Alabama Travels to Auburn for Final Regular Season Games
5/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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GAME 54: ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (35-18, 15-12 SEC) AT AUBURN TIGERS (31-22, 12-15 SEC)
PLAINSMAN PARK (4,096) -- AUBURN, AL. -- 7 PM
MAY 20, 2005 -- THE BATTLE FOR BRAGGIN' RIGHTS
ON THE MOUND: UA -- 23 Wade LeBlanc (LH, 10 GS, 4-3, 3.94 ERA) vs. AU -- 8 Arnold Hughey (LH, 15 GS, 6-4, 3.80 ERA)
RADIO/TV: The Alabama-Arkansas series will be broadcast through the Crimson Tide Sports Network and will be aired locally in Tuscaloosa on THE TUSK (WACT, 1420-AM). David Crane and Chris Stewart will call the action from Plainsman Park this weekend.
Date Game Time Radio/TV
May 20 at Auburn 7 PM CTSN, WACT 1420-AM
May 21 at Auburn 4 PM CTSN, WACT 1420-AM
May 22 at Auburn 1:06 PM CTSN, WACT 1420-AM, CSS-TV
INTERNET BROADCAST: Live audio broadcasts and live stats can be found at www.rolltide.com.
TICKETS: For ticket information for this weekend's series, call the Auburn Ticket Office at 1-800-AUB-1957. Capacity crowds are expected for all three games.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (Auburn Series)
Friday, May 13, 2005 (7 PM)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
W. LeBlanc (L) 10-10 4 3 0 3.94 64.0 50 30 28 19 85 1
A. Hughey (L) 15-15 6 4 0 3.80 87.2 91 48 37 14 74 0
Saturday, May 14, 2005 (4 PM)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
B. Belcher (L) 13-8 5 0 0 4.17 54.0 54 34 25 22 41 1
J. Sullivan(R) 15-15 7 4 0 3.90 87.2 80 46 38 31 66 1
Sunday, May 1, 2005 (1:06 PM - CSS)
Pitcher G-GS W L SV ERA IP H R ER BB K CG
TBA
TBA
BAMA SEEKS SEC TOURNEY BERTH ON THE PLAINS
Out of first place in the Southeastern Conference Western Division for the first time this season, the No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide (33-16, 14-10 SEC) baseball team concludes the 2005 regular season with a three-game series against arch-rival Auburn Tigers (31-22, 12-15 SEC) this weekend at Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park on the Auburn campus. The series opener is Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m. (CT). Alabama remains in the hunt for the 2005 SEC Championship and the Western Division title. In fact, five SEC teams are within two games of the overall championship with one weekend to play. Florida (17-10) sits atop the league standings with three game to play. Tennessee (16-10) and LSU (16-11) are second and third respectively in the race. Alabama (15-12) and Ole Miss (15-12) are two games off the pace entering the last three games. Alabama and Ole Miss trail LSU by one game for the SEC Western Division championship. Four of the five teams battling for the 2005 SEC title this are on the road this weekend. Florida (at Vandy), LSU (at Miss. State), Alabama (at Auburn) and Ole Miss (at Arkansas) all play away from home this weekend. Tennessee (hosts Georgia) is the only championship contender playing at home in the final weekend. While the league championship championship is still up for grabs, so are five of the eight spots in next week's SEC Tournament (May 25-29) at the Hoover Met. Alabama and Ole Miss need one win this weekend to clinch a berth in the post-season tourney.
