Alabama Baseball Hosts Mississippi Valley State
4/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game 43: MISS. VALLEY STATE DELTA DEVILS AT ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
SEWELL-THOMAS STADIUM -- TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA -- 6:30 PM
APRIL 28, 2004 -- DCH HEALTH SYSTEM NIGHT AT THE JOE
Date Game Time Radio/TV
Apr 28 vs. Miss. Valley St. 6:30 PM CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
Apr 30 at LSU 6:30 PM CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5), COX
May 1 at LSU 2 PM CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
May 2 at LSU 1 PM CTSN, WRTR-FM (105.5)
ON THE MOUND: UA - 24 Andrew Walker (RH, 7 GS, 2-0, 3.32 ERA) vs. MVSU - To Be Announced
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 Miss. Valley State gaem and LSU series on WRTR-FM (105.5) and the network.
INTERNET BROADCAST: Live stats and audio broadcasts can be found at http://www.rolltide.com/ and http://www.lsusports.net/ this weekend.
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 MVSU game are $1 for all general admission seats on Wednesday night.
BAMA HOSTS MVSU AS SEASON WINDS DOWN
The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team plays its penultimate non-conference game of the 2004 season Wednesday, April 28 as they host the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in a 6:30 p.m. game here at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide's final non-conference game of the season is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 against the Centenary Gentlemen, in a game that was originally scheduled for Feb. 25, but was postponed due to rain. Alabama saw its 14-game home winning streak against non-conference teams come to crashing halt last week in a 10-5 loss to Samford here at the Joe. Despite the loss last Wednesday night, Alabama is 15-2 (.882) in non-conference home games this season. The Mississippi Valley State game will be "DCH Health System Night" here at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide baseball team welcomes the DCH employees and families from Tuscaloosa, Northport and Fayette. Bryan Kindred, the CEO of the DCH Health System will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The MVSU game is also "Buck Night" and "Future All-American Night" at the Joe. All general admission seats are just one dollar and all youngsters will be allowed on the field with the Crimson Tide for the national anthem. Junior left-hander Taylor Tankersley leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally with a 1.41 ERA this season. As a team, Alabama is sixth nationally with a 2.94 staff ERA in 42 games.
THE RECORDS
Alabama (24-18, 6-12 SEC) has lost all six SEC series this season and despite being six games under .500 in the tough and rugged SEC, still has a shot at the post-season tournament with 12 games remaining. Bama is just three games out of sixth place and in the overall race as seven of the 12 teams have a break-even or losing mark after 18 games. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (29-15, 24-9 SWAC) host Tennessee-Martin in a Tuesday (April 27) double header before coming to Tuscaloosa. MVSU leads the SWAC Eastern Division, while Southern (18-4) holds the top spot in the Western Division.
THE COACHES
Alabama's Jim Wells is in his 10th season with the Crimson Tide program. He has compiled a 433-194 (.691) record at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Overall, Wells is 625-283 (.688) in 15 seasons at Northwestern State and Alabama. MVSU head coach Doug Shanks is 80-121 (.398) in his fourth season in Itta Bena, Miss.
NEXT GAME
Alabama travels to Baton Rouge, La., to face the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers in a three-game SEC series beginning Friday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE SERIES
Alabama leads the all-time series with Miss. Valley State, 3-0. The two teams first met on Mar 12, 2002 with the Crimson Tide posting a lopsided 19-0 win over the Delta Devils.
*The two teams met a second time in 2002 (May 14), with the Crimson Tide winning a much closer game, 10-7.
*Alabama posted an easy 21-0 win last year over MVSU on Feb. 27, 2003 here in Tuscaloosa.
*The 19-0 win is the seventh largest shutout win in Bama annals.
*Alabama did most all of its damage with a 10-run, third inning.
*Jeffrey Norris made his first career start and earned his first career win in the Tide's 19-0 win over the Valley on Mar. 12, 2002. Norris worked six scoreless innings and allowed five hits, one walk and struck out eight batters.
