Bama Baseball Closes Homestand With Samford on Wednesday
4/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game 39: SAMFORD BULLDOGS AT ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
SEWELL-THOMAS STADIUM -- TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA -- 6:30 PM
APRIL 21, 2004 -- UA HAS WON 14 STRAIGHT NON-SEC HOME GAMES
Date Game Time Radio/TV
Apr 21 vs. Samford 6:30 PM CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
Apr 23 at South Carolina 7 PM ET CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
Apr 24 at South Carolina 4:06 PM ET CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5);
FOX SportsNet South
Apr 25 at South Carolina 1:30 PM ET CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
ON THE MOUND: UA - 24 Andrew Walker (RH, 6 GS, 2-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. SU - 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 broadcast the Samford game on WRTR-FM (105.5) and the network.
INTERNET BROADCAST: Live stats (home games only) and audio broadcasts can be found at http://www.rolltide.com/
TICKETS: Single-game tickets and standing-room only tickets are available for $5 each and the gates will open two hours prior to each game. Tickets for the Alabama-Samford game are just one dollar on "Buck Night" at the Joe.
BAMA CLOSES HOMESTAND WITH SAMFORD
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team closes out a midseason homestand with its fifth straight game against an in-state rival. Alabama will host the Samford Bulldogs in a 6:30 p.m. game on Wednesday, April 21 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The game with Samford will mark the return of "Buck Night" and "Future All-American Night" at the Joe. All bleacher tickets are just one dollar for Wednesday night's non- conference tilt, and all youngsters are invited to join the Crimson Tide on the field for the national anthem. The Samford game will also mark the eighth home game in a nine-game stretch for Alabama, dating back to a 10-1 win over Louisiana Tech on April 6. Since posting a 13-game home winning streak from Feb. 15 through Mar. 24, Alabama has lost six of its last 10 home games, including all three SEC series. Despite the recent slide, Alabama has still forged an 18-7 (.720) record at the Joe this season. Alabama is also playing its ninth game against an in-state foe Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide is 4-4 (.500) in its previous eight games against in-state teams, including wins over UAB (2), South Alabama and Auburn. The Crimson Tide has fared pretty well against non-SEC teams this season, posting an 18-5 (.783) record, including a 15-1 (.938) mark here at home. Alabama enters the Samford game with a 14-game home winning streak against non-SEC teams.
THE RECORDS
Alabama (23-15, 5-10 SEC) is coming off a 19-0 blowout win over arch-rival Auburn on April 18, its most impressive win of the 2004 season. The 19-0 win was the largest margin of victory by either team in the 234-game series. Samford (6-25, 1-11 OVC) snapped an 18-game conference losing streak with Sunday's 12-5 win over Eastern Illinois. Samford beat Alabama 8-2 on April 30, 2003 to snap a 15-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide.
THE COACHES
Alabama's Jim Wells is in his 10th season with the Crimson Tide program. He has compiled a 432-191 (.693) record at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Overall, Wells is 624-280 (.690) in 15 seasons at Northwestern State and Alabama. Wells is 11-1 (.917) against the Bulldogs. Samford head coach Tim Parenton is 123-234 (.344) in his seventh season in Birmingham. The New Orleans native was a football and baseball letterman at Miss. State, playing quarterback for the Bulldogs from 1980-84. Parenton is 1-7 (.125) against Alabama.
NEXT GAME
Alabama travels to Columbia, SC to face the No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks in a three-game series, beginning Friday, April 23 at 6 p.m. (CT).
ALABAMA-SAMFORD SERIES
Alabama holds a commanding 81-8 (.910) lead over Samford in a series that dates back to the infant stages of Alabama baseball in 1894.
*The two teams split a pair of meetings last year, with the road team winning both games.
*Alabama posted a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Samford on Mar. 19, 2003 at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
*Samford then beat Alabama 8-2 on April 30, 2003 to snap the Crimson Tide's 15-game series winning streak.
*The game marked Alabama's first loss to Samford since the 1992 season. SU won both games from Alabama that year.
*The series sweep in 1992 snapped Alabama's 14-game winning streak over the Bulldogs, which began in 1965.
*Alabama enters the 2004 season having won 30 of the last 33 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 13-1 (.929) in his career against Samford. He is 9-1 (.900) against the Bulldogs in Tusclaoosa and 4-0 in Birmingham, including a 3-2 win earlier (March 19) this year.
