time record is split at 57-57, but the Crimson Tide holds a 30-20 advantage in home games against the Gators. UF holds a 9-1 record in the last 10 meetings with the most recent pairing coming on May 26, 2016, in the SEC Tournament. In that latest pairing, Florida came away with the 5-4 win to knock Alabama out of the Tournament.
Florida comes to Tuscaloosa with a 35-14 overall record and a 16-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Gators are 15-3 over their last 18 games and 9-1 over their last 10. UF is coming off a 15-10 loss to USF in Gainesville in their lone midweek contest to snap a nine-game winning streak. Florida has gone 6-2 in SEC series with sweeps of Missouri in Columbia, Georgia in Athens and Ole Miss at home.
This weekend against the Gators will feature the same Tide rotation from the Auburn series. Friday's series opener will feature junior right-hander Jake Walters with sophomore southpaw Dylan Duarte throwing in game two. Alabama will call on senior righty Nick Eicholtz in the series finale on Sunday.
The Gators' rotation has stayed consistent all season with the same trio starting every weekend series. Junior righty Alex Faedo will start the weekend for UF and is followed by sophomore right-hander Brady Singer on Saturday. Jackson Kowar, a right-handed sophomore, will throw for the Gators on getaway day.
Alabama's final weekend series at home will be "Senior Weekend", highlighting the careers of the Tide's four seniors - Tanner DeVinny, Nick Eicholtz, Mike Oczypok and Taylor Poe. The first 500 fans on Friday will receive senior trading cards at the gate to kick off the promo schedule. Friday will also feature a ceremonial first pitch from Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. On Saturday, Kat Taylor will perform on the concourse in the final "Saturday Entertainment Series" concert. Sunday's game will be the final "Kid's Fun Day" at The Joe, with inflatables during the game and postgame autographs and kids run the bases for all youth.

Probably Pitching Matchups

Friday

UA – Jake Walters (Jr., RHP) vs. UF – Alex Faedo (Jr., RHP)

Saturday

UA – Dylan Duarte (So., LHP) vs. UF – Brady Singer (So., RHP)

Sunday

UA – Nick Eicholtz (Sr., RHP) vs. UF – Jackson Kowar (So., RHP)

