SEC Leaders Meet in Gainesville This Weekend
4/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Game 36: ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (25-10) AT FLORIDA GATORS (25-8)
McKethan Stadium (3,000) -- Gainesville, Florida -- 6:30 PM (ET)
APRIL 15, 2005 -- SEC DIVISION LEADERS MEET IN KEY CONFERENCE SERIES
ON THE MOUND: UA -- 18 T.J. Large (RHP, 9 GS, 5-2, 1.71 ERA) vs. UF -- 48 Tommy Boss (RH, 9 GS, 4-2, 4.63 ERA)
RADIO/TV: The Alabama-Florida series will be broadcast through the Crimson Tide Sports Network and will be aired locally in Tuscaloosa on THE TUSK (WACT, 1420-AM). Veteran play-by-play announcer David Crane and Chris Stewart (color) will describe the action from the Gainesville this weekend. The Saturday game will be the "SEC Game of the Week" and will be aired on FOX Sports Net South and Sun Sports with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Larry Conley (color).
Date Game Time Radio/TV
April 15 at Florida 6:35 PM (ET) CTSN, WACT 1420-AM
April 16 at Florida 4:07 PM (ET) CTSN, WACT 1420-AM, FOX SportsNet South
April 17 at Florida 12:05 PM (ET) CTSN, WACT 1420-AM
INTERNET BROADCAST: Live audio broadcasts and live stats can be found at www.rolltide.com.
TICKETS: Tickets for the Alabama-Florida series are available through the UF Athletic Ticket Office or the McKethan Stadium box office, two hours prior to each game.
ALABAMA-FLORIDA PITCHING MATCHUPS (April 15-17)
Friday, April 15, 2005 (6:30 PM - ET)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
T.J. Large (R) 9-9 5 2 0 1.74 62.0 36 18 12 31 62 1
Tommy Boss (R) 9-9 4 2 0 4.63 44.2 56 28 23 5 24 0
Saturday, April 16, 2005 (4:06 PM - ET)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
Wade LeBlanc(L) 5-5 2 1 0 3.21 28.0 15 11 10 10 53 0
Alan Horne (R) 8-8 2 2 0 4.70 38.1 45 23 20 20 36 0
Sunday, April 17, 2005 (12:05 PM - ET)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
B. Belcher (L) 10-5 4 0 0 3.79 38.0 32 24 16 16 31 1
S. Locke (L) 8-5 5 0 0 1.77 35.2 31 8 7 5 25 0
SEC LEADERS MEET IN GAINESVILLE
The No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide (25-10, 8-4-SEC) hits the road of the second straight weekend as they journey to Gainesville, Fla., to meet the No. 5 Florida Gators (25-8, 8-4 SEC) in a showdown between two of the three teams tied for first place in the overall SEC standings. The series begins with a 6:30 p.m. (ET) game on Friday, April 15 at Albert A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field. The two teams will meet Saturday, April 16 (4 PM) and Sunday, April 17 (Noon). The Saturday game will be televised by FOX Sports Net South as the SEC "Game of the Week" with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Larry Conley (color). Alabama, Florida and South Carolina are atop the leader board in the SEC race heading into the fifth weekend of conference play. Alabama is playing its fourth straight SEC series against a Top 25 opponent. In fact, Florida becomes the third straight Top 10 team Alabama has faced in the last three weeks. The Crimson Tide is coming off back-to-back series wins over No. 4 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss the last two weekends. The offense has improved due to the recent success of senior OF Gabe Scott, the reigning SEC Player of the Week. Scott leads the team with a .424 (36-for-85) average with seven home runs and 19 RBI. He has seven homers in his last seven games, including two home runs in Tuesday's 8-3 win over Memphis. Scott enters the Florida series with a 22-game hitting streak, the longest by an Alabama player in six years. Wade LeBlanc (3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 K) pitched against Memphis and will start Saturday in Gainesville. LeBlanc (bruised shoulder) had not pitched since Mar. 11 vs. Miami (Ohio).