*Carlos Sosa went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI in the win.
*Allen Rice went 1-for-4 and scored two runs for the Tide.
*In Alabama's 10-7 win on May 14, 2002, Eric Mennen made his first and only career start on the mound for the Tide.
*The right-hander lasted just 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs and five hits with six strikeouts. He left with a four-run lead, but fell one out shy of the required number of innings for the win.
*Alabama posted its most lopsided series victory on Feb. 27, 2003 with a 21-0 win here in Tuscaloosa.
*The 21-0 win is the third most lopsided shutout in school history.
*The Crimson Tide scored in six of the eight innings, including five runs in the third and six runs in the fifth.
*Right-hander Seth Johnson (6 IP, 2 H, 6 K) made his first career start and blanked the Devils on two hits through six innings.
*Rice went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI in the win, including his first career home run.
*Zac Welch went 2-for-4 and scored two runs for Alabama.
ALABAMA-MVSU SCOREBOARD
2002 Alabama 19, Miss. Valley State 0
Alabama 10, Miss. Valley State 7
2003 Alabama 21, Miss. Valley State 0
SWAC SERIES NOTES
Alabama owns a 37-4 (.902) record against the members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
*The Crimson Tide has three wins over Miss. Valley State in the last three seasons.
*Prior to the 2002 meeting with MVSU, Alabama had not played a team from the SWAC since 1993.
Series Results vs. SWAC
Last Mtg Record
Alabama A&M NA 0-0
Alabama State 1988 5-0
Alcorn State 1993 11-1
UA-Pine Bluff NA 0-0
Grambling NA 0-0
Jackson State 1988 14-3
Miss. Valley State 2003 3-0
Prairie View A&M NA 0-0
Southern 1916 4-0
Texas Southern NA 0-0
Totals 2003 37-4
SCOUTING REPORT: Miss. Valley State
Miss. Valley State (29-15, 24-9 SWAC) brings its best team to Tuscaloosa under fourth-year head coach Doug Shanks.
*The Delta Devils are leading the Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division with a 24-9 record.
*Southern (Baton Rouge) University leads the SWAC Western Division with an 18-4 (.818) league mark.
*MVSU owns a four-game winning streak after sweeping a series with Alabama State in Montgomery.
*As a team, the Delta Devils are batting .286 (366-for-1,237) with 18 home runs and 223 RBI in 44 games this season.
*The offensive attack is paced by Chad Williams (23 G, .412, 2 HR, 13 RBI), who is the fifth-leading hitter in the SWAC.
*Nathan Purvis (41 G, .374, 4 HR, 27 RBI) and Dee Hornesburger (32 G, .324, 4 HR, 25 RBI) have combined to hit eight of the 18 home runs and drive in 52 of the 223 runs this season for the Delta Devils.
*Purvis and Hornesburger are also the top two run producers on the team.
*The Delta Devils have swiped 68 bases (89 attempts) this year.
*On the mound, MVSU has compiled a 29-15 record and league-leading 4.67 ERA in 44 games. In 316 innings, MVSU has allowed 328 hits, 206 runs (164 ER), 118 walks and 265 strikeouts.
*The Delta Devils also lead the league in strikeouts and saves (7).
*The ace of the staff is Jermaine Shack (11 GS, 9-2, 6 CG, 2.73 ERA), who ranks second in the league with a 2.73 ERA in 69 1/3 innings on the mound.
*Southern's Jose Pena (9 G, 7-0, 39 IP, 26 K) paces the SWAC with a 0.92 ERA in nine appearances this season.
*MVSU's William Green (11 G, 1-2, 3.90 ERA) is fifth in the league with a 3.90 ERA in 27 2/3 innings this season.
*The Delta Devils played a home double header with Tennessee-Martin on Tuesday, so the starting pitcher for the Alabama game was not available at press time.
*On defense, MVSU leads the league with a .948 fielding percentage. They have made 72 errors in 44 games this season.
