Alabama Baseball Hosts Louisiana Tech on Wednesday
3/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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LIVE AUDIO: WEDNESDAY
» Weather Forecast for Tuscaloosa
Game 16: Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS
March 12, 2003 SEWELL-THOMAS STADIUM
TUSCALOOSA 6:30 PM (CT)
Date Game Time Radio
Mar 12 Louisiana Tech 6:30 p.m. CTSN
(WRTR-FM, 105.5)
Mar 14 Georgia 6:30 p.m. TBA
Mar 15 Georgia 4 p.m. TBA
Mar 16 Georgia 2 p.m. TBA
RADIO: The games will be aired locally on WRTR-FM (105.5) or WACT-AM (1420) in Tuscaloosa. David Crane and Chris Stewart will call the action.
INTERNET BROADCAST: Live stats (home games only) and audio broadcasts can be found at www.rolltide.com
TICKETS: Season tickets are available by calling the Alabama Ticket Office (205-348-2262). Single-game tickets are available for $5 each and the gates will open two hours prior to each game.
RANKINGS: Alabama is ranked in all four polls (19th USA Today Sports Weekly, 24th Baseball America, 24th Collegiate Baseball and 27th NCBWA). Louisiana Tech is not ranked.
Starting Pitching Rotation
No. Name B-T 2003 Stats
20 Seth Johnson -or- R-R 3 G, 1 GS, 1-0, 0.96 ERA
38 Jared Woodward R-R 5 G, 1 GS, 1-0, 4.97 ERA
36 Adam Kirkendall L-L 5 G, 5 GS, 1-3, 4.20 ERA
Notes: Beat Alabama (7.2 IP, 8 K) in 2001
UA HOSTS LA. TECH; SEEKS 5TH STRAIGHT WIN
The University of Alabama baseball team seeks its fifth straight win this Wednesday night as they host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. here at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. A win over Louisiana Tech would match Alabama's longest winning streak of the 2003 season. The Crimson Tide also won five straight games from Feb. 23-March 1. Alabama is coming off a three-game sweep of the UMass Minutemen this past weekend here at the Joe. The Crimson Tide outscored the Minutemen 34-5 in the three-game series. The UMass series ended a stretch in which Alabama played 11 games in 16 days, dating back to Feb. 23. The Crimson Tide played a Monday and Thursday game in that stretch, which also included four games in four consecutive days (Feb. 27-Mar. 2).
THE RECORDS
Alabama (12-3) has won four straight games and nine of its last 10 entering Wednesday's game with Louisiana Tech. The Crimson Tide is also 10-2 (.833) here at the Joe this season. Louisiana Tech (5-11-1) has posted an 0-6-1 record in its last seven games. The Bulldogs were swept at home this past weekend by No. 1 Rice in the first WAC series of the season. Tech has not won a game since beating Nicholls State (10-4) on Feb. 27th.
THE COACHES
Alabama's Jim Wells is in his ninth season at the Capstone, compiling a 383-155 (.712) record at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Overall, Wells is 575-244 (.703) in his 14th season as a Division I head coach. Louisiana Tech head coach Wade Simoneaux has compiled a 5-11-1 (.000) record in his first season with the Bulldogs. Prior to the 2003 season, Simoneaux was the top assistant coach under Tony Robichaux at UL-Lafayette. This is his first head coaching position.
LAST TIME OUT
Alabama posted its second shutout of the season with a 12-0 win over UMass (Mar. 9), completing a three-game weekend sweep at the Joe. Senior right fielder Beau Hearod single-handedly beat the Minutemen with a career high four hits and seven RBI in the win. Hearod's fourth career grand slam gave the Crimson Tide a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning. He drove in seven of UA's first nine runs, giving him 32 RBI in 15 games this season. Junior left-handers Jeffrey Norris (7 IP, 7 H, 0 BB, 8 K) and Ryan Beagle (2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K) scattered eight hits in the win.
NEXT GAME
Alabama opens SEC play this weekend against the Georgia Bulldogs, beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
ALABAMA-LOUISIANA TECH SERIES
Alabama holds a 10-1 (.909) series lead over Louisiana Tech in series that dates back to the 1930s.
*UA and Tech played twice in 1938 and did not meet again until 1993.
*In 1997, the two teams began meeting on a regular basis and have met in six of the last seven years.
*Alabama has never lost a home game to Louisiana Tech, posting a 10-0 record here in Tuscaloosa.
*In 2001, Alabama made its only appearance at J.C. Love Field in Ruston and lost its only game in the 11-game series as it dropped a 7-2 decision on the Tech campus.
*Alabama coach Jim Wells is 16-4 (.800) in his career against Louisiana Tech. Wells has posted a 7-1 record against the Bulldogs while with the Crimson Tide. At Northwestern State (1990-94), Wells went 10-3 (.769) against Tech.
*Wells is 12-0 (1.000) at home against Louisiana Tech in his career. On the road, he has compiled a 4-4 (.500) record against the Bulldogs, including one loss at Alabama in 2001.
*Alabama's 13-1 win over Louisiana Tech during the 2001 season here in Tuscaloosa marked the 300th career win for Bama coach Jim Wells.
*Alabama posted a 4-0 shutout win over Louisiana Tech last season, the school's first opening day shutout since 1994.
ALABAMA-TECH SCORES
Year Result Site
1938 Alabama 3, Tech 0 Tuscaloosa
Alabama 4, Tech 3 Tuscaloosa
1993 Alabama 8, Tech 5 Tuscaloosa
1997 Alabama 9, Tech 3 Tuscaloosa
Alabama 13, Tech 7 Tuscaloosa
1998 Alabama 23, Tech 3 Tuscaloosa
Alabama 5, Tech 3 Tuscaloosa
2000 Alabama 12, Tech 5 Tuscaloosa
2001 Alabama 13, Tech 1 Tuscaloosa
Tech 7, Alabama 2 Ruston
2002 Alabama 4, Tech 0 Tuscaloosa
JIM WELLS VS. LOUISIANA TECH
Year Opponent Score
1990 La Tech (DH) W 11-0
La Tech (DH) W 6-2
at La. Tech (DH) W 4-1
at La. Tech (DH) L 4-1
1991 La. Tech W 4-0
at La.Tech (DH) W 9-8
at La.Tech (DH) L 7-4
1992 La. Tech W 4-3
at La. Tech L 14-9
La. Tech W 6-0
1993 at La. Tech W 18-9
1994 La. Tech W 3-0
at La. Tech L 7-4
1997 La. Tech W 9-3
La. Tech W 13-7
1998 La. Tech W 23-3
La. Tech W 5-3
2000 La. Tech W 12-5
2001 La. Tech W 13-1
at La. Tech L 7-2
2002 La. Tech W 4-0
Alabama-La. Tech Series File
at Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 10-0
at Ruston: Tech leads, 1-0
Wells vs. Tech: 16-4 (.800)
10-3 (.000) at NSU
6-1 (.000) at Bama
UA Long Win Streak: 9 (1938-01)
LT Long Win Streak: 1 (2001)
BAMA VS. THE WAC
Alabama holds a 14-1 (.933) lead against the current members of the Western Athletic Conference. The majority of those meetings have taken place with the league's newest member Louisiana Tech. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have met 11 times, with UA holding a 10-1 series lead. The other four meetings have taken place Rice (1999 & 2003) and Nevada (2000).
Opponent Last Mtg Record
Fresno State NA 0-0
Hawaii NA 0-0
Louisiana Tech 2002 10-1
Nevada 2000 2-0
Rice 2003 2-0
San Jose State NA 0-0
Totals 2003 14-1
