Alabama Faces South Carolina Thursday in SEC Tournament
5/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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QUICK FACTS |
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Game 56: Alabama Crimson Tide VS. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS RADIO: The games will be aired locally on WRTR-FM (105.5) or WACT-AM (1420) in Tuscaloosa. In Birmingham, all UA games will be aired on the "Sports Monster" WJOX-M (690). David Crane and Chris Stewart will call the action. TV: Comcast Sports Southeast will carry all four games of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday and Thursday from the Hoover Met. The Alabama game will begin at 1:07 p.m. and will be shown in Tuscaloosa on Comcast (Channel 29). Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Nick Belmonte (analyst) will broadcast the game. Anthony Early will serve as the game's producer. INTERNET BROADCAST: Live stats (www.secsports.com) and audio broadcasts (www.rolltide.com) can be found each day via the world wide web. TICKETS: General admission tickets are available each day at the Hoover Met Ticket Office. RANKINGS: South Carolina is ranked in all four polls for the second consecutive week, after winning 10 to its last 11 games. |
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» Weather Forecast for Hoover
May 22 vs. South Carolina 1 pm CT
CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM), CSS-TV
May 23 vs. Auburn or Vandy 10 am/5 pm
CTSN (WRTR, 105.5 FM), CSS-TV
UPDATED NOTES (5/21)
*It is believed that Alabama has never had an SEC Tournament game rained out. In fact, the only post-season rainout on record was a 1999 College World Series elination game with Rice.
*This is the first time an SEC Tournament has been rained out since 1991 when the LSU-Miss. State game was canceled in Baton Rouge. The 1991 SEC Tournament had so much rain that four games on were played on Saturday and three on Sunday in the six-team, double-elimination format. All games were reduced to seven innings by then Commissoner Roy Kramer.
*In 1990, the SEC Tournament Championship game canceled due to rain and LSU and MIss. State were declared co-champions by Commissioner Roy Kramer.
*Alabama coach Jim Wells quotes:
On the rainout: "I think it's probably good for us. Our pitching staff is not as deep and it gives them another day to rest. That might help them
pitch deeper in the game."
On starting pitching plan for Thursday: "I think we'll stick with the same plan. I think we'll go with (Jared) Woodward. That puts Woodward or (Taylor) Tankersley in position to go a complete game. Then we'll go with (Brent) Carter in game two to give him another day's rest. This helps us. I think our pitchers could go longer."
On pitching scenarios for Thursday: "If Woodward gets in trouble in the middle of the game, you bring in Tankersley. If Woodward pitches lights out, you can probably use (Brian) Reed in short relief and give Tankersley more time to rest."
"I feel good about Carter pitching that second game. Carter gives us the best shot at winning a game right now, and we're looking for other guys who can help us win games.
On Wednesday plans: "This would be like an off day for us. We've gotten our work in with back-to-back (practice) days. We're not going to sit around the hotel all day. We'll have them moving around the mall."
BAMA FACES USC IN REMATCH OF '02 TITLE GAME
The Alabama Crimson Tide will be looking to defend its 2001 SEC Tournament Championship as it opens play at the 2003 SEC Tournament on Thursday, May 22 at 1 p.m. (CT) against the No. 2 seed South Carolina Gamecocks. The first-round game is a rematch of last year's championship game, won by the Crimson Tide (6-2) here at the Hoover Met. The Alabama-USC matchup marks the second time in SEC Tournament history that the two teams that played in the previous year's championship have met in a first-round game the next year. LSU and Florida met in the 2000 SEC Tournament title game and then faced each other in a first round game in 2001. The Alabama-South Carolina matchup also features the two best teams from the SEC during the 2002 season. USC won the 2002 SEC Championship, while Alabama was the 2002 SEC Western Division champion.
THE RECORDS
Alabama (33-22, 14-16 SEC) finished in a three-way tie for sixth place with Vanderbilt and Arkansas. UA enters the post-season having lost nine of its last 11 games, dating back to April 30th. South Carolina (38-18, 19-11 SEC) has won nine straight SEC games and 10 of its last 11 games overall since April 30th.
THE COACHES
Alabama's Jim Wells is in his ninth season at the Capstone, compiling a 404-174 (.699) record at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Overall, Wells is 596-262 (.693) in his 14th season as a Division I head coach. The 2002 SEC "Coach of the Year" has led the Crimson Tide to five SEC Tournament Championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2002) South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner has compiled a 312-131 (.000) record in seven years with the Gamecocks. He led USC to the 2002 SEC Championship and a runner-up finish at the College World Series. Overall, Tanner is 707-304-3 (.000) in 16 years as a head coach. Tanner will serves as head coach of the USA National Team this summer.
