Crimson Tide Baseball Team Set to Host McNeese State
3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
GAMES 12-14: MCNEESE STATE COWBOYS (2-10) vs. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (9-2)
SEWELL-THOMAS STADIUM (6,118) -- TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA -- 6:30 PM (CST)
MARCH 2-4, 2007 -- UA CLOSES OUT 14-GAME HOMESTAND
The Series: McNeese State Cowboys at Alabama Crimson Tide
Friday, March 2, 2007 6:30 p.m. (CST)
Saturday, March 3, 2007 4 p.m. (CST)
Sunday, March 4, 2007 2:06 p.m. (CST)
ALABAMA HOSTS McNEESE STATE
The 16th ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team plays host to the McNeese State Cowboys in a three-game series this weekend here at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The series opener is set for Friday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. (CST). The two teams will also play Saturday, March 3 at 4 p.m. (CST) and Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. (CST). Alabama (9-2) is coming off a 16-0 win over UAB on Wednesday afternoon here in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide pounded out 20 hits in the win over the Blazers, including 18 singles. Sophomore catcher Ryan Rhoden (Tuscaloosa) led the hit parade with a school-record tying five hits in the win. He singled and scored the first run of the game in the second inning and then added a two-run double in the Crimson Tide’s 10-run fifth inning. Rhoden posted the 23rd, five-hit game in Bama annals and the third in the last two years. Kody Valverde (vs. Jacksonville State - June 2, 2006) and Emeel Salem (vs. UAB - April 26, 2006) both posted five-hit games last season. In the win over UAB, all nine UA starters had at least one hit and one RBI. A trio of pitchers held the Blazers to just three hits in the loss. Senior right-hander Bernard Robert (Denham Springs) allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings. Junior left-handers Will Stroup (Birmingham) and Brian Griggs (Melbourne) also combined on the shutout. Stroup threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while Griggs pitched a scoreless ninth inning. McNeese State (2-10) is coming off an 8-6 loss at UL Monroe on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The Cowboys opened the season with nine straight losses before a pair of wins over LeMoyne last weekend in Lake Charles, La.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
Odr No. Name Pos. Bats 2007 Stats
1 2 Emeel Salem CF L/L .405 (17x42), 2 HR, 10 RBI, 17 R
2 10 Jeff Texada 2B R/R .342 (13x38), 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 BB
3 16 Alex Avila DH L/R .325 (12x40), 2 HR, 12 RBI, 4 2B
4 22 Kent Matthes RF R/R .419 (18x43), 4 HR, 19 RBI, 12 R
5 34 Ryan Rhoden C R/R .421 (16x38), 2 2B, 5 RBI, 8 R
6 25 Matt Bentley 1B L/R .344 (11x32), 1 HR, 8 RBI, 3 2B
7 6 Brandon May 3B R/R .389 (7x18), 0 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R
8 32 Brandon Belcher LF L/L .200 (3x15), 0 HR, 2 RBI
9 3 Greg Paiml SS R/R .316 (12x38), 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 2B
THE HEAD COACHES
Alabama head baseball coach Jim Wells (Northwestern State, 1980) is the winningest coach in school history. He has compiled a 532-248 (.682) record in 13 seasons at the Capstone. Overall, Wells has posted a 724-337 (.682) record in 18 seasons. McNeese State interim head coach Chris Fackler (McNeese State) is 2-6 since taking over for former coach Chad Clement, who suddenly resigned just four games into the 2007 season.
ALABAMA-MCNEESE STATE SERIES
*Alabama leads the all-time series with McNeese State, 3-1.
*The Crimson Tide swept a three-game series from the Cowboys during the 2005 season.
*McNeese State won the initial meeting with Alabama during the 1994 season at the Lake Area Classic at Cowboy Diamond in Lake Charles, La.
*The Crimson Tide outscored the Cowboys, 30-3, during the three-game series in Tuscaloosa in 2005.
*Alabama posted a 23-1 victory on March 6, 2005 in the series finale to complete the sweep.
BAMA VS. SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE
*Alabama owns a 21-6 (.778) record against the current Southland Conference field.
*The Crimson Tide has played six of the 11 teams.
*Alabama lost to Lamar in the 1994 Lake Area Classic in Lake Charles, La. Lamar is the only SLC team with a winning record against Alabama.
*Alabama has never faced Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio or Texas State in baseball.
*Alabama head coach Jim Wells spent five years at Northwestern State (19909-94) before coming to the Capstone in 1995.
*He compiled a 192-89 (.683) in five seasons at Northwestern State and led the Demons to thee Southland Conference titles (1991, 1993 and 1994).
*In 2003, Wells had his jersey No. 17 retired by Northwestern State prior to the Crimson Tide’s 12-8 win on April 8.
*In 2005, Wells was inducted into the NSU Sports Hall of Fame.
*Wells is 89-47 (.654) against the current Southland Conference field.
SCOUTING REPORT: McNeese State
*The McNeese State Cowboys (2-10) have gotten off to a slow start during the 2007 season.
*The Cowboys opened the year with nine straight losses, before posting back-to-back wins over LeMoyne this past weekend in Lake Charles.
*MSU also dropped an 8-6 decision at UL Monroe on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
*The Cowboys lost their head coach, Chad Clement, who surprisingly resigned just four games into the season.