*MVSU has 11 passed balls this season.
*MVSU opponents are 79-for-93 (.849) in stolen bases this season.
ALABAMA-LSU SERIES
Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU, 184-130-3 (.588) in a series that dates back to the 1906 season.
*The two teams have met every year since 1947.
*LSU won the first five meetings ever played between the two schools over a two-year period from 1906-07.
*Alabama's first series win did not come until the 1908 season and a began a nine-game series winning streak for the Tide. The streak also propelled Alabama to an 18-1 record over the Tigers from 1908-21.
*LSU enters the 2003 season having won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Alabama.
*Alabama's 4-2 win in the 2003 regular-season series opener in Tuscaloosa halted an eight-game LSU winning streak, the longest in series history.
*LSU also won eight straight games from 1987-91 against Alabama.
*LSU has also won 12 of the last 15 meetings with Alabama, dating back to 2000.
*Alabama coach Jim Wells began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at LSU under Coach Skip Bertman. Wells spent three years in Baton Rouge (1987-89) helping the Tigers to two NCAA Regional appearances. After his stay at LSU, Wells moved on to become head coach at Northwestern State (1990-94) and then on to Alabama, where he has spent the last nine seasons.
*The Crimson Tide posted a pair of lopsided wins over LSU (13-6, 13-5) to claim the 1999 NCAA Super Regional and advance to the College World Series. The 1999 season marked the first year of Super Regionals in the newly expanded 64-team NCAA Tournament field.
*In 1997, Alabama and LSU met three different times to determine a championship. The Tigers won the regular-season finale 6-4 in Tuscaloosa to win the outright SEC Championship. The following weekend, Alabama's 12-2 blowout in the championship game gave the Crimson Tide its third straight SEC Tournament crown. Two weeks later, LSU took home the big prize with a 13-6 win in the title game of the College World Series. It was the school's fourth national championship in the 1990s.
*Alabama beat LSU three times in the 1968 to win the SEC Western Division title en route to the regular season championship and a berth in the NCAA Playoffs. Alabama took two out of three from LSU in the final regular season series at Alex Box Stadium to force a one-game playoff.
*The Crimson Tide won that playoff game 1-0 in Baton Rouge to claim the Western Division title. The next weekend, Alabama beat Eastern Division champion Florida to win the 1968 SEC Championship.
Alabama-LSU File
at Tuscaloosa: UA leads, 103-53-1
at Baton Rouge: UA leads, 76-72-2
Neutral Sites: LSU leads, 6-4
Wells vs. LSU: 19-26 (.422)
17-20 (.459) at UA
2-6 (.250) at NSU
Laval vs. UA: 7-6 (.538)
5-2 (.714) at LSU
2-4 (.333) at NE La.
UA Win Streak: 9 (1908-18) & (1918-21)
LSU Win Streak: 8 (2000-02, 1987-90)
Last Series Sweep
at Tus. at BR
UA 1984 1977
LSU 2001 2002
WELLS VS. LSU
Alabama's Jim Wells is 19-26 (.422) in his career against the LSU Tigers.
*Wells compiled a 2-6 (.250) at Northwestern State from 1990-94. At Alabama, Wells is 17-20 (.459) since 1995.
LAVAL VS. BAMA
LSU's Ray "Smoke" Laval is 7-6 (.538) in his career against Alabama.
*Laval compiled a 2-4 (.333) at Northeast Louisiana (now called UL Monroe) in 1995-96.
*At LSU, Laval is 5-2 (.714) against the Crimson Tide here at LSU, including back-to-back series wins in 2002 and 2003.
FORMER BERTMAN ASSISTANTS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
When Alabama hosts LSU this weekend at the Joe it will mark the 17th meeting between the two former Skip Bertman assistant coaches.
*The previous 16 meetings have been split evenly, with both Wells and Laval winning eight games against one another.
SCOUTING REPORT: LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers bring a 31-11 overall record into the final four weeks of the regular-season, including a 10-8 mark in SEC play.
