Southeastern Conference Play Begins for Baseball vs. Georgia
3/15/2018 2:29:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will meet for the 144th time in the history of the two programs when the teams square off on Friday evening
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference slate begins for Alabama baseball this weekend as the Crimson Tide welcomes the Georgia Bulldogs to Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a three-game series. Friday's SEC opener is slated for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch followed by a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. The series finale on Sunday is scheduled for 2 p.m. on getaway day. All three games will air nationally on SEC Network with Mike Morgan and Mike Rooney on the call.
This weekend's series will feature numerous promotions for fans of all ages. On Friday, fans will have the option of purchasing a "Friday Family Pack" of tickets. The package includes discounted tickets with Domino's coupons included in the price of admission (must purchase four or more tickets, no exceptions). Interested parties can take advantage of the promotion simply by purchasing at least four tickets through RollTide.com. Groups of four or more will receive the discounted price at the ticket window or online.
The Crimson Tide will celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Saturday, with a green Alabama T-shirt jersey handed out to the first 300 fans through the gates at The Joe. Sunday will be "Kid's Day" at The Joe, featuring inflatables and poster-making stations on the main concourse before and during the game. Following the final out, kids 12-and-under can head to the field to run the bases and get autographs from the Crimson Tide players. Tickets for Sunday's contest are also discounted at $5 for all youth (18-and-under). Big Al's Kids Club members can get a $1 ticket at Sunday's matchup simply by showing their app at the ticket window or using their online promotional code. BAKC members will also receive a free Big Al pillow case (while supplies last).
The series finale will also be "Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day" with all faculty and staff receiving free admission to the game. Family members and friends of faculty and staff will receive the discounted group rate on additional tickets for Sunday.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's matchups via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Georgia will meet for the 144th time in series history when the teams open the weekend series on Friday.
• The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series by a slight margin, 71-70-2. The first time the two programs met was for a three-game series in Athens in 1904, with the Bulldogs taking the inaugural game in the series before the Tide came away with the series win, capturing victories in the final two contests. Georgia's first trip to Tuscaloosa came in the 1909 season, as Alabama claimed a sweep in all three games.
• Alabama is 7-3 in its last 10 contests overall with Georgia and has won eight of the last 10 three-game series between the two cross-division foes. In the last 10 series between the Tide and the Bulldogs, Georgia has come out on top in the 2004 and 2016 series' - both in Athens.
• The most recent series between UA and UGA was from March 31-April 2, 2016, in Athens. The Crimson Tide won the series opener, 10-7, in a 13-inning thriller, before the Bulldogs took games two and three for the series win with 7-1 and 12-4 victories, respectively.
• Georgia makes its first trip to The "New" Joe with a 12-5 overall mark, including a 2-4 record on the road this season. The Bulldogs began the 2018 slate with a 2-1 series win over Georgia Southern, winning the series opener and finale. The victory over GSU in the finale began a six-game winning streak for UGA, featuring a win at Kennesaw State, a series sweep of Charlotte and a midweek win over Wofford. Georgia followed with a four-game losing streak, getting swept at College of Charleston on the weekend and then a loss in a midweek pairing with Charleston Southern. A win at the Citadel got the Bulldogs back on track before last weekend's series sweep of Toledo in Athens.
• The Bulldogs are coming off a 15-3 win over Kennesaw State on Tuesday. Georgia totaled 11 hits and added eight walks on the way to 15 runs for the blowout midweek victory.
• Alabama's rotation this weekend will feature a new face in redshirt freshman Garret Rukes. Right-hander Sam Finnerty will take the hill for the Crimson Tide in the series opener on Friday before senior Jake Walters, also a right-hander, gets the nod on Saturday. Rukes will make his first career SEC start on Sunday in the southpaw's fourth starting appearance of the 2018 campaign.
• Georgia will call on a senior and two freshman arms for its starts. Senior right-hander Chase Adkins will get the start on Friday and is followed by freshman Emerson Hancock, also a righty, on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is set to feature first-year pitcher Ryan Webb with the left-hander making his second start of the season and his seventh appearance overall.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP) vs. UGA – Chase Adkins (Sr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jake Walters (Sr., RHP) vs. UGA – Emerson Hancock (Fr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP) vs. UGA – Ryan Webb (Fr., LHP)
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters this weekend after going 4-1 over the last five games. The Crimson Tide claimed a series win over New Mexico State last weekend, 2-1, before sweeping Alabama A&M in consecutive shutouts on Tuesday and Wednesday evening in Tuscaloosa..
• The Crimson Tide swept Alabama A&M with back-to-back shutouts on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. The first midweek matchup saw the Tide come away with a 15-0 win before returning for a 14-0 victory on Wednesday evening.
• Alabama's bats maintained a .431 (28-65) average in the two games with the Bulldogs. The Tide recorded 15 extra-base hits, including seven doubles, one triple and seven home runs. The offensive effort was highlighted by Connor Stutts. The redshirt sophomore outfielder batter .500 (4-8) in his first two career starts at UA. Stutts collected one double and two home runs with a team-high seven RBI, while also adding one walk and three runs scored.