TIDEBITS
South Carolina swept Alabama during the 2003 season (May 9-11), marking its first-ever series win in Tuscaloosa...Senior RF Beau Hearod was named First-Team All-SEC on Tuesday...Junior Adam Pavkovich has tied the single-season school record for most doubles (22) by a shortstop at Alabama...Coach Jim Wells has won five SEC Tournament championships, second in league history to former LSU coach Skip Bertman's six titles...Bama set the school record with 74 HBPs
Batting Order
No. Name Pos. B-T 2003 Stats
11 Travis Garner CF R-R .371, 2 HR, 26 RBI
4 Adam Pavkovich SS R-R .321, 9 HR, 48 RBI
5 Beau Hearod RF R-R .338, 20 HR, 72 RBI
12 Zac Welch 1B L-L .335, 4 HR, 41 RBI
24 Al Hecklinski DH R-R .303, 11 HR, 47 RBI
6 Allen Rice 2B L-L .247, 6 HR, 35 RBI
16 Ryan Beagle OF L-L .258, 0 HR, 5 RBI
37 Charlie Lyons C R-R .283, 1 HR, 11 RBI
14 Evan Bush 3B R-R .158, 0 HR, 11 RBI
Key Reserves
No. Name Pos. B-T 2003 Stats
1 Brandon Avalos OF R-R .246, 0 HR, 9 RBI
18 Bobby Burns C R-R .257, 4 HR, 11 RBI
29 John Marshall C R-R .176, 0 HR, 2 RBI
31 Nathan Meiners 3B L-R .264, 2 HR, 21 RBI
8 Trey Moody INF R-R .333, 0 HR, 1 RBI
27 Grant Redding LF R-R .283, 1 HR, 16 RBI
21 Gabe Scott OF R-R .250, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Starting Pitching Rotation
No. Name B-T 2003 Stats
40 Taylor Tankersley L-L 16 G, 14 GS, 6-5, 5.57
38 Jared Woodward R-R 18 G, 4 GS, 2-0, 4.26 ERA
39 Brent Carter L-L 17 G, 14 GS, 9-5, 3.18 ERA, 5 CG
20 Seth Johnson R-R 19 G, 8 GS, 6-5, 3.95 ERA
Alabama Bullpen
No. Name B-T 2003 Stats
16 Ryan Beagle L-L 5 G, 3 GS, 0-0, 5.40 ERA
41 Jacob Legg L-L 4 G, 1 GS, 0-1, 4.05 ERA
42 Dewayne Marlowe R-R 1 G, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV
34 Eric Mennen R-R 5 G, 1-0, 7.04 ERA
9 Jeffrey Norris L-L 17 G, 9 GS, 5-2, 5.72 ERA
44 Allen Ponder R-R 13 G, 2 GS, 2-3, 5.74 ERA
25 Brian Reed R-R 27 G, 2-1, 3.26 ERA, 11 SV
38 Jared Woodward R-R 18 G, 4 GS, 2-0, 4.26 ERA
BAMA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
The 30-game series between Alabama and South Carolina is tied 15-15 (.500) after the Gamecocks three-game sweep of the Crimson Tide at Sewell-Thomas Stadium two weeks ago (May 9-11). The series win was the first-ever for the Gamecocks over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
*The Alabama-South Carolina series dates back to 1973, as the two teams split a pair of games at the Joe Sewell Classic in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won the initial meeting 1-0, while USC bounced back with a 6-0 win later in the tournament.
*The two teams met only six times prior to the Gamecocks arrival into the SEC in 1992. The Crimson Tide won four of the those six meetings.
*In addition to the 1973 meetings, UA and USC split a pair of meetings at the 1986 NCAA Atlantic Regional played at Mark Light Stadium in Coral Gables, Fla. USC won the first game, 8-2, while Bama posted an 8-7 in an elimination game two days later.
*Alabama and South Carolina first met in league play in 1994 at Sarge Frye Field in Columbia, with the Gamecocks taking two of three in the initial SEC series.
*Alabama, did however, win the first-ever SEC meeting with South Carolina, 8-4.
*Since joining the SEC, South Carolina holds a 15-11 (.577) series lead over Alabama, including back-to-back series wins (2002 and 2003).
*South Carolina and Alabama split four meetings last year, with the Gamecocks taking the regular season series in Columbia. After dropping a 13-inning affair in the series opener, 10-6, USC bounced back to win the next two and take the series.
*Alabama evened up the season series with a 6-2 win over South Carolina in the 2002 SEC Tournament championship game. The win gave UA its sixth post-season tourney crown and fifth under Jim Wells.
*South Carolina is the defending SEC Champions, while Alabama won the Western Division title and placed second overall last year.