Alabama-Samford File
at Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 69-5 (.932)
at Birmingham: UA leads, 12-3 (.800)
Wells vs. SU: 13-1 (.929)
Parenton vs. UA: 1-7 (.125)
UA Long Win Strk: 46 (1896-1962)
SU Long Win Strk: 3 (1963-64)
BAMA VS. OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
Alabama owns a 31-6 (.833) record against the current members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
*Alabama has faced an OVC school in each of the last three seasons.
*The Samford game marks the sixth game this season for the Crimson Tide against the OVC member.
*Alabama is 4-1 (.800) in those previous five games, losing at Jacksonville State (4-3) on Feb. 18. Alabama swept a three-game series from SE Missouri State (Mar. 12-14) and blasted Morehead State (Mar. 24) last month.
*In it four wins this season, Alabama has outscored the OVC schools, 52-3.
*JSU and Samford joined the OVC for the 2003-04 academic year. Alabama's record against those two schools are not reflected in the overall record against OVC schools.
*Alabama is 17-7 all-time vs. Jacksonville State and 81-8 all-time against Samford.
SCOUTING REPORT: Samford
The Samford Bulldogs (6-24, 1-11 OVC) have struggled pretty much all season long.
*The Bulldogs defeated Eastern Illinois 12-5 on Sunday, April for it for its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference win. The victory snapped an 11-game OVC losing streak.
*The win over Eastern Illinois also snapped an 18-game conference losing streak for Samford, dating back to last season. SU dropped its last seven Atlantic Sun games to close out the 2003 season.
*Prior to Sunday's win over EIU, Samford had not won a conference game since beating Jax State (2-1) on April 18, 2003.
*Samford has posted a 3-10 (.231) road record this season.
*On offense, Samford is hitting .282 (310-for-1,100) with 14 home runs and 139 RBI.
*The Bulldogs have gotten men on base this season, they just have not had success scoring runs.
*Samford is averaging just under five runs (4.9) per game this season. The Bulldogs are also averaging 10 hits per game and have stranded an average of 8.6 base runners per game.
*Sophomore outfielder Matt Alling has been the most consistent offensive player this season for the Bulldogs. The only SU player to start all 31 games, Alling is batting a team-best .383 (46-for-120) with two home runs and 32 RBI.
*Alling also leads the team with a .568 slugging percentage and a .476 on-base mark. He is second in the team with eight doubles and 20 runs scored.
*Another sophomore outfielder Justin Worthington ranks second in the team with a .321 (26-for-81) average in 27 games. Worthington has added nine RBI and a team-high eight stolen bases.
*The Samford pitching staff has compiled a 5.91 ERA this season with two complete games and only one save.
*The staff has worked 269 1/3 innings and allowed 333 hits, 230 runs, 177 earned runs, 113 walks and 214 strikeouts.
*Opposing teams are batting .301 against the SU pitchers this season.
*Freshman RHP Joseph Edens and sophomore RHP Stephen Artz have shouldered the bulk of the innings for Samford this season.
*The duo has combined for one half of the team's wins and has thrown 107 of the 269 innings (39.7 percent) of the innings this season.
*In 14 games, Edens is 2-5 with a 4.88 ERA and one complete game. He has worked 51 2/3 innings and allowed 61 hits, 38 runs, 28 earned runs, 14 walks and 44 strikeouts.
*In 10 games, including a team-high eight starts, Artz has worked 55 1/3 innings and allowed 68 hits, 40 runs, 31 earned runs, 14 walks and 57 strikeouts this season.
*Senior Joe Denson owns a 2-2 record and 5.20 ERA in eight games this season, including a 6-0 win at Mississippi State on March 24.
*Samford has made 60 errors in 31 games this season for a .949 fielding mark. The Bulldogs 60 errors have led to 53 unearned runs this season.
ALABAMA-SAMFORD NOTEBOOK
*The Denson family will be divided on Wednesday night when the Bulldogs visit Tuscaloosa. Joe Denson is senior infielder/pitcher for Samford, while his younger brother Doug is a freshman pitcher for Alabama this season. Doug is redshirting this season for the Crimson Tide.
*Samford sophomore outfielder Matt Alling was a member of the Alabama baseball team during the 2002 season, but did not see action and was redshirted. Alling left Alabama after the fall of 2002 and transferred to Samford, where he started 46 games last year.
