Pair of Midweek Games On-Deck for Baseball
2/26/2018 4:31:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide will take on Samford on Tuesday night in Birmingham before returning home to host Alabama State on Wednesday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball is scheduled for a pair of single midweek matchups starting Tuesday evening, as the Crimson Tide travels to Birmingham to square off with Samford. The Tide will then return home to Sewell-Thomas Stadium to host Alabama State on Wednesday afternoon. Tuesday's game will air live on the SoCon Sports Network, while Wednesday's contest in Tuscaloosa will be televised by SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this week's matchups via the below outlets:
Watch: SoCon Sports Network (Tuesday) / SEC Network+ (Wednesday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: SamfordSports.com (Tuesday) / RollTide.com (Wednesday)
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Samford will meet for the 105th time in series history when the two square off on Tuesday evening. The Crimson Tide holds a 90-14 all-time advantage in the series, including a 17-6 mark in games played in Birmingham.
• The two teams last met on March 15, 2017, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. In that game the Bulldogs collected 10 runs on 13 hits and nine walks for the 10-3 midweek win. The second game of the annual home-and-home series between the two in-state foes was canceled later in the season.
• Samford welcomes the Crimson Tide to Joe Lee Griffin Stadium holding a 5-3 overall record. The Bulldogs are coming off a series win over Harvard, taking three of four games from the Crimson last weekend.
• Alabama and Alabama State will meet for the seventh matchup all-time on Wednesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide is a perfect 6-0 overall against the Hornets, including a 5-0 mark at The Joe.
• The two teams last faced off on Feb. 22, 2011, in Tuscaloosa. That game saw the Crimson Tide come away with an 11-7 win over the Hornets. The most recent matchup was the first pairing between the two in-state schools since 1988.
• Alabama State comes to Tuscaloosa with a 5-3 overall mark. The Hornets took two of three games from Southern this past weekend in Montgomery before the final matchup of the series was postponed due to weather.
• The Crimson Tide will call on redshirt freshman southpaw Garret Rukes in Tuesday's matchup in Birmingham. Rukes made his first appearance last Tuesday, almost a year removed from season-ending surgery during the 2017 campaign. In his Tuesday start, the left-hander tossed 2.0 scoreless frames, striking out a pair in the process.
• The Bulldogs send senior right-hander Erin Baldwin to mound on Tuesday evening. Baldwin has made four appearances already this season and owns a 1-0 record with a 1.59 ERA (1 ER/5.2 IP).
• Both starters for Wednesdays pairing are still to be determined by UA and Alabama State.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
TUESDAY: UA – Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP) vs. SAM – Erin Baldwin (Sr., RHP)
WEDNESDAY: UA – TBA vs. ASU – TBA
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama wrapped up week two of the 2018 season a perfect 4-0, improving the Crimson Tide to 7-0 on the young season. The 7-0 start is the Tide's best since 2010 - Mitch Gaspard's first season - when UA began the new year 8-0. Alabama first shut out Middle Tennessee, 4-0, on Tuesday afternoon before sweeping Washington State across three games from Friday through Saturday.
• The Crimson Tide's offense across the four games was led by Keith Holcombe. The junior outfielder batted .571 (8-14) with a double, a team-high eight RBI, two runs scored and one walk. He collected at least one hit and RBI in each of the four games, including a career-high and team-high four hits and four RBI in Saturday's series finale.
• On Tuesday, Alabama starter Garret Rukes, a redshirt freshman, worked 2.0 innings in his first outing of the season and his first appearance since undergoing season-ending surgery early in 2017. He was followed by redshirt sophomore Brock Love, who tossed 2.0 innings of his own, throwing for the first time since he was sidelined for a majority of 2017 with a season-ending injury, as well.
• Senior Tyler Adams earned his first career win to highlight the relief effort against the Blue Raiders. Connor Stutts, Mason Duke, Deacon Medders and Dylan Duarte each provided an inning of work on the way to Alabama's first shutout win of the season.
• The Tide secured wins in both games of Friday's doubleheader with Washington State to claim the series victory. UA came out on top, 12-4, in game one before an 8-2 win in game two of the day at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
• Alabama's offense batted .375 (27-72) with two doubles, a triple and one home run on the way to 20 total runs across the two games. The Tide used 16 hits in game one before tallying 11 in game two to help secure the series win and Friday sweep.
• UA cruised past Washington State in game one of the day for a 12-4 win. The Tide used 16 hits and a season-high tying 10 walks on the way to the win. Joe Breaux set a new Alabama record with five walks in as many plate appearances, surpassing the former high total of four in a game. Chandler Avant paced the Tide in hits with a 3-for-6 day that included two RBI and a run scored, one of six starting members of the UA order to record multi-hit days.