*USC was also the national runner-up last year, losing in the national title game to Texas at the 2002 College World Series.
Alabama-South Carolina Series File
At Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 9-6
At Columbia: USC leads, 9-3
Neutral Sites: UA leads, 3-1
Wells vs. USC: 10-12 (.455)
Tanner vs. UA: 11-7 (.611)
TIDE-GAMECOCKS TIDBITS
*Senior Beau Hearod has five home runs and 12 RBI in his career against the Gamecocks.
*Hearod hit two home runs and added three RBI in the Crimson Tide's 9-6 loss on May 10, 2003.
*He hit two home runs last year and added one home run and six RBI during the 2001 season.
*Travis Garner batted .500 (9-for-18) in last year's four meetings with South Carolina.
*Garner homered in back-to-back games for the Tide on March 29-30 for the first time in his UA career.
*Garner also matched the Alabama single-game record with five hits in the loss at USC on March 30.
*Jeffrey Norris tossed a complete game shutout (9, 10, 2 ER, 5 K) in the SEC Tournament championship game.
ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES
Alabama and Auburn first met on the diamond in 1896 and have staged some classic battles in the series 233-game history. Since that first meeting, Alabama has posted a 128-105 (.549) series edge and has won six of the last nine series with Auburn.
*Unlike the football series, the home team has dominated the baseball series of late, winning nine of the last 11 meetings.
*Alabama posted a 3-2 win at Auburn on April 5, 2003 to snap a nine-game losing streak by the road team in this series.
*In addition to the nine-game winning streak, the home team is 15-4 (.789) in the last 19 games since 1998.
*The home team has also won the last six series, with Alabama being the last road team to win a series in 1997.
*In the Alabama-Auburn football rivalry, the road team has won the last four meetings, with Alabama being the last home team to win in 1998.
*Auburn has won two straight home series with Alabama, dating back to 1999.
*Alabama has won four straight home series with Auburn, dating back to 1994.
*Since 1995 (Wells first year at Bama), the Crimson Tide has won three of five series at Plainsman Park.
*The home team has won six of the last seven regular-season series.
*Alabama won all four meetings with Auburn last year, including a 6-3 in an elimination game at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.
*Alabama's four wins were the most in a season over Auburn since 1996.
*Alabama swept the regular-season series last year in Tuscaloosa.
*Brent Boyd's walk-off, two-run homer lifted Alabama to a 6-5 win in game two of the series.
*Scott McClanahan threw out an Auburn base runner at the plate in the top of the 7th inning then capped the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as UA posted a 7-0 win.
Alabama-Auburn Series File
at Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 70-37 (.654)
at Auburn: AU leads, 51-39 (.567)
Neutral Sites: UA leads, 21-16 (.568)
Wells vs. AU: 20-15 (.571)
Renfroe vs. UA: 5- 6 (.445)
UA Win Streak: 12 (1907-51)
AU Win Streak: 9 (1978-79)
Last Series Sweep
at Tusc. at Aub.
UA 2002 1983
AU 1976 2001
TIDE-TIGER TIDBITS
Here are some notebook items concerning the Alabama-Auburn baseball teams.
*Alabama freshman pitcher Allen Ponder is a native of Auburn and attended Lee-Scott Academy.
*Ponder's sister, Christen, is currently a senior at Auburn and a member of the Auburn University Marching Band. She plays the saxophone.
*Alabama second baseman Allen Rice and Auburn pitcher Lee Carter were teammates for coach Mike O'Berry at Pelham High School.
*Alabama shortstop Adam Pavkovich and Auburn pitcher Arnold Hughey were teammates for former LSU catcher Craig Faulkner at Venice (Fla.) High School.
ALABAMA-VANDERBILT SERIES
Alabama holds a 71-39-2 (.643) over Vanderbilt in a series that began in 1893.
*The Crimson Tide and Commodores have not played since the 2001 season, when Vandy took two of three from UA in Tuscaloosa.
*One historical note, Alabama and Vandy played to a 2-2 tie during the 1893 season. The 16-inning game remains the longest on the UA record books.
*Alabama and Vandy have not met in the post-season since 1974. The Crimson Tide and Commodores played in the best-of-three SEC Playoffs in 1973 and 1974, with Vandy winning both series.
Alabama-Vanderbilt Series File
at Tuscaloosa: Alabama leads, 51-25-2
at Nashville: Alabama leads, 19-14
Neutral Sites: Alabama leads, 1-0
Wells vs. Vandy: 14-4 (.778)
Corbin vs. UA: 1st Meeting
UA Win Streak: 15 (1930-56)
VU Win Streak: 8 (1904-06)
Last Series Sweep
at Tusc. at Nash.
ALA 1999 2000
VU 1906 1986
