Bama Arrives in Honolulu; Season Opener on Thursday
2/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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HONOLULU, Hawaii -- The University of Alabama baseball team opens its 112th season with a four-game series against the University of Hawai'i here in Honolulu beginning Thursday, Feb. 10 at 10:35 p.m. (CT) from Les Murakami Stadium on the island of Ohau. The teams will also play Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10:35 p.m. (CT), while the series finale is set for Sunday, Feb. 13 at 5:05 p.m. (CT). The four-game series at Hawai'i marks Alabama's first-trip to islands since 1957.
Coach Tilden "Happy" Campbell's 1957 SEC Western Division championship team posted a 15-5 record on its 20-game tour from June 25-August 7, 1957. The 1957 Goodwill Far East Tour included stops in Tokyo (Japan), Okinawa (Japan), Korea and Honolulu. At the time of Alabama's last visit to the islands, Hawaii was not yet a state. Hawaii did not become the 50th state until August 21, 1959. The Alabama football team and men's and women's basketball teams have also played in Honolulu. The football team is 2-1 in the Aloha state, winning the 1985 Aloha Bowl (UA 24, Southern Cal 3) and splitting a two-game series with the Warriors in 2002 (UA , 21-16) and 2003 (UH, 37-29). Bama and UH are expected to open the 2006 football season in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 2, 2006, which will be the first game in the newly expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The team arrived at 5 p.m. (HT) on Tuesday following a 13-hour travel day, that included a nine-hour, non-stop flight from Atlanta to Honolulu.
"We are excited about being in Hawai'i," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "We are also excited about starting another season. This year is a little different because of the long trip, but it will be good to finally play against outside competition.
"Hawai'i has a pretty good team. They beat Rice (won two of three in May) last year here in Honolulu and they had good crowds, even one sellout. Hawai'i has two good pitchers (Ricky Bauer and Steven Bryant) and a lot of guys back (six returning starters) off last year's team. This will be a good series for us against an NCAA Regional-type team."
Alabama finished 29-26 last year and has most everybody back off a team that finished a disappointing 11th in the Southeastern Conference.
After three weeks of preseason practice, which included eight intrasquad games, Wells says his team is much improved this season, and hopefully will be more productive. Alabama's opening day lineup will include seven returning players and two newcomers. Sophomore Emeel Salem will be the Tide's leadoff hitter and play center field. Senior Allen Rice will play second base, while junior transfer Kody Valverde will catch and bat third in the order. Junior third baseman Evan Bush, senior designated hitter Gabe Scott and senior first baseman Zac Welch will hit in the middle of the lineup. Sophomore Michael McCallister will be in right field, senior Matt Grooms will play left field and true freshman Cale Iorg will play shortstop for the Crimson Tide.
The pitching rotation for the Hawai'i series will include three veteran left-handers and one right hander. Sophomore Wade LeBlanc (2004 National Freshman of the Year) will get the nod on opening day for the Crimson Tide. Sophomore Brandon Belcher will pitch game two of the series, followed by senior Brent Carter and junior T.J. Large in the final two games of the four-game set.
While winning four games is the ultimate goal of this seven-day trip, Wells said he wants his team to see the island and have some down time while in Honolulu.
"We are going to Pearl Harbor and to see some other sights here on the island," Wells said. "We will let the guys see Hawai'i on Wednesday and Monday (Feb. 14), with the other four days focused totally on playing and winning the games."
Alabama has won a school record 11 consecutive season openers, dating back to the 1994 season. The four-game road trip to Hawai'i marks the first time since 1999 that Alabama has opened the season in an opponents home ballpark. Alabama opened the 2003 season at the Minute Maid Park College Classic in Houston against UL Lafayette, Houston and Rice. The 2005 opener is the fourth time Alabama has not began the season at home under Wells.
