Baseball Set for Midweek Pairing in Tuscaloosa with Jacksonville State
4/2/2018 4:42:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Gamecocks will meet for the 38th time in the history of the series on Tuesday evening
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A midweek pairing with Jacksonville State is next up for Alabama baseball, as the Crimson Tide hosts the Gamecocks on Tuesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a 6 p.m. CT matchup. The contest between the two in-state foes will air live on SEC Network+.
Tuesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium will resume the Crimson Tide's "$2 Tuesdays" promotion. Fans can get their tickets for just $2 and will receive a Taco mama coupon at the gate (while supplies last).
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow Tuesday's matchup via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Jacksonville State will square off for the 38th time in series history when the two teams meet in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday evening. The home-and-home series between the two in-state foes was flipped earlier this year to allow for the completion of JSU's home stadium, which is currently under construction. The Crimson Tide will now travel to Jacksonville on May 8 to open the Gamecocks' new ballpark.
• The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series 28-9, with UA holding a 24-6 record in games played in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has won eight of the last 10 and was riding an 11-game winning streak over Jacksonville State going into last season's pair of games in Tuscaloosa. The Gamecocks won each of the two meetings a season ago, marking the third time in the history of the series that JSU has won back-to-back contests against the Tide, with the most recent instance coming from 2003-04 when Jacksonville State defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa on March 13, 2003, and followed with another win on Feb. 18, 2004, in Jacksonville.
• UA and JSU met for two games a season ago, first on Feb. 28, with the Gamecocks claiming a 2-1 win in 10 innings. The teams met once again on April 25 in a game that saw Jacksonville State earn an 11-8 win in Tuscaloosa to sweep the season series.
• Jacksonville State comes to Tuscaloosa with a 15-9 overall record and a 6-3 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Gamecocks are coming off a three-game sweep of Murray State in Birmingham last weekend, playing at UAB's home field as construction at JSU's new stadium is still on-going.
• Alabama will look to junior Sam Gardner in the start against the Gamecocks. The right-hander is 1-1 on the season with a 5.11 ERA (14 ER/24.2 IP) across his seven appearances, including five starts.
• Jacksonville State calls on right-hander Sean Rape, a sophomore. The second-year pitcher has made eight appearances on the season with two starts and holds a 5.28 ERA (9 ER/15.1 IP) with 10 walks compared to nine strikeouts.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
UA – Sam Gardner (Jr., RHP) vs. JSU – Sean Rape (So., RHP)
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama split the week, going 2-2 over a four-game stretch. The Crimson Tide began the week in Montgomery, falling by a score of 5-2 to No. 9 Auburn in the annual MAX Capital City Classic. Following the midweek pairing, UA defeated seventh-ranked Kentucky in each of the first two games of the three-game weekend to secure the series win.
• The series victory for the Crimson Tide marked the eighth consecutive series win over the Wildcats at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with UK's last win over a three-game set coming in 1993.
• Alabama paired a standout pitching effort with timely hitting for the 4-2, series-opening win over Kentucky on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide received a solid pitching performance from its starter, Sam Finnerty. The junior tossed 5.2 innings, allowing two runs – only one earned – on eight hits, while issuing three walks and striking out three for his third win of the season.
• The tandem of Brock Guffey and Deacon Medders combined for the final 3.1 innings, holding the high-powered Wildcat offense scoreless. Medders collected his team-leading third save of the season, working the final 2.0 frames, to secure the win for UA.
• A game-winning grand slam from Hunter Alexander provided Alabama baseball with the necessary offense as the Crimson Tide defeated Kentucky, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon. Alabama's offense totaled two hits on the day, with the first coming in the seventh inning to break a no-hit bid by Kentucky starter Zach Haake. The second came from Alexander in the eighth, as the senior took the 0-1 pitch deep to left to clear the bases. The Tide was able to load them up for Alexander with three walks in the inning before the game-winning grand slam.
• Tide pitchers held the Wildcat offense in check for a second consecutive day on Saturday. Senior starter Jake Walters was handed the no-decision despite another impressive outing that saw the right-hander throw 7.1 innings of one-run baseball. He gave up seven hits and issued only one walk while striking out seven before turning things over to the relievers with the Tide trailing, 1-0.
• Dylan Duarte earned the win in the eighth thanks to the Tide's four-run output in the home half. Duarte recorded one out in the ninth before loading the bases. Medders then entered in a jam, with the right-hander closing out the final 0.2 of an inning for his fourth save of the season and second in as many games
• Alabama fell to the Wildcats, 5-2, as Kentucky's three runs across the final three innings proved to be the difference on Sunday. The Crimson Tide carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the sixth, but Kentucky would score three runs across the sixth and seventh innings to take the advantage before adding an insurance run in the ninth. Alabama did not go quietly, threatening in the bottom of the eighth with the tying runs on base, but a call to the bullpen by the Wildcats halted the Tide offense.
• The 10th installment of the MAX Capital City Classic saw Alabama fall, 5-2, to Auburn on Tuesday evening in Montgomery. The Tigers put up a four-spot in the second to put the game out of reach. Alabama battled for one in the sixth but was matched by the Tigers' one tally in the seventh. The Crimson Tide scored one in more in the top of the eighth and had the tying run at the plate but was unable to come away with the win.
• 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 JACKSONVILLE STATE
• Jacksonville State returned 18 letterwinners, including eight positional starters and 10 pitchers, from a 2017 team that finished 30-26 overall and 17-13 in OVC play to wrap up ranked third in the conference. The 2018 roster is without seven letterwinners from a season ago, a number that includes four positional starters and five pitchers.
• The Gamecocks were selected to finish third overall in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
• Jim Case is in his 17th year at the helm of the Jacksonville State program. A 1983 graduate of Louisiana Tech, Case is assisted by Mike Murphree and Evan Bush, a former Alabama standout infielder. Bush played for the Crimson Tide from 2003-06, earning Third Team All-SEC honors from SEBaseball.com in 2004. In his senior season, Bush helped lead Alabama to the Southeastern Conference championship as well as a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Jacksonville State baseball came into the new season in 2018 with a 1,737-1,008 all-time record. The Gamecocks have been successful under the direction of Case, appearing in four NCAA Tournaments during his tenure, most recently in 2014.
• A regional public co-educational university, Jacksonville State is located in the same city that it holds its namesake from. Founded in 1882, JSU boasts an enrollment of 8,514 students. Originally named Jacksonville State Normal School, JSU changed its name to Jacksonville State Teachers College in 1930 and Jacksonville State College in 1957 before operating as Jacksonville State University beginning in 1967.
ON DECK
Following the midweek matchup on Tuesday, Alabama will travel to Columbia to take on Missouri for a three-game weekend series. The SEC pairing between the Crimson Tide and Tigers is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch on Friday followed by start times of 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. in Sunday's series finale. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.
