re: Alabama Baseball Thread -RIP 2014/Stacked for 2015?

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Following a road Southeastern Conference series win at Texas A&M, the No. 9-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (22-9, 8-4 SEC) will host the UAB Blazers (22-10, 9-3 C-USA) on Tuesday night. First pitch for the game will be at 6:05 p.m. CT from Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

After posting a 3-1 record last week, Alabama made another jump in this week’s national ranking, returning to the top-10 for the first time since the 2009 season. The Tide is ranked No. 9 by Collegiate Baseball, marking the highest ranking in that poll since earning a No. 10 ranking in May of 2009. Alabama returned to the top-10 in the Baseball America poll, earning a No. 10 ranking this week. It’s the first time Bama has been in the Baseball America top-10 since the final poll of the 2006 campaign. UA is ranked No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and the NCBWA poll and 18th by Perfect Game USA.

After winning two of three games on the road at Texas A&M last weekend, Alabama has won seven of its last eight games and 18 of the last 22. Alabama is 16-3 when playing at Sewell-Thomas Stadium and 6-6 away from home, including a 4-6 mark in road games and a 2-0 mark at neutral sites.

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Alabama Freshman RHP Geoffrey Bramblett will make his first career start on Tuesday night. Bramblett has appeared in eight games, posting a 2-0 record with a 4.61 ERA in 13.2 innings all out of the bullpen. The Blazers are slated to also start a freshman, as LHP Thomas Lowery will make his 13th appearance of the season, and first as a starter. In his 12 relief outings, Lowery has 28 strikeouts in 26.1 innings, while posting a 3-1 record with a 2.73 ERA. He is also tied for the team lead with three saves.

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The Crimson Tide is hitting .276 as a team, while averaging 5.7 runs and 9.5 hits per game. When the Tide scores three or more runs they are 22-1, but 0-8 when scoring less than three runs. Alabama ranks fourth in the SEC with 20 home runs, after hitting 26 home runs in 63 games in 2013. In winning 18 of their last 22 games, the Tide is hitting .297 with 42 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs for a .424 slugging percentage, while averaging 6.8 runs and 10.2 hits per game during that stretch. Alabama’s had 10 hits or more in 17 games this season, including reaching the 10-hit mark in the last four games.

Hunter Webb, this week’s SEC Freshman of the Week, is tied with Mikey White for the longest current hitting streak on the team at six games. Webb posted a .417 average last week and had the game-winning RBI in the Tide’s 6-4 win on Saturday over the Aggies. Webb is currently second on the team with a .313 average this season. White is second on the club with a .308 average after posting a .538 (7-for-13) average last week. Both Austen Smith and Chance Vincent have four-game hitting streaks. Smith leads the team with a .350 average and 25 RBI and is tied with Ben Moore and Casey Hughston for the team lead with three home runs.

The Alabama pitching staff has been outstanding this season, posting the sixth-best ERA in the SEC at 2.41. In 280 innings, Alabama has given up 94 runs (75 earned) on 204 hits with 238 strikeouts and 101 walks. Opponents are hitting .207 against the Tide, which ranks fourth in the SEC. Alabama is fourth in the country, allowing 6.6 hits per game. In 110 innings, the Tide bullpen has allowed 35 runs (30 earned) for a 2.45 ERA, while allowing a .214 batting average.

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The UAB Blazers enter Tuesday’s game with a 22-10 overall record following a series sweet at Louisiana Tech this past weekend. After opening the season with a 16-4 start, the Blazers have a 6-6 record in their last 12 games. UAB is hitting .268 while averaging 4.8 runs and 8.8 hits per game. The Blazers’ pitching staff has a 2.70 ERA, while posting 10 saves and allowing opponents to hit .224 against them. UAB is allowing 3.3 runs and 7.4 hits per game this season.

Evan Peterson leads the team with a .338 average, while Mitch Williams enters the game with a .333 average. Jeff Schalk leads the team with three home runs and 18 RBI, as the three home runs are half of the team’s total for the year. Chase Davis is hitting .287 and leads the team with eight doubles and has one of the team’s three triples.

Adam Lau and Thomas Lowery are tied for the team lead with three saves each. Cory Eller leads the team with 17 appearances, posting a 1-3 record with a 2.70 ERA and two saves. Lee Turner has 15 relief appearances, posting a1-1 record with two saves and a 3.12 ERA in 26.0 innings. Turner has 21 strikeouts and opponents are hitting .189 against him.

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In a series that dates back to the 1974 season, Tuesday’s game will mark the 66th meeting between the two teams. Alabama has a 44-21 record all-time in the series, after the two teams split the two games during the 2014 season. UAB defeated the Tide 1-0 at the Hoover Met on March 26, then Alabama defeated the Blazers 7-4 when the teams met in Tuscaloosa on April 16. UA is 25-7 at home against the Blazers.

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Following Tuesday’s game against UAB, Alabama will host the Auburn Tigers in a three-game Southeastern Conference series this weekend. The series begins on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT from Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Game two is slated for Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT and the series finale will be Sunday at 1:05 p.m. CT. Alabama is 1-0 against Auburn this season, after winning the MAX Capital City Classic, 4-3, on March 4. In a series that dates back to the 1896 season, the three games will mark games 275-277 between the two teams. The Tide holds a 150-123 record all-time versus the Tigers. In the most recent SEC series, Alabama won two of three games over the Tigers when they met in Auburn last season.

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