*No. 6 LSU played Tulane at the Louisiana Superdome on Tuesday, April 27 in an attempt to break the college baseball single-game attendance record of 40,000+ for the San Diego State-Houston game at Petco Park earlier this season.
*The Tigers and Green Wave held the record in excess of 27,000 at the Superdome during the 2002 season.
*The preseason favorites to lay claim the to another SEC Championship, LSU finds itself three behind league-leading Arkansas with 12 games to play.
*The Tigers have a favorable schedule the next two weekends as they play host to the last place teams in both divisions, beginning this weekend with Alabama (24-18, 6-12) at Alex Box Stadium.
*LSU travels to Kentucky next weekend (5-13 SEC) before closing out the season at home with Vanderbilt (May 14-16) and at Ole Miss (May 21-23).
*Always an offensive juggernaut, the 2004 LSU nine is not different from other teams. Through 42 games, LSU is batting a league-leading .334 (517-for-1550) with 55 home runs and 321 RBI this season.
*LSU is averaging 8.4 runs and 12.3 hits per game this season. LSU has scored double figures 15 times this season, including four of its last six games.
*In addition to its league-leading .334 batting average, LSU also paces the SEC in runs scored (353), hits (517), RBI (321), total bases (806) and at-bats (1550).
*The Tigers have two of the league's top three hitters in J.C. Holt (.418) and Jon Zeringue (.403). Vanderbilt's Warner Jones continues to lead the league with a .427 batting average.
*Holt (42 GS, .418, 15 2B, 4 HR, 31 RBI) leads the SEC with a .485 on-base mark.
*Zeringue (42 GS, .403, 11 HR, 39 RBI) is the league's top slugger with a .730 slugging mark.
*Ryan Patterson (.347, 15 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI) and Matt Liuzza (.329, 10 2B, 8 HR, 30 RBI) have also been steady at the plate for a balanced LSU attack.
*On the mound, LSU is 31-11, with five saves and a 3.40 ERA this season. The ERA is third-best in the SEC behind Alabama (2.94) and Tennessee (3.18).
*LSU battered the Vols pitching staff for 28 runs and 36 hits in three-game last weekend in Knoxville to take the series two games to one.
*The staff is anchored by freshman phenom Clay Dirks, who is undefeated in eight decisions this season.
*Dirks (11 G, 8-0, 2.41 ERA) leads the SEC with eight wins and ranks sixth in ERA (2.41) and 11th in strikeouts (58). Dirks is expected to take the mound Friday or Saturday for the Tigers against Alabama.
*Justin Meier (12 G, 5-2, 3.46 ERA), who did not start against Tennessee, is expected to return to the rotation this weekend against Alabama as the likely Friday or Saturday starter.
*Nate Bumstead (9 G, 6-2, 4.12) has been the man on Sunday this year for the Tigers, despite allowing 63 hits in 54 2/3 innings this season.
*Jason Determan (13 G, 2-3, 3.55 ERA) started in place of Meier last Friday night in Knoxville, but is best suited for his role out of the pen in both long or short relief.
*While LSU leads the SEC with 31 wins, the pitching staff has recorded the second fewest strikeouts (276) in the league this season. Florida (241) is the only other pitching staff with less strikeouts than LSU.
*LSU has also made 55 errors in 42 games this season, for a .967 fielding clip. LSU ranks fifth in the SEC in that department.
24 UP, 18 DOWN
Alabama has compiled a 24-18 (.571) record through 42 games of the 2004 season. Here is how the Crimson Tide fares in its 24 wins and 18 losses.