• Alabama dominated once again in game two, limiting the Cougars to two runs on three hits in the 8-2 victory. The Crimson Tide hitters collected double-digit totals once again, tallying 11 in the nightcap. Jake Walters earned his first win of the season thanks to 6.0 innings of two-run baseball. The right-hander allowed two hits and issued two walks while striking out seven. He then handed the ball over to Medders, who tossed the final 3.0 innings for the save.
• After a two-hour delayed start and a 45-minute in-game rain delay, Alabama completed the sweep of Washington State with a 9-3 victory in Saturday's series finale. The Crimson Tide bats produced nine runs on the power of 12 hits and three walks.
• Alabama's offense was highlighted by Holcombe's perfect 4-for-4 afternoon that saw the junior record a team-high and career-high four RBI. Holcombe's day extended his hitting streak to six games. Also contributing a multi-hit effort was Avant, who went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. With the productive day at the dish, the senior second baseman has now recorded at least one hit in all seven games of the young season.
• On the hill in Saturday's finale, Tide starter Sam Gardner worked 4.0 innings of one-run baseball, allowing four hits and issuing two walks with two strikeouts. The junior starter exited the game following a 45-minute rain delay, giving way to his bullpen. UA used four arms to combine for the final 5.0 innings, with Brock Guffey earning his first win of the season.
• Alabama returns 21 letterwinners while losing 11 from the 2017 squad. The 2018 Crimson Tide welcomes back eight positional starters and three starting pitchers while hosting 11 newcomers (including one transfer who sat out last season).
SCOUTING SAMFORD
• Samford returns 28 letterwinners, including seven positional starters and four starting pitchers, from the 2017 roster that finished 33-26 overall and 11-13 to rank sixth in the SoCon. The 2018 roster is without six letterwinners from a season ago, a number that includes two positional starters and one pitcher.
• The Bulldogs were selected to finish third in the SoCon in both of the league's preseason polls, which features two separate preseason votes - one poll representing votes from the league coaches and one representing votes from the media.
• Casey Dunn is now in his 14th season as a head coach, all of which have come at Samford. During his time with the Bulldogs, Dunn has accumulated a 412-354 career record. A 1999 graduate of Auburn, Dunn is joined by associate head coach Tony David and assistant coach Tyler Shrout to round out his staff.
ALABAMA VS. THE SoCON
• The Crimson Tide travels to Birmingham to face off with Samford for the 105th time in the history of the two programs. The Tuesday matchup will be the first of two this season, with the Bulldogs scheduled to travel to Tuscaloosa on April 17. The Tide holds a 90-14 advantage in the series with Samford but fell in the lone matchup a season ago, 10-3, on March 15.
• Alabama has faced off with five of the current nine member teams and is 120-21 all-time against the current SoCon. The Crimson Tide has never faced East Tennessee State, The Citadel, Western Carolina and Wofford.
• Samford and Alabama have met the most of any current SoCon participant, followed by Mercer with the Tide leading that series 20-6-1. UA is 5-0-1 all-time against Furman, 3-0 vs. VMI and 2-1 in games against North Carolina-Greensboro.
• Last year's meeting between Alabama and Samford was the most recent matchup for the Tide with a SoCon opponent.
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE
• Alabama State returns eight positional starters and five starting pitchers, from the 2017 team that finished 31-25 overall and 18-6 in the SWAC. The 2018 roster is without one positional starter and three starting pitchers, while ASU welcomes 14 newcomers for the new season.
• The Hornets were selected to finish atop the SWAC, receiving 10 first-place votes in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
• Jose Vazquez is in his second season with the Hornets in 2018 and owns a 36-28 overall mark during his time at ASU. The first-time head coach is joined by associate head coach Drew Clark and assistant coach Matt Crane. The coaching trio are all graduates of Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla.
ALABAMA VS. THE SWAC
• The Crimson Tide will face Alabama State for the seventh time in series history. Alabama is a perfect 6-0 all-time against ASU with the last meeting coming in 2011, an 11-7 win for the Tide on Feb. 22.
• Alabama has squared off with eight of the 10 current member teams, holding an 80-6 mark against those programs. The only two teams UA has not played are Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern.
• Mississippi Valley State has paired with the Tide the most, with Alabama holding a 22-1 advantage in the series. Closely behind is Alcorn State, who the Tide has a 21-1 mark against. UA is perfect against Alabama A&M (5-0), Alabama State, Grambling (1-0) and Southern (4-0). The Tide is 6-1 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 15-3 vs. Jackson State to round out the current conference members.
• The last time Alabama paired with a SWAC school was May 10 of last season when the Tide run-ruled Grambling, 12-2, in eight innings of play. In that game, the UA offense featured grand slams from Hunter Alexander and a walkoff four-RBI shot from John Trousdale.
ON DECK
Following the two midweek pairings, the Crimson Tide will travel to Norman for a three-game series with Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide and Sooners are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT start in Friday's series opener followed by a 4 p.m. start on Saturday. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with first pitch set for 12 p.m. on getaway day for the Tide.
