Alabama Baseball Hosts Samford Tonight at the Joe
4/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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STREAKING BAMA HOSTS SAMFORD
The University of Alabama baseball team, winners of four straight games, hosts the Samford Bulldogs in the final Wednesday night regular season game of the 2003 season. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs meet Wednesday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. here at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The two teams met earlier this season at Joe Lee Griffin Field in Bimingham with Alabama pulling out a 3-2 win on March 19. Adam Pavkoivch and Al Hecklinski homered in the sixth inning to account for the only runs of the game for Alabama. Samford had taken a 2-0 lead by scoring two runs in the third inning. Seth Johnson earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief, while Brian Reed earned the save while recording the final five outs. UA has dominated Samford of late, winning 14 consecutive games in the series. Samford has not beatean Alabama since winning a home-and-home series in 1993.
DATE GAME TIME RADIO/TV
Apr 30 vs Samford 6:30 pm CT CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM)
May 2 at Tennessee 7 pm ET CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM)
May 3 at Tennessee 7 pm ET CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM)/CSS-TV
May 4 at Tennessee 2 pm ET CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM)
May 6 vs Bham Southern 6:30 pm CT CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM)
| QUICK FACTS |
| Game 45: SAMFORD BULLDOGS AT Alabama Crimson Tide 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 and standing-room only tickets are available for $5 each and the gates will open two hours prior to each game. RANKINGS: After a thre-game sweep of 15th ranked Arkansas, the Alabama Crimson Tide is back in all four polls this week. Bama is ranked 22nd by Baseball America, USA Today Sports Weekly and National Collegiate Baseball Writer's, and 23rd by Collegiate Baseball. Samford and Tennessee are not ranked this week. |
THE RECORDS
Alabama (31-13, 12-9 SEC), winners of four straight games, has posted a 10-3 (.769) record in its last 13 games since April 8th. The Crimson Tide is coming off a three-game sweep of No. 15 Arkansas this past weekend here at the Joe.
Samford (13-31, 7-20) has lost four consecutive games and eight of its last 11 games since April 12th.
THE COACHES
Alabama's Jim Wells is in his ninth season at the Capstone, compiling a 402-165 (.709) record at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Overall, Wells is 594-254 (.701) in his 14th season as a Division I head coach. Samford head coach Tim Parenton has compiled a 113-206 (.354) record in his sixth season with the Bulldogs. He is a former football and baseball standout at Miss. State under Rockey Felker and Ron Polk.
LAST TIME OUT
Junior right-hander Seth Johnson struck out a career-high 11 batters and junior catcher Bobby Burns hit two home runs to lead the Crimson Tide to a 14-2 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks and complete a three-game sweep at the Joe this past weekend. Burns homered in each of his firs two at-bats en route to a career-high three hits and four RBI. Johnson worked eight innings for his sixth win of the year. The Crimson Tide snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring nine runs on nine hits in the fourth inning. The nine runs matched the most scored by the Crimson Tide this season.
NEXT GAME
Alabama opens a three-game series at Tennessee this Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. in Knoxville.
CARTER NAMED NATIONAL POW
University of Alabama sophomore left-hander Brent Carter was named the National Collegiate Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on Monday, April 28th.
Carter is the Crimson Tide's first national award winner this season and the fourth UA player to be named "Player of the Week" this season.
Allen Ponder (RHP) was named the SEC "PItcher of the Week" on Feb. 17, while Beau Hearod (OF) and Allen Rice (2B) were named SEC "Player of the Week" on March 10th and 17th respectively.
The last UA player to win national player of the week honors was Brent Boyd, who was named NCBWA Hitter of the Week last year after his three-game series with Auburn.
Carter was not named SEC "Pitcher of the Week" as that honor went to Ole Miss freshman Stephen Head, who threw a two-hit shutout against South Carolina on Sunday.
Carter recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts in leading the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 series-opening win over the No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday, April 25 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
"Carter did an outstanding job," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "He has pitched very well the last three weeks, but Friday night was one of his better games."
The left-hander limited the Razorbacks to two runs and seven hits en route to his SEC-leading fourth complete game of the 2003 season.
The win was Carter's third straight win for Alabama and his team-leading seventh of the 2003 season.
After allowing a one-out bunt single and double in the first inning, Carter escaped without further damage and then proceeded to retire the next 14 Arkansas batters in order before Scott Hode's lead off single in the sixth inning.
He shutout the Hogs through six innings before allowing a leadoff home to Ryan Fox in the seventh inning after UA had built a 10-0 lead. Arkansas scored one more run in the eighth inning and had runners at second and third with no outs, before Carter retired the next three hitters, including two strikeouts.
Carter struck out the side in the ninth inning as he ended the game with five consecutive strikeouts. He also struck out the side in the fourth inning and had five strikeouts in six batters in the third and fourth innings.
Carter's 14 strikeouts are the most by an SEC pitcher this season. The previous high was 12 strikeouts by four different hurlers.
Carter's performance set the tone for the weekend as UA starters worked into the eighth inning in all three games. For the weekend, Alabama pitchers recorded 32 strikeouts against the Razorbacks.
For the season, Carter has compiled a 7-4 record and 3.51 ERA in 14 appearances (11 starts). Carter has worked a team-high 82 innings and allowed 32 earned runs and 75 hits. Carter also has the Tide's best strikeout to walk ratio, recording 69 strikeouts and only 11 walks. He leads the team and SEC with four CGs.