Scouting Alabama

Alabama is currently riding a four-game winning streak, sweeping then-No. 4 Auburn on the Plains last weekend before taking down Grambling, 12-2, in eight innings on Wednesday evening.
The Crimson Tide used a pair of grand slams and 14 combined hits to take down Grambling, 12-2, on Wednesday evening in Tuscaloosa to close out the non-conference slate with a 14-10 record for the season.
Alabama's offense collected 14 total hits with 12 of the 13 Tide batters reaching base safely and eight of the nine UA starters recording at least one hit against Grambling. The offense was highlighted by grand slams from Hunter Alexander and John Trousdale. Alexander finished 1-for-3 with the homer, two runs scored, a pair of walks and a season-high four RBI. Trousdale's grand slam walked it off for the Crimson Tide for the run-rule win, as the freshman finished 1-for-2 with four RBI and a run.
Freshman starter Deacon Medders earned his second win of the year, throwing a season-long 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball. Medders allowed only three hits and issued two walks while striking out four across his career-high 97 pitches of work.
UA's three wins this past weekend at Auburn marks the third time Alabama has swept the Tigers in Auburn in consecutive weekend series in program history and the first time UA has completed back-to-back three-game series sweeps of AU in Auburn. Alabama has also won seven straight games at Auburn to tie for the longest winning streak over the Tigers in Auburn, which came from May 6, 1955-April 21, 1958 - the only other time the Crimson Tide has accomplished the feat.
The Alabama offense was led by SEC Player of the Week Chandler Taylor, who finished at a .500 (7-14) pace to earn the conference's weekly award. Taylor contributed two doubles, three home runs, three RBI, five runs scored and three walks to lead the UA offense in every statistical category. He finished with a team-high 1.286 slugging percentage for the three-game series, tallying five extra-base hits, and totaled 16 bases across the weekend.
Alabama secured the series win on Saturday with a sweep of the Tigers with a pair of one-run victories in doubleheader action. The Tide came away with a 4-3 win in the series opener before holding off a late Tiger rally for the 7-6 victory in the day's second game. Taylor highlighted the UA offense, finishing 3-for-8 on the day with two home runs, a pair of RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Davis Vainer nabbed a save in each game and combined for five strikeouts. Game one starter Jake Walters picked up the win in the series opener while reliever Zac Rogers earned the victory in the nightcap.
The Crimson Tide claimed a 4-3 win in the series opener with the Tigers. UA received a strong combined pitching effort from the trio of Walters, Garrett Suchey and Vainer for the victory. Walters got the win with 5.0 innings of one-run baseball, allowing five hits, walking four and striking out one batter in the starting effort. He was followed by Suchey, who tossed 3.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits before exiting with two down in the ninth. Vainer collected his fourth save of the season, striking out the final batter of the game to strand the tying run at first and secure the victory for UA.
Taylor paced the Alabama offense in game one, tying his season high for hits with a 3-for-4 day that included two home runs - both solo shots - two RBI, two runs scored and one walk. The multi-homer game was the second of Taylor's career. Also contributing a multi-hit effort was Alex Webb, who finished 2-for-3.
Alabama held off a late rally from the Tigers, as the Tide secured the 7-6 win in the day's second game. Alabama and Auburn traded runs throughout the first six frames before UA put up two in both the seventh and eighth innings for needed insurance. Auburn rallied for two in the bottom of the eighth and one in the ninth with the tying and winning runs on base, but Vainer shut the door for his fifth save of the season and his second on the day. Rogers claimed the win with 1.0 inning of relief.
Seven of the nine Alabama starters recorded at least one hit in game two with seven registering at least one run scored. The Tide offense was paced by Kyle Kaufman, who finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Kaufman's bases-loaded single in the eighth plated both his RBI and would eventually prove the difference in the one-run evening affair.
In the longest game in Alabama baseball history by minutes at 6:36, the Crimson Tide took down Auburn on the Plains to complete the weekend sweep. Sunday's series finale saw seven lead changes, including three different times in extra innings where Alabama scored and Auburn matched to extend the game up until the 15th inning. In that 15th, the Crimson Tide was able to score two on a Sam Finnerty RBI-single and sacrifice fly from Connor Short to take the decisive lead. The Tide then brought in Suchey with a runner aboard, but the junior shut the door with a lineout to center for the game's final out to secure the UA sweep.
Alabama used eight total pitchers and 20 players saw time at the plate, including three who did both - Finnerty, Rogers and Sonny Potter. The Crimson Tide's seventh pitcher of the night, Potter, got his first career win with 0.1 of an inning worked. Suchey followed him with 1.0 inning of scoreless baseball for his third save of the season.
Offensively, Taylor led the Tide once again, finishing 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, one RBI, a team-high three runs scored and two walks. Also homering was Alexander as part of his 2-for-6 night that included a team-high tying two RBI, two runs scored and a pair of walks.
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 - Florida

Alabama and Florida will meet for the 115th time when the two teams square off in Friday's opener to start the weekend.
The all-time series is even at 57-57, but the Crimson Tide maintains a 30-20 mark in games at home.
Florida is in the midst of a three-game winning streak over UA and has won 10 of the last 11 pairings between the two schools. Alabama's most recent win over the Gators came in a 10-inning affair in Gainesville on March 27, 2015, as part of a doubleheader. Prior that win, the Crimson Tide had not taken down the Gators since May 29, 2010, in Hoover during the SEC Tournament.
The most recent meeting between UA and UF came last season on May 26 in the SEC Tournament to end the Tide's run in the tourney. The two teams changed leads or went even on five different occasions across the nine innings, with Florida coming out on top in the end. The Crimson Tide pitching effort was highlighted by Matt Foster, who worked a career-long 5.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing three hits and issuing two walks while punching out three hitters.
Alabama head coach Greg Goff is 0-2 for his career against Florida.

On Deck

The Crimson Tide will close out the regular season with a three-game series in Nashville against Vanderbilt from Thursday-Saturday, May 18-20. Games one and two are set for 6:30 p.m. CT starts with the series finale starting at 1 p.m. CT. All three contests can be seen on SEC Network +.

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