BAMA BASEBALL DIAMOND NOTES
Senior OF Gabe Scott (Lake Charles, La.) was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday , April 11th ... Scott batted .583 (7-for-12) with three home runs and seven RBI in the Tide's series win at No. 9 Ole Miss (April 8-10) ... He added three more hits, including two home runs in Alabama's 8-3 win over Memphis on Wednesday ... Alabama has won 11 of its last 16 games since Mar. 16, including an 8-4 mark in SEC play ... Bama has won three of its first four SEC series after winning only one (Kentucky) league series last year ... Alabama is 5-4 (.556) against ranked teams this season and has won five of the last seven meetings against Top 25 clubs ... Bama has homered in seven straight games ... Bama has hit 13 home runs in those seven games, including six four-baggers in the last two games ... The last time UA had a home run in seven consecutive games was Feb. 22-March 7, 2003 ... The Crimson Tide hit 12 home runs in those seven games ... The last time Bama homered in eight straight games was Mar. 21-April 13, 2002 when the Tide hit at least one home run in 13 consecutive games ... Bama has also homered in six straight SEC games for the first time since Mar. 24-April 13, 2002 ... Alabama has 14 come-from-behind wins this season, more than one-half of its total victories ... Alabama is 5-6 (.455) on the road this season, including a 3-3 record in SEC play ... Alabama is 6-2 on Friday this season ... UA has compiled an 8-1 record when junior RHP T.J. Large is the starting pitcher ... Senior DH Allen Rice needs two games for his 200th career game played at Alabama ...
ALABAMA-FLORIDA SERIES
*Alabama owns a 47-35 (.573) lead over Florida in a series that dates back to 1920.
*Alabama won the first two meetings between the two schools and 10 of the first 11 games played.
*Florida's first win came in 1927, but their first series win did not take place until 1948 with a two-game sweep of the Crimson Tide here in Tuscaloosa.
*The Crimson Tide dominated the series in the early years, posting a 17-5 (.773) record in the first 22 meetings.
*Florida then took over the series in 1975 and dominated Alabama over next 20 years, although the teams did not play on a regular basis.
*From 1975-94, Florida did most all of its damage in the series with a 23-6 (.793) record against Alabama.
*Since 1995, Alabama has had the upper hand with Florida, despite losing the series last year in Gainesville.
*Alabama has posted a 24-8 (.750) record against Florida in the last 10 years.
*The Crimson Tide has also won six of the last eight series between the two teams.
*From 1996-2002, Alabama won 17 of 19 games with Florida, including a series record 14-game winning streak which was halted at the 2002 SEC Tournament,
*Florida has won the last two series with Alabama, including last year's series in Tuscaloosa.
*After losing the opener 2-0 to Wade LeBlanc, the Gators erased a 4-0 deficit in the seventh inning to game two for an 8-5 win as Ben Harrison hit two, three-run home runs off Seth Johnson.
*Florida took the series on Sunday by scoring four times in the final inning with all runs coming after a two-out throwing error by third baseman Evan Bush.
*Florida took two of three from Alabama in Gainesville during the 2003 season, for its first series win over the Crimson Tide since a three-game sweep in 1994.
*In each of the last two series, Alabama has won the opener only to lose the next two games and eventually the series.
*In games played in Gainesville, Florida holds a 20-16 (.556) series edge.
WELLS VS. FLORIDA
Alabama head coach Jim Wells is 24-8 (.750) in his coaching career against the Florida Gators.
*Wells is 11-3 (.786) against Florida in Tuscaloosa.
*Wells is 6-3 (.667) against the Gators in Gainesville, winning two of the three series played.
*Alabama has won six of the eight series with Florida since Wells became head coach in 1995, including sweeps in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2002.
*Alabama posted a 14-game winning streak over Florida from 1996-2002, the longest by either team in the 79-game series history.