ALABAMA VS. SAMFORD
Alabama holds a commanding 81-7 (.920) lead over Samford in a series that dates back to the infant stages of Alabama baseball in 1894.
*The Crimson Tide enters tonight's game riding a 15-game winning streak over Samford, the longest current mark over any opponent.
*Alabama has not lost to Samford since dropping two games during the 1992 season. The Crimson Tide also posted a 14-game winning streak over the Bulldogs from 1965-91.
*Alabama enters the 2003 season having won 29 of the last 31 meetings with the Bulldogs. From 1896-1962, Alabama posted a 46-game winning streak over then Howard, the longest such streak in the Alabama record books.
*After not playing from 1967-85, the two schools have met every year since 1986.
*Alabama coach Jim Wells is 13-0 (1.000) in his career against Samford. He is 9-0 against the Bulldogs in Tusclaoosa and 4-0 in Birmingham, including a 3-2 win earlier (March 19) this year.
*Alabama and Samford are playing a home-and-home series this season for the first time since 2000.
Alabama-Samford File
at Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 69-4 (.944)
at Birmingham: UA leads, 12-3 (.800)
Wells vs. SU: 13-0 (1.000)
Parenton vs. UA: 0-7 (.000)
UA Long Win Strk: 46 (1896-1962)
SU Long Win Strk: 3 (1963-64)
ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE
Alabama owns a 141-28-1 (.832) record against the current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
*Formerly known as the Trans America Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Sun was founded and approved in June, 2001. Gardner-Webb will join the Atlantic Sun Conference for the 2002-03 academic school year.
Opponent Last Mtg Record
Belmont 2003 1-0
Campbell NA 0-0
Central Florida 2001 4-5
Florida Atlantic 2002 2-1
Georgia State 2002 4-0
Jacksonville NA 0-0
Jacksonville State 2002 17-5
Mercer 1998 18-6-1
Samford 2003 81-7
Stetson 1996 2-1
Troy State 1999 12-3
TOTAL 2003 141-28-1
BAMA SUCCESSFUL AGAINST IN-STATE FOES
Alabama has enjoyed a great deal of success against in-state teams, compiling a 435-218 (.667) all-time record against teams from the state of Alabama.
*Coach Jim Wells is 72-26 (.735) against in-state opponents in his nine years at the Capstone.
*The Crimson Tide went 10-1 (.909) last year against in-state teams and closed out the season with a nine-game winning streak.
*Alabama won its first two games against in-state teams to extend that winning streak to 11 straight games.
*West Alabama's 9-7 win over Alabama on April 2 not only snapped that 11-game winning streak, but marked the first time since 1980 the Tigers had beaten the Crimson Tide.
*The 11-game winning streak over in-state schools was the second longest under Coach Wells.
*The Crimson Tide won 14 consecutive game against in-state teams from 1995-97.
Coach Wells Year-By-Year Record vs. In-State Schools
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 8-5 (.615)
1996 11-0 (1.000)
1997 9-3 (.750)
1998 9-5 (.643)
1999 8-3 (.727)
2000 7-1 (.875)
2001 5-5 (.500)
2002 10-1 (.909)
2003 5-3 (.625)
Totals 72-26 (.735)
All-Time Record vs. In-State Schools
School UA Wells
Ala. Christian 4-1 0-0
Alabama State 5-0 0-0
Auburn 128-103 20-15
AUM 2-0 0-0
BSC 25-14 3-0
Faulkner 2-1 0-0
Jax State 17-5 3-2
Montevallo 11-2 0-0
North Alabama 18-3 2-0
Samford 81-7 13-0
South Alabama 47-45 11-5
Springhill 9-4 0-0
Stillman 17-0 0-0
Troy State 12-3 4-1
UAB 32-12 12-5
West Alabama 21-10 6-1
2003 Alabama Record vs. In-State Schools
Opponent Date Result
at Samford March 19 UA 3-2
at UAB March 26 UA 15-8
West Alabama April 2 UWA 9-7
at Auburn April 4 AU 10-2
at Auburn April 5 UA 3-2
at Auburn April 6 AU 7-6
South Alabama April 16 UA 17-16
UAB April 23 UA 12-1
STREAKING WITH SAMFORD
Alabama enters tonight's game having won the last 15 meetings with Samford, the second-longest active winning streak among UA opponents. The longest active streak is 17 games with Stillman College, although the two teams have not met in nearly 30 years.
*Alabama had two long winning streaks come to an end last season with Arkansas and Florida.
*The Razorbacks ended an 13-game losing streak with a 10-0 win in Fayetteville on March 23, 2002.
*The Gators put an end to the Crimson Tide's 12-game winning streak with a 7-4 win in the SEC Tournament.
*Alabama also holds a 10-game winning streak over Southern Miss, but the two teams do not play this season.
Longest Active Winning Streaks
Rk Streak Opponent (Dates)
1. 17 Stillman (1971-75)
2. 15 SAMFORD (1993-Pres)
3. 14 Sewanee (1901-22)
4. 11 Huntingdon (1974-1990)
5. 10 S. Miss ('97-Present)
10 Alcorn State (1988-1993)
10 Marion Inst. (1908-1918)
8. 9 Louisville (1975-1993)
9. 7 Union (1909-1910)