*In its 24 wins this season the Alabama Crimson Tide has:
*Hit .328 (268-for-816) with 21 home runs and 195 RBI
*Averaged 8.87 runs and 11.17 hits per game
*Compiled a 1.67 ERA (216 IP, 160 H, 204 K)
*Committed 25 errors in those 24 games
*In its 18 losses this season the Alabama Crimson Tide has:
*Hit .205 (123-for-600) with nine home runs and 41 RBI
*Averaged runs 2.61 runs and 6.83 hits per game
*Compiled a 4.71 ERA (154.2 IP, 176 H, 148 K)
*Committed 24 errors (.964) in 18 losses
ALABAMA BASEBALL STATS (Games Won vs. Lost)
All Games G AVG. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB
Wins 24 .328 816 213 268 54 7 21 195 113 124 26-37
Losses 18 .205 600 47 123 20 0 9 41 42 153 10-15
All Games G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
Wins 24-24 24 0 8 1.67 216.0 160 52 40 59 204 3
Losses 18-18 0 18 0 4.71 154.2 176 104 81 51 148 2
SEC Games G AVG. AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB
Wins 6 .328 204 44 67 15 0 4 40 27 27 5-9
Losses 12 .209 406 33 85 13 0 7 29 23 93 5-7
SEC Games G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
Wins 6-6 6 0 3 1.83 54.0 47 14 11 15 49 1
Losses 12-12 0 12 0 4.77 103.2 122 76 55 42 97 2
PITCHING IN
The Alabama baseball team boasts one of its finest pitching staff's in school history.
*Through 42 games, the Crimson Tide has a sparkling 2.94 ERA, which paces the SEC and ranks sixth nationally.
*Alabama is also leads the SEC in complete games (5) and fewest earned runs allowed (120) this season.
*The Crimson Tide staff has seen its ERA over 3.00 just once since the first five games of the 2004 season.
*After allowing nine earned runs in a 10-5 loss to Samford on April 21, the staff ERA rose to 3.03 its highest since Feb. 20th.
*Bama allowed just five earned runs in 26 2/3 innings at South Carolina this past weekend to lower its mark to the current 2.94 ERA.
*Here are the nation's Top 10 pitching staff's (based on ERA) through games of April 25th.
NCAA ERA LEADERS
Rank Team ERA
1. Texas 2.34
2. Long Beach State 2.37
3. Rice 2.39
4. UC Irvine 2.74
5. Central Florida 2.91
6. ALABAMA 2.94
7. Oral Roberts 2.98
8. Wichita State 3.09
9. North Carolina State 3.10
10. Tennessee 3.18
Alabama's SEC Rankings (April 25th)
Category Stats (SEC Rank)
Earned Run Average 2.94 (1st)
Fewest Earned Runs Allowed 120 (1st)
Complete Games 5 (1st)
Fewest Runs Allowed 156 (2nd)
Opponents Batting Avg. .241 (3rd)
Strikeouts 352 (3rd)
Fewest Hits Allowed 336 (3rd)
Fewest Home Runs Allowed 25 (3rd)
Pickoffs 9 (3rd)
Fewest Walks 110 (4th)
Innings Pitched 370.2 (6th)
ONE-TWO PUNCH
In addition to having the lowest ERA in the SEC, Alabama also boasts the top two pitchers in the league.
*Junior left-hander Taylor Tankersley (1.42) and freshman left-hander Wade LeBlanc (1.81) rank first and second in the SEC in terms of ERA.
*The Crimson Tide has had only two pitchers to lead the SEC in ERA, dating back to 1960. Left-hander Mike Innes (1.09) led the league with a school-record 1.09 ERA in 1968 and right-hander Lance Cormier (2.30) paced the league with a 2.30 ERA in 2002.
*Alabama boasts the sixth-best ERA in the country this season and Tankersley and LeBlanc are among the Top 20 pitchers.
*Tankersley ranks ninth with a sparkling 1.41 ERA this season and has allowed only eight earned runs in 50 2/3 innings in 13 appearances.
*Tankersley's current ERA would be the lowest total to lead the SEC since Auburn's Gregg Olson paced the league with a 1.27 ERA in 1988.
*LeBlanc is 17th in the nation with a 1.81 ERA this season and has allowed only 16 earned runs in 79 2/3 innings.