*The Crimson Tide won five of the six meetings with the Gators during the 2002 season, including a series sweep here in Tuscaloosa and two wins at the SEC Tournament in Hoover.
McMAHON VS. ALABAMA
Florida head coach Pat McMahon is 10-17 (.370) in his coaching career against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
*McMahon is 5-7 (.417) against the Crimson Tide has head coach of the Gators. He fashioned a 5-10 (.333) mark against the Tide in four years at Miss. State.
*McMahon is 4-8 (.333) against Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
*He is 2-1 (.667) against Alabama in Gainesville, following a series win in 2003.
*McMahon-coached teams have lost four of the seven previous series with Alabama, including three of four at Miss. State.
WELLS-McMAHON HEAD-TO-HEAD
Alabama head coach Jim Wells owns a 17-10 (.629) record in head-to-head meetings with Florida coach Pat McMahon.
SCOUTING REPORT: Florida Gators
*The Florida Gators (25-8, 8-4 SEC) have won eight of their last nine games as they enter this three-game series with Alabama.
*After three straight SEC losses to Ole Miss and South Carolina, Florida has bounced back to win seven of its last eight SEC games.
*The Gators have two, six-game winning streaks this season.
*Their longest winning streak in SEC play is five games, including two wins at home against South Carolina and a sweep at Kentucky.
*Florida is batting .309 (353-for-1142) this season with 41 home runs and 243 RBI in 33 games.
*The Gators offense averages 8.6 runs and 10.7 hits per game.
*Florida leads the SEC with 285 runs scored this season and ranks fourth in the league in hitting.
*In SEC play, Florida is hitting .305 (128-for-419) with 15 home runs and 79 RBI in 12 games.
*UF averages 7.4 runs and 10.7 hits per game in league play.
*Florida leads the SEC in runs scored (89), on-base percentage (.392), RBI (80) and total bases (196) in conference play and ranks second in hitting (.305) and home runs (15).
*The Gators are led on offense by senior center fielder Jeff Corsaletti (Port Charlotte, Fla.), who is batting .429 (51-for-119) in 32 games, with five home runs and 32 RBI.
*Corsaletti ranks second in the SEC in hitting (.429) and on-base percentage (.533) and is fifth in hits (51) runs scored (38).
*Sophomore left fielder Gavin Dickey (Tallahassee, Fla.), who is the backup QB to Chris Leak on the UF football team, is the second-leading hitter with a .387 (29-for-75) clip in 29 games. Dickey has one home run and 11 RBI.
*Redshirt freshman third baseman Brandon McArthur (Seffner, Fla.) is the third-leading hitter with a .341 (29-for-85) average in 29 games. McArthur has added one home run and 10 RBI.
*McArthur leads the SEC with a .500 (17-for-34) batting average in league play. He has played in 10 games, including nine starts.
*The power hitter in the UF lineup is senior first baseman Ryan LaPorta (Port Charlotte, Fla.), who is batting .333 (40-fo-120) in 32 starts, with 12 home runs and 41 RBI.
*LaPorta leads the league with 41 RBI and ranks second in the SEC with 12 home runs. He also ranks 12th with a .451 on-base mark.
*On the mound, the Gators have posted the SEC's fifth-best earned run average (3.31) this season.
*UF pitchers have worked 299 innings and allowed 296 hits, 141 runs and 110 earned runs, with 70 walks and 245 strikeouts.
*Florida pitchers have walked the fewest walks in the SEC this season.
*The Gators have no complete games and only five saves in 32 games.
*Florida has basically relied on six arms this season, including three starters and three guys out of the pen.
*The Gators appear to be down one arm this weekend as junior RHP Bryan Ball (Punta Gorda, Fla.) is not in the rotation for the second straight weekend. Ball (8 GS, 5-1, 2.22 ERA) did not pitch at Georgia last week and is not a scheduled starter this week against Alabama.