ALABAMA BASEBALL NOTEBOOK
Alabama has dropped back-to-back SEC series for the first time this season, losing the last two weekends to Miss. State and Arkansas ... Alabama head coach Jim Wells will coach his 675th game with the Crimson Tide in the series opener at Auburn ... Alabama leads the all-time series with Auburn, 131-107, but has not won a series on the Plains since 1997 (lost three in-a-row) ... Overall, the Crimson Tide has won six of the last 10 series with the Tigers ... Alabama senior outfielder Matt Grooms played at Auburn during the 2002 season ... Junior 3B Evan Bush is 1-for-20 (.050) in his career against the Tigers, including 0-for-6 (.000) against Friday starter LHP Arnold Hughey ... Bush is 4-for-33 (.121) in his last 10 SEC games ... Senior LF Gabe Scott is batting .312 (15-for-48) since his 27-game hitting streak was snapped on April 22nd ... Bush (9) and Scott (5) have combined for just 14 RBI in the Tide's last 13 games ... Alabama pitchers lead the SEC with 499 strikeouts this season ... Auburn batters are second in the SEC with 369 strikeouts ... Bama needs one strikeout to become the fourth team in school history to log 500 or more strikeouts in a season ... The school record is 585 strikeouts ... Freshman RHP David Robertson has 96 strikeouts and needs three strikeouts to break the single-season freshman record of 98 strikeouts set last year by Wade LeBlanc ... Robertson leads the SEC and ranks 3rd nationally with 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings ... Alabama is 7-11 (.389) on the road this season ... Bama is 8-5 (.615) on Friday nights ...
ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES NOTES:
*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 is closing out the regular season at Auburn for the first time since 1995, when UA took two of three from the No. 1 ranked Tigers.
*Alabama and Auburn first met on the diamond in 1896 and have staged some classic battles in the series 238-game history.
*Since that first meeting, Alabama has posted a 131-107 (.550) all-time series lead.
*Alabama has won six of the last 10 series with Auburn.
*Auburn took two of three last year in Tuscaloosa to win its first series on the UA campus since 1994.
*After losing 8-2 and 7-1 in the first two games of the series, Alabama avoided the sweep with a 19-0 win in the series finale.
*The Tigers also won the last series in Auburn, taking two of three from the Crimson Tide in 2003.
*Alabama has not won a series on the Plains since 1997, losing its last three series in Auburn.
*Unlike the recent football series, the home team has dominated the UA-AU baseball series, winning 11 of the last 14 games played.
*Dating back to 1998, the home team has posted a 16-6 (.727) record in the Alabama-Auburn series.
*The home team has also won six of the last seven series, dating back to 1998.
*In addition, the home team has won seven of the last nine regular-season series.
SCOUTING REPORT: Auburn
*The Auburn Tigers (31-22, 12-15 SEC) enters the final weekend of the 2005 regular season in 10th place in the overall SEC standings.
*Auburn is one-game behind Arkansas, Vanderbilt and South Carolina for the final spot at the 2005 SEC Tournament (May 25-29) at the Hoover Met.
*Miss. State (12-14) is ninth overall and one-half game ahead of Auburn.
*The Tigers need a series win over the Crimson Tide and some help from the rest of the league to claim one of the five remaining spots in the SEC Tournament.
*An Auburn sweep of Alabama would likely secure the Tigers a berth in the tournament.
*The Tigers are 14-13 in their last 27 games, dating back to April 3.
*Auburn (8-7) and Arkansas (8-7) were one-game behind division-leading Alabama (9-6) after the Tide rallied for an improbable 9-6 win at No. 5 Florida on April 17.
*Since then, Auburn has posted a 4-8 record in SEC play.
*The Tigers have lost three of their last four SEC series, including last weekend's road series at Georgia. After winning the opener, the Tigers dropped the next two games, including a 10-4 decision in Sunday's rubber game.
*The Auburn offense is batting .292 (530-for-1818) with 33 home runs and 273 RBI in 53 games.
*The Tigers average 5.7 runs and 10 per game.
*Auburn batters have struck out 369 times (6.9) in 53 games, the second highest total in the SEC. Kentucky leads the league with 386 strikeouts.
*Senior first baseman Karl Amonite (Woodslee, Ontario) is the leading hitter with a .347 (67-for-193) with eight home runs and 52 RBI.
*Amonite leads the Tigers with 22 doubles and 52 RBI in 53 games.