• Cobie Vance also posted a pair of impressive performances against A&M. The junior infielder batted .667 (4-6) with a double, two RBI and paced the team in walks (3) and runs scored (5).
• Alabama's arms limited the Bulldogs to only nine hits and kept Alabama A&M off the scoreboard over their 14.0 innings of work.
• Five different starters ended the night with multi-hit efforts as UA cruised to the Tuesday win. The Crimson Tide sprinted out to an early 8-0 lead, batting around in the first and using eight hits to score its eight runs. Alabama totaled three doubles and five singles with one hit-by-pitch to put the game out of reach early. The eight-run inning was the highest single-inning output by the UA offense this season.
• Alabama added six more runs in the fifth before a solo home run in the sixth capped the night's scoring on Tuesday.
• Tide starter Mason Duke posted an impressive performance in game one of the midweek series, finishing the night with a career-high 6.0 scoreless innings. The junior allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five for his second win in as many starts.
• A season-high five home runs and an impressive pitching performance helped Alabama record its second consecutive shutout on Wednesday at The Joe.
• Eight of the nine starters for UA tallied at least one hit with all 10 Alabama batters reaching base safely on one or more occasion. The Tide bats totaled five home runs, highlighted by a two-homer game from Hunter Alexander. The senior finished 2-for-4 with a career-high and team-high five RBI along with two runs scored.
• Freshman Brady Greene secured his first career win with 3.0 innings of scoreless baseball on Wednesday. The right-hander allowed three hits and issued two walks while striking out one Bulldog hitter. Greene combined with starter Davis Vainer along with fellow relievers Tyler Adams and Dylan Duarte for the shutout win.
• Alabama and New Mexico State split the Friday doubleheader at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Aggies came away with a 3-0 shutout win in the series opener before the Crimson Tide answered with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap of the twinbill.
• UA fell to New Mexico State, 3-0, in the first game of the doubleheader for its first loss at home this season.
• The Crimson Tide used a gutsy performance from starter Jake Walters followed by a scoreless outing from the Tide bullpen in UA's 3-1 win over NMSU in game two. Walters grinded out 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, allowing four hits and five walks while punching out five.
• Walters was followed by Brock Guffey and Deacon Medders, with the duo tossing the final 3.2 innings and holding the Aggies scoreless. Medders earned his second save of the season thanks to 3.0 frames. The bullpen's standout effort marked the seventh game this season that the Tide relievers have not given up a run.
• Five runs across the final four innings, highlighted by a three-run seventh, helped Alabama clinch the 5-2 victory and series win over New Mexico State on Saturday. Alabama's offense was paced by Chandler Avant's 3-for-4 day that included a career-high three doubles to go along with his team-leading two runs scored and two RBI. Jett Manning also contributed a pair of RBI as part of his 1-for-3 outing with one walk.
• On the hill, Vainer earned his second win of the season thanks to a career-long 4.0 innings of work. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out three Aggie hitters. Duarte tallied his second save of the week and season, throwing the final inning.
• Alabama returned 21 letterwinners while losing 11 from the 2017 squad. The 2018 Crimson Tide welcomed back eight positional starters and three starting pitchers while hosting 11 newcomers (including one transfer who sat out last season).
ABOUT GEORGIA
• Georgia returns 26 letterwinners, including all nine positional starters and 15 pitchers, from a 2017 squad that finished 25-32 overall and 11-19 in Southeastern Conference play, falling in the first round of the conference tournament. The 2018 roster is without four letterwinners from a season ago, a number that includes three pitchers, while UGA welcomes nine newcomers.
• The Bulldogs were selected to finish fifth in the East and 10th overall in the SEC in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league coaches.
• Scott Stricklin is in his fifth year at the helm of the Georgia program and his 14th season overall as a head coach. A graduate of Kent State (Ohio) in 1995, Stricklin is assisted by Sean Kenny and Scott Daeley along with volunteer coach Pete Hughes.
• Georgia baseball, the oldest sport on the UGA campus, began in 1886 and held a 2,221-1,738-24 record entering the 2018 campaign. The Bulldogs have earned six SEC titles and appeared in the NCAA postseason 11 times, including six stints in the College World Series. UGA was crowned the national champion in 1990 and advanced to the finals in that season along with 2008.
• The University of Georgia is a public university located in Athens, Ga., and boasts an enrollment of 37,606 students. Founded in 1785, it is the country's oldest state-chartered university and the birthplace of the American system of public higher education.
ON DECK
The Crimson Tide will begin a five-game roadtrip following this weekend's matchups with the Bulldogs. Alabama will first travel up the road to Regions Field to take on UAB on Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch. Following the trip to Birmingham, the Crimson Tide will head to Knoxville next weekend for a three-game series with the Tennessee Volunteers from March 23-25.