*Samford sophomore infielder Trey Moody is also a former Alabama player. Moody played in 10 games last year for the Crimson Tide and batted .286 (2-for-7) with one double and one RBI.
*SU sophomore outfielder Justin Worthington's grandfather and father both played at Alabama. His grandfather, Al Worthington, Sr., played at UA from 1949-51, while his father, Al, Jr., played in 1976.
*The elder Worthington was a star pitcher for the Tide along with the Lary brothers in the 1940s and 1950s.
*Worthington led Alabama with 55 innings pitched and 51 strikeouts in 1951. In 1950, he helped Alabama to a 22-12 record and the school's first-ever berth in the College World Series. The 1950 pitching staff was anchored by 10-game winner Frank Lary, who later starred with the Detroit Tigers and became the "Yankee Killer" for his domination of the Bronx Bombers.
*Worthington later became a coach with the Minnesota Twins and was on the staff the year the Twins won their first AL Western Division pennant in 1969.
*Parker Gargis, a freshman pitcher/infielder at Samford, is the son of former Auburn quarterback Phil Gargis.
*Samford freshman catcher Wade Lamont is the son of former major leaguer, Gene Lamont, who played for the Tigers from 1970-75.
BAMA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina holds a slim 16-15 (.516) series lead over Alabama. The two teams first met at the Joe Sewell Classic in 1973, with both teams swapping a pair of shutouts.
*Alabama in the very first meeting 1-0, only to see Carolina bounce back with a 6-0 win the next day.
*Alabama and South Carolina only met six times prior to the Gamecocks joining the SEC in 1992. Alabama posted a 4-2 record in those games, including a 1-1 mark in a pair of NCAA Atlantic Regional appearances in Coral Gables, Fla., in 1986.
*Since joining the SEC, South Carolina owns a 14-11 (.560) lead over Alabama. The Crimson Tide did, however, win the first-ever SEC meeting, 8-4.
*Alabama seeks its first-ever series win over South Carolina in Columbia. The Gamecocks took series wins in 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2002.
*South Carolina holds a 9-3 (.750) series lead over Alabama in Columbia.
*The Crimson Tide owns a 9-6 (.600) series lead over USC in Tuscaloosa, but lost all three games last year at home to the Gamecocks.
*Alabama owns a 3-1 (.750) lead in neutral site games.
*South Carolina has won the last two series with Alabama and three of the last four, dating back to 2000.
*South Carolina has won the last five regular-season meetings between the two teams. Alabama's last regular-season win was a 10-6, 13-inning decision in Columbia in 2002.
*Alabama has won the last two post-season meetings, including a 7-2 win over the SEC Champions to claim the 2002 SEC Tournament championship.
*Alabama head coach Jim Wells is 11-12 (.526) in his career against USC.
*USC head coach Ray Tanner is 11-8 (.533) against the Crimson Tide.
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: 11-12 (.526)
Tanner vs. UA: 11-8 (.533)
SCOUTING REPORT: South Carolina
South Carolina (26-10, 7-8 SEC) reeled off 18 straight wins to open the 2004 season, but has struggled of late losing 10 of its last 18 games.
*The recent struggles can be attributed to the loss of both middle infielders with injuries. Second baseman Steven Tolleson and shortstop Kevin Melillo have missed the better part of a month this season.
*Tolleson is the third-leading hitter (.385, 2 HR, 11 RBI) despite playing only 18 games.
*Melillo (.333, 5 HR, 23 RBI) has played in only 22 games for USC, but did make one appearance this past weekend at Kentucky.
*Despite the injuries and some lineup shuffling, the Gamecocks have a powerful batting order.
*In 36 games, Carolina is batting .323 (420-for-1,300) with an SEC-leading 64 home runs and 288 RBI.
*The Gamecocks are averaging 8.4 runs and 11.67 hits per game this season.
*Carolina has three of the SEC's top 10 hitters this season, including Davy Gregg (5th), Landon Powell (6th) and Steve Pearce (7th).
*Gregg is batting .394 (50-for-127) this season with 17 RBI in 36 games as the leadoff hitter. He also paces the team with 12 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
*Powell is hitting a robust .385 (57-for-148) with 11 home runs and 44 RBI. He leads the club in runs scored (40), hits (57) and RBI (44).