*Assistant coach Chris Fackler will serve as the interim head coach the remainder of the season. He is 2-6 (.250) since taking over the program.
*McNeese State has struggled on offense in the first 12 games this season. The Cowboys are batting .233 (91-for-391) with eight home runs and 56 RBI.
*McNeese State averages 5.2 runs and 7.6 hits per game.
*Sophomore infielder Brad Becker (Orange, Texas) and senior outfielder Charlie Kingrey (Kinder, La.) are the only regulars hitting better than .300 this season.
*Kingrey leads the club in virtually every offensive category. He is batting .348 (16-for-46) with four home runs and 10 RBI.
*He also leads McNeese in runs scored (10), doubles (3) and slugging percentage (.674).
*Kingrey is a solid player as evidenced by the fact that he is a four-year starter and preseason All-American and All-SLC candidate.
*In 167 career games, he is batting .316 (192-for-608) with 24 home runs and 133 RBI.
*Becker is hitting .333 (8-for-24) in seven starts, with two home runs and six RBI.
*Kingrey and junior outfielder Taylor Faul (Lake Charles, La.) are the only two players to start all 12 games.
*In 11 starts this season, McNeese State pitchers are 2-10 (.167) with a 6.71 ERA. MSU has used 13 different pitchers in the first 12 games.
*The staff has worked 103 1/3 innings and allowed 130 hits, 94 runs and 77 earned runs, with 55 walks and 69 strikeouts.
*McNeese State opponents are averaging 7.8 runs and 12.8 hits per game this season.
*The weekend rotation is expected to consist of junior right-hander Derek Blacksher (Bridge, Texas), senior left-hander Chris Denton (Lake Charles, La.) and freshman right-hander Jonathan Conrad (Sulphur, La.).
*Blacksher is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four appearances and three starts this season. In 18 innings, he has allowed 22 hits, 10 runs and nine earned runs, with seven walks and nine strikeouts.
*Denton is 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA in three starts. In 18 1/3 innings, he has allowed 15 hits, nine runs and eight earned runs, with eight walks and team-high 18 strikeouts.
*Conrad is 0-2 with an 11.45 ERA in three starts. He has worked 11 innings and allowed 19 hits, 19 runs and 14 earned runs, with seven walks and 11 strikeouts.
*The main man out of the pen is senior left-hander Danny Davis (Slidell, La.), who is trying to regain his form in 2006.
*Davis has struggled early in 2007. He is 0-0 with one save and a 5.82 ERA.
*Last year, Davis was the ace of the staff, as he posted a 7-0 record and eight saves en route to SLC Pitcher of the Year honors.
*A pair of redshirt freshmen -- left-handers Tyler Davis (College Station, Texas) and John Ropp (Sulphur, La.) -- have been solid out of the pen this season.
*Davis has allowed only one earned run in five appearances (0-0, 1.50 ERA). He has worked six innings and allowed seven hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts.
*Ropp has allowed one earned run in six outings (1-1, 1.59 ERA) this year. He has worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, three runs, two walks and four strikeouts.
*The Cowboys have made 24 errors (.949) in 12 games this season. Junior third baseman Bryan Cartie (Meadows Place, Texas) leads the way with five errors.
HOMEBODIES
*Alabama will play 23 of its first 25 games at home, including all 11 games in the month of February.
*In fact, the Crimson Tide opens the season with a 14-game homestand, before playing its first road game against Southern Miss on March 6, 2007 at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss.
*The only other road game is a March 14, 2007 trip to Birmingham to face the Samford Bulldogs at Joe Lee Griffin Field on the Samford campus.
*Bama is home for the first six weekends of the regular season as they host Georgia State (Feb. 9-11), Canisius (Feb. 16-18), Villanova (Feb. 23-25), McNeese State (March 2-4), Nebraska (March 9-11) and Tennessee (March 16-18).
*Alabama does not play its first weekend road series until March 23-25, 2007 when the Crimson Tide travels to Oxford, Miss., to face the Ole Miss Rebels.
OFFENSE SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
*The main reason for Alabama’s early season success is a much improved offensive attack.
*Alabama has raised its batting average 92 points from this time last year. The Crimson Tide is hitting .343 (136-for-397) in 11 games this season, compared to .251 (91-for-362) this time last season.
*The Crimson Tide has seen increased run and hit production this season.
*Alabama is averaging 9.0 runs (99) per game this season, compared to 5.9 runs (65) per game last year. That is an increase of 3.1 runs per game.
*The Crimson Tide had 136 hits (12.4) this year, compared to 91 hits (8.3) last year, an increase of 4.1 hits per game.
*Bama has stroked 42 extra base hits this season, compared to 24 this time last year.
*The Crimson Tide has three starters hitting .400 or better this season and all nine starters are hitting .316 or higher in 2007, compared to only one (Kody Valverde, .359) last year at this time.
OFFENSIVE NUMBERS ON THE RISE
*Almost every Crimson Tide player has shown improvement over last year’s numbers through 11 games.
*Rhoden, Salem and Matthes are a combined 51-for-123 (.415) this season, with six home runs and 34 RBI in 11 games.
*This time last year, the trio was a combined 22-for-81 (.271) with no home runs and four RBI.
*The have increased their cumulative batting average by 144 points since this time last year.
