Alabama Baseball Weekly Notes: February 17, 2003
2/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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ALABAMA: 2-1 (.667)
Last Week:
Alabama 9, UL Lafayette 3
Houston 7, Alabama 2
Alabama 6, Rice 5
(All games at Minute Maid Park Classic in Houston)
This Week:
vs. Centenary (Wednesday, Feb. 19 - 6:30 PM)
vs. SE Missouri State (Friday, Feb. 21 - 6:30 PM)
vs. SE Missouri State (Saturday, Feb. 22 - 4 PM)
vs. SE Missouri State (Sunday, Feb. 23 - 2 PM)
Pitcher of the Week:
RHP Allen Ponder (Fr., 6-04, 235, Opelika, Ala.)
*The true freshman made his Alabama debut against the No. 2 Rice Owls turned in a strong outing for the Crimson Tide.
*Ponder worked five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks and striking out five in the upset win over Rice.
*He entered the game in the fourth inning with the Crimson Tide trailing 5-2 and runners on the corners. Ponder struck out Rice leadoff hitter Jeff Jorgensen and then got the No. 2 hitter in the lineup to ground out to end the inning.
*Alabama tied the game in the fifth and added the winning run in the sixth, making Ponder a winner in his debut against the No.2 Owls.
*Ponder limited the Owls to a .125 batting average (2-for-16), shutting down a team that won more than 50 games last year and played in the College World Series.
Alabama Notebook:
*Alabama posted a 2-1 record at the 2003 Minute Maid Park College Classic in Houston this past weekend. The Crimson Tide joined Baylor, Rice and Texas A&M with 2-1 marks in the tourney.
*Senior outfielder Beau Hearod (3 G, .333, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and senior right-hander Brian Reed (2 G, 0-0, 0.00, 2 SV, 3.1 IP, 2 K) were named to the All-Tournament team this weekend.
*Hearod hit home runs against UL Lafayette and Rice and now has four home runs in his last four games, dating back to the 2002 NCAA Regionals.
*Alabama used eight first-time players this weekend, including three true freshman (Ponder, C Charlie Lyons and 3B Evan Bush). Bush (3 G, .429, RBI) started all three games at third base, while Lyons (1-for-4) started the game against Rice.
*Senior Travis Garner tied an Alabama single-game record with two sacrifice bunts in the win over UL Lafayette on Feb. 14. Adam Pavkovich was the last UA player with two sac bunts and he did it twice last season.
*Garner also celebrated his 22nd birthday on Feb. 16 as the Crimson Tide upset No. 2 Rice, 6-5.
*Junior catcher Bobby Burns (ankle) missed the classic with an injury, but celebrated his 23rd birthday in Feb. 14 as Bama beat UL Lafayette, 9-3.
*Alabama's win over UL Lafayette marked the 10th straight win for the Crimson Tide in season openers dating back to the 1994 season. The last loss was a 4-3 setback at South Alabama in 1993.
*Garner, Hearod and transfer Al Hecklinski (3 G, .385, HR, 2 RBI) hit safely in all three games this weekend.