*With Ball's absence, senior RHP Tommy Boss (Dunnellon, Fla.) will pitch the series opener for the second straight weekend.
*Boss has made nine starts and is 4-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He has worked 44 2/3 innings and allowed 56 hits, 28 runs and d 23 earned runs, with only five walks and 24 strikeouts.
*In SEC play, Boss is 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA in four starts. He has allowed 25 hits in 21 innings.
*The Saturday starter will be former No. 1 draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, junior RHP Alan Horne (Marianna, Fla.), who turned down $1.7 million out of high school and has now pitched for Ole Miss, Chipola JC and Florida.
*Horne is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA in eight starts this season for the Gators. He has logged 38 1/3 innings and allowed 45 hits, 23 runs and 20 earned runs, with 20 walks and 36 strikeouts.
*In SEC play, Horne is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts.
*For the second straight weekend, freshman LHP Stephen Locke (Tampa) is scheduled to be the Sunday starter on the mound.
*He is 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA in eight games this season. Locke ranks 9th in the SEC with his 1.77 ERA.
*He has worked 35 2/3 innings and allowed 31 hits, eight runs and seven earned runs, with five walks and 25 strikeouts.
*Locke made his first SEC start last weekend against Georgia and shutout the Bulldogs on five hits through 5 2/3 innings.
*He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in just nine innings in SEC play this season.
*The two mainstays in the UF bullpen are senior RHP Connor Falkenbach (Parkland, Fla.) and junior RHP Darren O'Day (Jacksonville, Fla.)
*Falkenbach has made a team-high 22 appearances for the Gators and pitches nearly every day out of the pen.
*He has compiled a 1-1 record, with three saves, and a 2.92 ERA. Falkenbach has worked a team-high 52 1/3 innings and allowed 60 hits, 22 runs and 17 earned runs, with eight walks and 44 strikeouts.
*Falkenbach is third in the league in appearances and second in relief appearances.
*In SEC play, he is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 10 games. The senior has appeared in all but two of the Gators 12 league games in 2005.
*He ranks first in the SEC in appearances (10) and relief appearances (10), second in ERA (1.35), fifth in innings pitched (20) and eighth in opponents batting average (.235).
*O'Day is 5-2 with a team-best 1.27 ERA in 15 games this season. He has worked 28 1/3 innings and allowed 21 hits, 10 runs and four earned runs, with five walks and 30 strikeouts.
*In league play, O'Day is 1-0 with 4.50 ERA and has just four innings in four appearances out of the pen.
*Florida is eighth in the league in fielding, tied with Alabama's .962 fielding mark. UF has committed 51 errors and turned 31 double plays in 32 games.
*LaPorta leads the SEC with 353 total chances and ranks second with 328 putouts.
*Sophomore second baseman Adam Davis (Fort Myers, Fla.) leads the league with 151 assists.
*Sophomore catcher Brian Jeroloman (Wellington, Fla.) second in the league with six passed balls.
*In conference games, Florida is fifth with a .965 fielding mark.
*Davis also leads the league with 51 assists in SEC games only.
LeBLANC RETURNS
*Sophomore left-hander Wade LeBlanc (Lake Charles, La.) returned to the mound on Tuesday, April 12 with a 60-pitch rehab start against Memphis.
*LeBlanc worked three innings and allowed two runs and three hits to the Tigers, with one walk and five strikeouts.
*He struck out the side in the second inning and left the game after three innings with a 2-1 deficit.
*LeBlanc was pitching for the first time since Mar. 11 against Maimi (Ohio). The sophomore suffered a bruised shoulder during a dog pile celebration as the Crimson Tide rallied to beat Miami (Ohio) 8-7 on Mar. 12.
*He missed four starts after the injury. LeBlanc, who has not pitched in an SEC game this season, is expected to make his first SEC start on Saturday, April 16 at No. 5 Florida.
*He three a complete-game shutout, with nine strikeouts last year in a 2-0 win over the Gators in Tuscaloosa.