*Junior catcher Josh Bell (Jackson, Tenn.) is the second-leading hitter and top power source this year. Bell is batting .338 (71-for-215) with 10 home runs and 49 RBI.
*Junior center fielder Clete Thomas (Lynn Haven, Fla.) is hitting .330 (69-for-209) with seven home runs and 34 RBI.
*He leads AU with 56 runs scored and ranks second on the team with 20 stolen bases.
*Bell (10), Amonite (8) and Thomas (7) have hit 25 of Auburn's 33 home runs.
*Junior infielder and leadoff hitter Tyler Johnstone (Brampton, Ontario) is hitting .329 (74-for-225) and leads the team with 22 stolen bases.
*On the mound, Auburn is 31-22 with 20 saves and 3.65 ERA.
*Auburn pitchers have worked 473 innings and allowed 484 hits, 249 runs and 192 earned runs, with 138 walks and 351 strikeouts.
*The Tigers lead the league with 20 saves. Vanderbilt is second with 15 saves.
*Auburn and Florida lead the SEC in fewest walks allowed (138) this season.
*The starting rotation is anchored by senior left-hander Arnold Hughey (Niceville, Fla.) and junior right-hander Josh Sullivan (Little Rock, Ark.), who have combined for 30 starts on the mound this season.
*Hughey is 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 15 starts. The 15 starts lead the league this season.
*Hughey has worked 87 2/3 innings and allowed 91 hits, 48 runs and 37 earned runs, with 14 walks and 74 strikeouts.
*Sullivan is 7-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 15 starts, which also paces the SEC.
*He has also worked 87 2/3 innings and allowed 80 hits, 46 runs and 38 earned runs, with 31 walks and 66 strikeouts.
*The Tigers, like most teams in college baseball, have used several different pitchers on Sunday.
*Freshman right-hander Cliff Mullins (Fairhope) started last Sunday's game at Georgia.
*Mullins has worked 15 games (7 GS) this season and compiled a 1-2 record and 4.09 ERA. He has worked 33 innings and allowed 38 hits, 26 runs and 15 earned runs, with 19 walks and 23 strikeouts.
*The Auburn bullpen has been very good this season and three pitchers have combined for 99 appearances in 53 games.
*Senior right-hander Jon Madden (Kissimmee, Fla.) has appeared in a team-best 38 games this season and leads the SEC with a 1.02 ERA.
*Madden's 38 appearances are second in the SEC to Florida's Connor Falkenbach's 39 appearances.
*Madden (6-1, 6 SV, 1.02 ERA) has worked 70 2/3 innings and allowed 59 hits, 17 runs and eight earned runs, with 15 walks and 49 strikeouts.
*Junior right-hander Michael Nix (Auburn) leads the SEC with 20 saves this season and ranks fourth in then league with 29 appearances.
*Nix (5-2, 2.19 ERA, 20 SV) has logged 53 1/3 innings and allowed 43 hits, 16 runs and 13 earned runs, with 11 walks and 56 strikeouts.
*Sophomore right-hander Jared Shore (Noblesville, Ind.) leads the SEC in fewest walks (2) and ranks third in the league with 32 appearances.
*He has worked 57 1/3 innings and allowed 74 hits, 31 runs and 23 earned runs, with just two walks and 27 strikeouts.
*The Tigers have recorded the second-most errors (77) in the SEC this season and has compiled a .963 fielding mark with 38 DPs.
*Like most teams, Auburn's numbers are slightly down in SEC play.
*The Tigers are hitting .269 (245-for-911) in SEC play, with 18 home runs and 112 RBI.
*Bell is the leading hitter with .391 (43-for-110) average with seven home runs and 24 RBI.
*Thomas is hitting .320 (33-for-103) in SEC play with three home runs and 15 RBI.
*The Tigers pitching staff is 12-15 in league play with a 4.12 ERA in 27 games.
