Alabama Crimson Tide Baseball Weekly Report
5/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Overall Record: 35-18 (.660)
SEC Record: 15-12 (.556) (T2nd SEC West, T4th Overall)
Streak: Lost 4 of last 6 games
Last Week: 1-2 (.333)
Arkansas 5, Alabama 4
Alabama 5, Arkansas 2
Arkansas 3, Alabama 2
This Week:
May 20 - at Auburn (7 PM)
May 21 - at Auburn (4 PM)
May 22 - at Auburn (1 PM) (CSS-TV)
ALABAMA NOTEBOOK:
*Alabama (35-18, 15-12 SEC) fell out of first place in the SEC Western Division for the first time this season following its 3-2 loss to No. 18 Arkansas on May 15. The Crimson Tide is tied with Ole Miss for second place in the Western Division and fourth place in the overall standings heading into the final weekend. The Crimson Tide trails first-place LSU by one game in the Western Division standings.
*Alabama needs just one win at arch-rival Auburn this weekend to clinch a berth in the 2005 SEC Tournament next week (May 25-29) at the Hoover Met. The Crimson Tide did not make the tournament last season and has not missed the post-season tournament in back-to-back seasons since coach Jim Wells arrival. The last time Alabama missed the SEC Tournament in back-to-back seasons was 1992 and 1993.
*Alabama dropped its first home SEC series of the season this past weekend to No. 18 Arkansas. The Razorbacks won two, one-run games for its first series win in Tuscaloosa since 1995. Arkansas snapped a 12-game losing streak in Tuscaloosa with a 5-4 come- from-behind win in the series opener. The Razorbacks have won two straight series from the Crimson Tide for the first time since 1994-95. Arkansas has won four of the last six meetings with Alabama.
*The Crimson Tide has lost back-to-back SEC series for the first time this season. In addition to the series loss to No. 18 Arkansas, Alabama also lost two of three last weekend at Miss. State. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Alabama has lost six of its last 10 SEC games.
*Alabama had seven seniors play their final home game against Arkansas. The senior class was honored in a pregame ceremony on Saturday, May 14. The senior class consists of Brent Carter (LHP, Americus, Ga.), Matt Grooms (OF, Montgomery), Allen Rice (DH, Helena), Rocky Scelfo (INF, Youngsville, La.), Gabe Scott (OF, Lake Charles, La.), Morrow Thomley (OF, Tuscaloosa) and Zac Welch (1B, Wellington).
*Alabama closes out the 2005 regular season with a three-game series at Auburn this weekend. The 2005 season marks the seventh time (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2005) since the league expanded to 12 teams that Alabama and Auburn have met on the final weekend of the regular season. Alabama closes out the regular season at Auburn for the first since the Crimson Tide took two of three from the No. 1 Tigers in 1995.
*Alabama lost two one-run games to Arkansas this weekend and is now 7-9 in one-run games this season.
*The Crimson Tide has compiled a 9-9 record against ranked teams this season, including a 7-5 mark against teams ranked in the Top 10.
*Bama’s offense struggled in the three-game series with a .185 (17-for-92), its lowest batting average in a series this year. The Crimson Tide scored only 11 runs in the three games against the Razorbacks.
*Alabama got solid pitching all weekend which was good enough to win all three games. The Crimson Tide allowed 10 runs and 23 hits in 27 innings for a 3.33 ERA. UA pitchers had 23 strikeouts and 12 walks.
*The Crimson Tide’s 2-3-4 hitters also struggled all weekend. Senior DH Allen Rice was 1-for-10 (.100) and did not collect his base hit until the eighth inning on Sunday. Senior LF Gabe Scott was 2-for-11 (182) in the weekend series and saw his on-base streak end at 41 consecutive games in the series finale. Junior 3B Evan Bush 1-for-9 (.111) with a solo home run.
*Alabama has trailed in 39 of 53 games this season. The Crimson Tide has posted 21 come-from-behind wins, including nine in SEC play. Of the 21 comeback wins, 13 have come in the sixth inning or later.
*Alabama suffered its first loss of the 2005 season when leading after eight innings as Arkansas scored two runs in the ninth inning on May 13 for a 5-4 win. Bama is 28-1 (.966) this season when leading after eight innings.
*The Crimson Tide has scored first in each of its last six games. Bama is 2-4 in those six games.
*Alabama suffered its first loss of the 2005 season when leading after eight innings. Bama is now 28-1 this season when leading after eight. The Crimson Tide has now trailed in 40 of 53 games this season.
*Sophomore left-hander Brandon Belcher (13 G, 8 GS, 5-0, 4.17 ERA) remained undefeated with a 5-2 win over Arkansas on May 15. He took a shutout into the seventh inning and retired 11 straight batters at one point in the game. Belcher left the game after allowing a run on three hits in the ninth inning. The Ruston, La., native worked 8 1/3 innings and allowed two runs and seven hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. Alabama is 7-1 in Belcher’s eight starts this season, including a 3-1 mark in SEC play.
*Junior RHP T.J. Large (14 GS, 6-3, 3.06 ERA) struggled in his second straight start May 15 as he allowed two runs and one hit in 1 2/3 innings against Arkansas. Large issued two walks and hit one batter and two of those three Arkansas base runners scored. In his last two starts, Large has worked only theee innings and allowed six runs and six hits, with four walks, two strikeouts and three hit batters. Alabama is 10-4 (.714) when Large starts this season.
*Senior LHP Brent Carter (20 G, 9 GS, 6-4, 3.56 ERA) suffered his first loss of the season out the bullpen in the series finale against Arkansas. Carter worked four innings and allowed one run and four hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. In 11 releif appearances this season, Carter is 1-1 with 3.50 ERA. He has worked 18 innings and allowed seven runs and 19 hits, with six walks and 16 strikeouts. He has stranded 10 of 11 inherited runners this season.
*Senior 1B Zac Welch (34 G, .267, 3 HR, 16 RBI) extended his hitting streak to six games with a fourth-inning single against Arkansas on May 15. Welch has also hit safely in eight straight SEC games.
*Alabama senior DH Allen Rice (48 G, .305, 2 HR, 26 RBI) made his 100th career Southeastern Conference start in the series opener against Arkansas.
*Junior 3B Evan Bush (52 G, .276, 15 HR, 49 RBI) recorded his team-leading 11th game-winning RBI of the season when his sacrifice fly scored Cale Iorg in the third inning of Saturday’s 5-2 win over Arkansas. Bush added his team-leading 15th home run in the series finale on Sunday. The Rainbow City native has just four hits in his last 34 at-bats (.118), but all four hits have been extra base hits, with three home runs.
*Senior 2B Rocky Scelfo (42 G, .322, 2 HR, 19 RBI) hit a two-run home run in Alabama’s 5-2 win over Arkansas on May 14. It was just his third home run in two years for Alabama and his first home run in SEC with the Crimson Tide. He did hit two home runs in SEC play while playing for LSU in 2002.
