Alabama Baseball Team Faces Arch-Rival Auburn

GAMES: 39-41: ALABAMA (22-16, 7-8 SEC) AT AUBURN (25-15, 4-11 SEC)

PLAINSMAN PARK (4,039) -- AUBURN, ALABAMA -- 6:06 p.m. (CDT))

APRIL 20, 2007 -- BATTLE FOR STATE BRAGGIN’ RIGHTS

The Series:              Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Tigers

                                Friday, April 20                       6:06 p.m. (CDT)

                                Saturday, April 21                   3:05 p.m. (CDT)

                                Sunday, April 22                     1:36 p.m. (CDT)

Rankings:                Neither team is ranked.

Radio:                      Crimson Tide Sports Network (WACT 1420 AM)

                                Announcers: David Crane (play-by-play) and Chris Stewart (color)

Television:               Friday - Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS); CSN-Mid Atlantic

                                (Washington DC, Baltimore, Virginia and Maryland);

                                CSN West (Northern and Central California, parts of Nevada and Uath);

                                Comcast Local (Detroit and parts of Michigan and Indiana)

                                CSN-Mid Atlantic is channel 629 on DirecTV

                                Saturday - FOX Sports Net South (plus other FSN Regional networks)

                                Sunday - Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS) (Live)

                                CSN West (3:30 p.m., PDT) (Delayed)

                                CSN-Mid Atlantic (7 p.m., EDT) (Delayed)

                                CSN-Mid Atlantic is channel 629 on DirecTV

Internet:                   All Alabama baseball games can be heard on the internet at www.rolltide.com.  Live stats can also be found at www.rolltide.com 

Tickets:                   Tickets are available at the Plainsman Park Ticket Office.

Pitchers:                  Alabama Crimson Tide

                                  7 Miers Quigley (So, LHP, 11 G, 10 GS, 4-2, 2.89 ERA)

                                45 Bernard Robert (Sr., RHP, 11 G, 8 GS, 4-4, 3.57 ERA, 1 CG)

                                36 Austin Hyatt (So., RHP, 11 G, 2 GS, 4-1, 1.91 ERA)

                                Auburn Tigers

                                27 Paul Burnside (So., RHP, 6-1, 2.87 ERA, 1 CG)

                                20 Taylor Thompson (Fr., RHP, 4-1, 4.24 ERA)

                                23 Justin Bristow (So., RHP, 1-4, 6.91 ERA)

Next Game:              Alabama returns home to face the Samford Bulldogs at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Wednesday, April 25.  The game will be televised by WVUA Sports and first pitch will be 6:36 p.m. (CDT).

ALABAMA FACES ARCH-RIVAL AUBURN

Rivalry week continues for both the University of Alabama and Auburn University this weekend as the two long-time rivals meet in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Plainsman Park in Auburn.  The series opener is set for Friday, April 20 at 6:06 p.m. (CDT) and will be televised on a majority of Comcast Sports affiliates throughout the United States.  The series continues Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 and all three games will be televised this weekend from Auburn.  Both Alabama and Auburn in the midst of five-game stretches against in-state opponents.  The Crimson Tide will play South Alabama (April 18), Auburn (April 20-22) and Samford (April 25), while Auburn faces Samford (April 18), Alabama (April 20-22) and Troy (April 25) in this in-state version of rivalry week.  Alabama (22-16, 7-8 SEC) dropped another one-run game, losing to South Alabama, 5-4, Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa.  The Crimson Tide is 3-7 in one-run games this season.  Auburn (25-15, 4-11 SEC) is coming off a 9-8 loss to Samford at Regions Park in Hoover on Wednesday night.  Both teams have struggled to win games since the second week of March.  After opening the season with a 12-2 record and a  No. 13 ranking in the NCBWA poll (March 5), the Crimson Tide is 10-14 in its last 24 games.  Auburn roared to a 17-2 record and Top 10 national ranking before losing its first eight SEC games.  The Tigers are 8-13 in their last 21 games, dating back to March 13.  Overall, Alabama and Auburn are combined 18-27 (.400) in their last 45 games. 

THE HEAD COACHES

Alabama head baseball coach Jim Wells (Northwestern State, 1980) is the winningest coach in school history.  He has compiled a 545-262 (.675) record in 13 seasons at the Capstone. He coached his 800th game with the Tide Wednesday, April 4 at Regions Park in Hoover.  Overall, Wells has posted a 738-351 (.678) record in 18 seasons. He has led Alabama to two SEC Championships, three SEC Western Division titles, three CWS appearances and six SEC Tournament titles.  Auburn head coach Tom Slater (VMI, 1990) is 131-178 (.424) in six years as head coach.  His first head job was a three-year stint at VMI, where he led the Keydets to a 50-100 (.333) record from 2001-03.  Slater is 81-78 (.504) in his three years at Auburn.  He has also been an assistant coach at Marshall (1992), VMI (1993-94), Auburn (2001-03) and Florida (2004) during his career.

STARTING PITCHERS

Sophomore left hander Miers Quigley (Roswell, Ga.)

will open the Auburn series on the mound for the Crimson Tide.  Quigley (10 G, 9 GS, 4-2, 2.89 ERA)

ranks among the SEC leaders in opponents batting average (5th, .206), innings pitched (7th, 65.1), ERA (8th, 2.89) and strikeouts (11th, 58).  Alabama is 6-4 (.600) in previous 10 starts this season, including a three-game losing streak to LSU, No. 1 Vanderbilt and Georgia.   Auburn is expected to send sophomore right hander Paul Burnside (10 G, 9 GS, 6-1, 2.87 ERA, 1 CG) to the mound against Alabama.

 ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES

Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 245th time Friday night.  The Crimson Tide holds a 135-109 (.553) series lead, dating back to 1896.  Like football, the teams did not play from 1909-1948.  Alabama has won eight of the last 12 series, including the last two in a row.  The Crimson Tide seeks its third straight series win over the Tigers this season.  UA has not won three straight series since 1996-98.  Alabama’s Jim Wells is 27-19 (.587) against the Tigers.  Auburn’s Tom Slater is 2-4 (.333) against the Crimson Tide.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP

Odr          No.           Name                       Pos.         Bats         2007 Stats

 1             2             Emeel Salem           CF            L/L           .362 (54x149), 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 SB

 2             6             Brandon May           2B            R/R          .276 (21x76), 0 HR, 9 RBI, 3 3B

 3             16            Alex Avila                                1B            L/R          .301 (44x146), 7 HR, 33 RBI, 12 2B

 4             22            Kent Matthes           RF            R/R          .294 (45x153), 8 HR, 34 RBI, 26 R

 5             14            Jake Smith              3B            R/R          .267 (31x116), 6 HR, 27 RBI, 5 GW RBI

 6             9             Del Howell               DH           L/L           .333 (4x12), 0 HR, 1 RBI

 7             32            Brandon Belcher     LF            L/L           .316 (24x76), HR, 6 RBI, Hit in 14/17

 8             1             Kyle Moore              C              R/R          .174 (4x23), 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 2B, 4 R

 -- or --   34            Ryan Rhoden                           R/R          .300 (36x120), 1 HR, 14 RBI

 9             3             Greg Paiml              SS           R/R          .279 (35x125), 1 HR, 13 RBI, 11 2B

ON DECK

Alabama and Auburn meet in game two of this SEC series Saturday, April 21 at 3:05 p.m. (CDT).  The game will be televised by FSN South at the “SEC Game of the Week.”

University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama Baseball Team Faces Arch-Rival Auburn

Related News

Related Videos