*Pearce has had a solid year, hitting .382 (55-for-144) with a team-high 12 home runs and 39 RBI. He leads the team with a .708 slugging percentage.
*Over the years, coach Ray Tanner and pitching coach Jerry Meyers have put together top-notch pitching staffs and this year in no exception.
*The Gamecocks are 26-10 with a 3.50 ERA, with one complete games and nine saves. The staff has worked 321 innings and allowed 287 hits, 143 hits, 125 earned runs, 71 walks and 367 strikeouts.
*USC leads the league with 367 strikeouts this season and had compiled a better than 5-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio this season.
*Carolina averages 10.29 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
*The SEC weekend rotation is solid with Billy Buckner, Matt Campbell and Aaron Rawl.
*Bucker, a JuCo transfer from Young Harris College, has posted a 4-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 10 games this season. He has worked 59 2/3 innings and allowed 51 hits, 26 runs, 22 earned runs, 16 walks and a team-high 74 strikeouts.
*Campbell is 5-2 with a 3.64 ERA this season, with the lone complete game. He has worked 54 1/3 innings and allowed 44 hits, 28 runs, 22 earned runs, 11 walks and 67 strikeouts.
*Campbell leads the staff with a 6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
*Rawl, who was instrumental in the Gamecocks World Series run the last two years, is 7-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 10 starts this season. He leads the staff in games started and wins.
*Junior RHP Chad Blackwell is the ace out of the bullpen for the Gamecocks. In 20 appearances, Blackwell is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA and an SEC-leading eight saves.
*USC has posted six shutouts this season.
*The Gamecocks are also a solid defensive club and ranks third in the SEC with a .972 fielding clip.
23 UP, 15 DOWN
Alabama has compiled an 23-15 (.605) record through 34 games of the 2004 season. Here is how the Crimson Tide fares in its 23 wins and 15 losses.
*In its 23 wins this season the Alabama Crimson Tide has:
*Hit .327 (255-for-781) with 19 home runs and 188 RBI
*Averaged 8.9 runs and 11.01 hits per game
*Compiled a 1.57 ERA (207 IP, 151 H, 200 K)
*Committed 24 errors in those 23 games
*In its 15 losses this season the Alabama Crimson Tide has:
*Hit .208 (103-for-495) with seven home runs and 33 RBI
*Averaged runs 2.6 runs and 6.87 hits per game
*Compiled a 4.99 ERA (128 IP, 144 H, 130 K)
*Committed 20 errors in 15 losses
SCHEDULE GETTING TOUGHER
As the season rolls into conference play, the competition gets tougher for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team.
*Playing in the toughest baseball conference in the nation, Alabama embarks on a 30-game league schedule that features eight teams ranked in this week's four baseball polls.
*Overall, Alabama has had 13 of its opponents ranked in at least one of the four major polls during the 2004 season.
*Alabama has eight of it 2004 opponents currently ranked in one of the four major polls, including Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU and Florida.
*Five other teams have been ranked at some point during the season, including Kansas State, UAB, Birmingham Southern, Georgia and Miss. State.
*Alabama is 5-8 (.385) against ranked teams this season.
*Alabama has also posted a 7-10 (.412) record against teams that have been ranked at least one week in the major polls.
*LSU, Ole Miss and South Carolina are currently ranked in the Top 10 this season.
*Alabama lost two of three on the road to No. 35 Georgia (Mar. 19-21) to open SEC play.
*The Crimson Tide has also dropped back-to-back home series to No. 5 Ole Miss (Mar. 26-28) and No. 25 Vanderbilt (April 9-11).
*Alabama plays at both South Carolina (April 23-25) and LSU (April 30-May 2) this season in back-to-back weekends in April and May.
ALABAMA SUCCESS
Traditionally, Alabama has had little trouble with in-state teams, compiling an impressive 454-122 (.788) all-time record with schools in the state of Alabama.