*LeBlanc ranks sixth nationally among freshman pitchers this season with his 1.81 ERA in 12 games.
NCAA INDIVIDUAL ERA LEADERS
Rank Player ERA
1. Nate Moore, Troy State 0.45
2. Jose Pena, Southern 0.92
3. Jared Weaver, LB State 1.13
4. Wade Townsend, Rice 1.17
5. Matt Fox, UCF 1.24
6. Jason Meyer, Texas A&M 1.27
7. Kyle Bono, UCF 1.41
8. Phillip Humber, Rice 1.41
9. TAYLOR TANKERSLEY, UA 1.42
10. Jonathan Ellis, The Citadel 1.44
17. WADE LeBLANC, UA 1.81
GOING THE DISTANCE
Alabama freshman left-hander Wade LeBlanc leads the SEC with five complete games this season.
*LeBlanc has all five of the Crimson Tide's SEC-leading five complete games this year.
*No other team in the SEC has five complete games this season. Ole Miss is next with four CGs, while Florida has three complete games.
*Arkansas and Georgia are the only two SEC teams without a complete game this year.
SEC COMPLETE GAMES
Rank Team CGs
1. Wade LeBlanc, Alabama 5
2. Ole Miss 4
3. Florida 3
4. Tennessee 2
LSU 2
South Carolina 2
Vanderbilt 2
Kentucky 2
9. Auburn 1
Miss. State 1
11. Arkansas 0
Georgia 0
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 nine of it 2004 opponents currently ranked in one of the four major polls, including Southern Miss, Georgia, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU and Florida.
*Four other teams have been ranked at some point during the season, including Kansas State, UAB, Birmingham Southern and Miss. State.
*Alabama is 6-10 (.375) against ranked teams this season.
*Alabama has also posted a 8-12 (.400) record against teams that have been ranked at least one week in the major polls.
*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 lost two of three at South Carolina (April 23-25) and then travels to LSU (April 30-May 2) for the second of two straight road weekends.
A TALE OF TWO SEASONS
Ironically, the ides of March (March 15) was the turning point of the season for the Alabama baseball team.
*Prior to March 15, the Crimson Tide was sailing along with a 14-4 record and Top 25 national ranking.
*After a three-game sweep of SE Missouri State (March 12-14), including the first back-to-back shutouts by Alabama since 1990, things suddenly changed for the Crimson Tide.
*Since March 15, Alabama has lost 14 of its last 24 games and seen its numbers take a dramatic turn for the worse.
TOUGH STRETCH
Alabama is in the midst of playing five consecutive ranked SEC opponents, including two of those series on the road in consecutive weekends.
*The Crimson Tide is on the road the second straight weekend against the preseason favorites to win the SEC Eastern and Western Division championships.
*Alabama is at No. 6 LSU this weekend at Alex Box Stadium after playing No. 6 South Carolina last weekend in Columbia.
*Alabama has not won a series at LSU since taking two of three from the Tigers in 1996.
*In fact, Alabama won back-to-back series at Alex Box Stadium in 1995 and 1996, but has not won since, losing three straight series, including a three-game sweep in the last visit in 2002.
*The current stretch of ranked SEC foes began April 9 when Alabama hosted No. 25 Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa. The Commodores won the series, two games to one, but both wins were by one run and UA had the tying or winning runs on base when the games ended.
*Alabama hosted arch-rival and No. 12 Auburn on April 16-18 and lost two of three games. Bama avoided the sweep with a 19-0 win over the Tigers in the series finale.
*After trips to South Carolina and LSU, Alabama finally returns home on May 7 to face the No. 18 Florida Gators.
BAMA RECORD AFTER 42 GAMES
Alabama has compiled a 24-18 (.571) record through 42 games, the worst record at this point in the season under coach Jim Wells.
*The 2001 team held the previous worst record with a 25-17 (.595) clip after 42 games.
*The 2002 team owns the best 42-game record with a 35-7 (.833) ledger.
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)
2004 24-18 (.571)