*Hughey (9 GS, 4-3, 3.79 ERA) and Sullivan (9 GS, 4-3, 5.33 ERA) have made every weekend start and has compiled an 8-6 record in SEC play.
*Madden (20), Shore (15) and Sullivan (14) have combined for 49 appearances in SEC play this season.
*Madden (2-1, 1.19 ERA, 4 SV) has worked 37 2/3 innings out of the pen.
*Nix (1-1, 2.77 ERA, 7 ERA) has seven saves and worked 26 innings.
*Shore (0-1, 4.21 ERA) has only two walks in 25 2/3 innings in SEC play.
*The defense has compiled a .965 fielding mark (36 errors) and turned 22 double plays.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
*Alabama has a lot of things riding on this weekend's series on the Plains.
*The Crimson Tide still has a chance to win the SEC Championship. Alabama is two games behind league-leading Florida with three games to play. Bama also trails Tennessee by 1 1/2 games in the overall standings.
*Alabama also enters the Auburn series very much alive for the SEC Western Division championship.
*The Crimson Tide and Ole Miss Rebels are tied for second in the division and trail first-place LSU by one game heading into the final three games.
*A strong finish this weekend could also bolster the Crimson Tide's chances of hosting an NCAA Regional (June 3-6) at the Joe in two weeks.
*Alabama is also trying to secure a spot in the 2005 SEC Tournament (May 25-29) held next week at the Hoover Met. One win over Auburn will assure the Crimson Tide a berth in this year's post season tournament.
HOOVER OR BUST?
*Alabama is on the verge of clinching a spot in the 2005 SEC Tournament (May 25-29) next week at the Hoover Met.
*Alabama did not make the eight-team tournament field last year and has not missed the SEC Tournament in consecutive seasons since 1987-88.
*The Crimson Tide needs one win this weekend against arch-rival Auburn to make it the SEC Tournament.
*There are also a number of other possibilities for Alabama to qualify for the SEC Tournament.
*Here is a look at the many other possible scenarios.
WAYS TO CLINCH SEC TOURNAMENT BERTH
1. Win one game at Auburn
2. LSU wins one or more games at Miss. State AND Ole Miss wins two games at Arkansas
3. LSU wins one or more games at Miss. State AND Arkansas sweeps Ole Miss
4. LSU wins one or more games at Miss. State AND Kentucky wins one game at South Carolina
5. LSU wins one or more games at Miss. State AND Florida wins two games at Vanderbilt
6. Ole Miss wins two games at Arkansas AND Kentucky wins one game at South Carolina
7. Ole Miss wins two games at Arkansas AND Florida wins two games at Vanderbilt
8. Arkansas sweeps Ole Miss AND Kentucky wins one game at South Carolina
9. Arkansas sweeps Ole Miss AND Florida wins two games at Vanderbilt
WAYS TO BE LEFT OUT OF SEC TOURNAMENT:
1. Alabama loses three games at Auburn AND South Carolina sweeps Kentucky
2. Alabama loses three games at Auburn AND Arkansas wins two games with Ole Miss
3. Alabama loses three games at Auburn AND Miss. State sweeps LSU
THE RACE HEATS UP
*The 2005 SEC pennant race is like that of any other year -- a log jam.
*No other league across the country has five teams within two games of first-place entering the final weekend of league play.
*Florida (17-10), Tennessee (16-10), LSU (16-11), Alabama (15-12) and Ole Miss (15-12) are all still alive for the SEC Championship.
*Florida owns a half-game lead over Tennessee for the SEC Eastern Division championship.
*LSU owns a one-game lead over Alabama and Ole Miss for the SEC Western Division title.
*Alabama owns the tie breaker over LSU and Ole Miss after its series wins over the Tigers and Rebels this season.
*Florida owns the tie breaker over Alabama after its series win in Gainesville.
*Alabama and Tennessee did not play. Ironically, Florida and LSU did not play this season either.