BAMA ALL-TIME VS. IN-STATE SCHOOLS
Opponent Series Record
Alabama Christian Bama leads, 4-1
Alabama State Bama leads, 5-0
Auburn Bama leads, 131-107
Bham Athletics Bama leads, 6-0
Bham College Bama leads, 9-2
Bham Southern Bama leads, 25-15
Faulkner State Bama leads, 2-1
Greensboro Bama leads, 4-1
Jax State Bama leads, 17-7
Marion Military Bama leads, 12-2
Montevallo Bama leads, 11-2
North Alabama Bama leads, 18-3
Samford Bama leads, 81-8
South Alabama Bama leads, 48-44
Stillman Bama leads, 17-0
Springhill College Bama leads, 9-4
Troy State Bama leads, 12-3
UAB Bama leads, 32-12
West Alabama Bama leads, 21-10
*Coach Wells has been even more impressive against in-state teams, posting a 78-32 (.709) record since his arrival in 1995.
WELLS ALL-TIME VS. IN-STATE SCHOOLS
Opponent Series Record
Auburn Bama leads, 23-17
Bham Southern Bama leads, 3-1
Jax State JSU leads, 4-3
North Alabama Bama leads, 2-0
Samford Bama leads, 13-1
South Alabama Bama leads, 12-3
Troy State Bama leads, 4-1
UAB Bama leads, 12-5
West Alabama Bama leads, 6-1
BAMA RECORD AFTER 38 GAMES
Alabama has compiled a a 23-15 (.605) record through 38 games, the second-lowest win total in the Wells era at this point of the season.
*The 2000 team posted a 22-16 (.579) record for the worst 38-game record in the Wells era.
*The 2002 team owns the best 38-game record with a 33-5 (.868) ledger.
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (After 38 Games)
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 25-13 (.658)
1996 27-11(.711)
1997 31-7 (.816)
1998 31-7 (.816)
1999 27-11 (.711)
2000 22-16 (.579)
2001 24-14 (.632)
2002 33-5 (.868)
2003 26-12 (.682)
2004 23-15 (.605)
*Listed below are Alabama's records under Wells after 39, 40, 41 and 42 games of the season.
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (After 39 Games)
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 26-13 (.667)
1996 28-11(.718)
1997 32-7 (.821)
1998 31-8 (.795)
1999 28-11 (.718)
2000 23-16 (.590)
2001 24-15 (.615)
2002 33-6 (.846)
2003 27-12 (.692)
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (After 40 Games)
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 27-13 (.675)
1996 29-11 (.725)
1997 32-8 (.800)
1998 31-9 (.775)
1999 29-11 (.725)
2000 24-16 (.600)
2001 24-16 (.600)
2002 34-6 (.850)
2003 27-13 (.675)
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (After 41 Games)
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 28-13 (.683)
1996 29-12 (.707)
1997 33-8 (.805)
1998 31-10 (.756)
1999 29-12 (.707)
2000 25-16 (.610)
2001 25-16 (.610)
2002 34-7 (.829)
2003 28-13 (.683)
YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD (After 42 Games)
Year Record (Pct.)
1995 28-14 (.667)
1996 30-12 (.714)
1997 33-9 (.786)
1998 32-10 (.762)
1999 30-12 (.714)
2000 26-16 (.610)
2001 25-17 (.595)
2002 35-7 (.833)
2003 29-13 (.690)
BAMA AFTER 38 GAMES
It has been well documented that the 2004 Alabama baseball team has very good pitching, but has struggled at the plate most of the year.
*Through 38 games, Alabama is batting .281 (358-for-1276) with 26 home runs and 221 RBI.
*The .281 batting average is the lowest 38-game total in the Jim Wells era of Alabama baseball. The previous low was a .290 batting average in 1995 (357-for-1188).
*The 1995 and 2004 squads are the only two Wells-coached Alabama teams to hit less than .300 this late in the season.
*The 26 home runs rank ninth in the Wells era, just ahead of the 1995 team's 23 total home runs.
*The 221 RBI also ranks ninth, just ahead of the 1995 team's 200 runs batted in at this point in the season.
*As far as scoring is concerned, Alabama has plated 245 runs, the second-lowest run total under Wells after 38 games. The 1995 team scored only 233 runs in 38 games.
*While the hitting has set several seasonal-lows, the pitching staff ranks as the best in the Wells era.
*The 2.87 staff ERA is 0.03 points less than the previous low of 2.90 set in 1995.
*Last year, Alabama had a 4.23 ERA after 38 games, but has reduced that by 1.36 this season.
*The Crimson Tide has eight saves this year, down (-3) from last year's total of 11 saves in 38 games. UA had 16 saves at this point during the 2002 season.