*The 2005 season could likely mark the second straight year that two SEC divisional champions did not meet on the field.
*In 2004, Georgia and Arkansas were SEC co-Champions and did not meet on the field during the regular season.
*While the league championship is wide open with three games remaining, so are the five remaining spots for the SEC Tournament (May 25-29) next week at the Hoover Met.
*Florida, Tennessee and LSU have already clinched spots in the SEC Tournament.
*Kentucky (7-19) is the only team that has already been mathematically eliminated from SEC Tournament play.
*Alabama (15-12), Ole Miss (15-12), Arkansas (13-14), Vanderbilt (13-14), South Carolina (13-14), Miss. State (12-14), Auburn (12-15) and Georgia (11-15) are still fighting for the five remaining sots in the tournament.
In all, 11 teams enter final weekend of the season, and perhaps could go to the the final game, with a shot of making it to the SEC Tournament.
*So its anybody's guess who will win the league, let alone make it to Hoover.
BAMA FALLS OUT OF FIRST PLACE
*Alabama was seeking a "wire-to-wire" run en route to the 2005 SEC Western Division championship this year.
*The Crimson Tide was either tied for first palce or in sole possession of first place following each of its first 26 SEC games this season.
*That streak ended following a 3-2 home loss to No. 18 Arkansas after game 27.
*LSU took over sole possession of first place for the first time this season after its 14-4 win over Tennessee on May 15.
ALABAMA VS. IN-STATE FOES
*Alabama has compiled a 471-204 (.698) all-time record against teams from the state of Alabama.
*Alabama is 5-1 (.833) against in-state teams this season after its 5-4 win over UAB on May 4.
*The Crimson Tide has won five straight games against in-state teams.
*The UAB game marked Alabama's 675th all-time game against an in-state school.
*Alabama has played Auburn more than any other in-state foe.
*The Crimson Tide and Tigers have met 238 times since the first meeting in 1896.
*The Alabama-Samford series is the oldest in-state rivalry in the UA record books. The two schools began playing in 1894.
*In fact, the Crimson Tide beat Howard College (now called Samford) 36-2 in Birmingham.
*The runs scored (36) and margin of victory (34) are still the most in a single-game in school history.
*Alabama and South Alabama have met 93 times since the inaugural meeting in 1967.
*Alabama has played 421 (62.5 percent) of its 675 games against Auburn, Samford and South Alabama.
*Alabama's best season against in-state foes came in 1996, when the Crimson Tide posted an 11-0 record.
*In fact from 1995-97, Alabama won 14 straight games against in-state teams the longest streak in the Wells era.
*Bama also had a nine-game winning streak in 2002 and an 11-game winning streak in 2002-03.
*Alabama is 4-1 (.800) this season against in-state teams, including a four-game winning streak.
*Bama was 4-5 (.444) against in-state teams last season.
*Rocky Scelfo was the leading hitter against in-state foes in 2004 as he compiled a .429 (12-for-28) clip, with eight RBI in nine games.
*Allen Rice hit .324 (11-for-34) last season against in-state teams and scored 10 runs.
*Brent Carter made three appearances against in-state teams last year and posted a 1-0 record. The lefty worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed only three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts.
*Oddly enough, Wade LeBlanc, the ace of the staff in 2004, was 0-2 with 5.14 ERA in losses to Jax State and Auburn last season.
WELLS VS. IN-STATE FOES
*Alabama head coach Jim Wells has compiled an 87-34 (.719) record against teams from the state of Alabama.
*He logged his first win over an in-state team as the Crimson Tide defeated the Troy State Trojans 2-1 on Feb. 21, 1995.
*Later that season, Wells became the winningest first-year coach in Bama annals as he led the Crimson Tide to a 15-2 win over Samford on April 5, 1995 in Tuscaloosa.
*The win over Samford was Wells' 22nd as the UA coach, breaking the rookie record of 21 wins held by JWH Pollard in 1907.
