UA Baseball Team Hosts No. 1 Georgia
3/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2009
Alabama Game Notes (Georgia Series)> 
2009 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE BASEBALL
#1 Georgia (14-0) at Alabama (9-4)
Friday, March 13 (6:35 p.m.)
Saturday, March 14 (4:05 p.m.)
Sunday, March 15 (2:07 p.m.) (CSS)
Sewell-Thomas Stadium (6,571) - Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Site: Sewell-Thomas Stadium
Series: Georgia Leads, 63-61-1
Tickets: Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 youth (12 and under)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
If UA is still playing in SEC Basketball Tournament:
WTSK-AM (790) - Tuscaloosa
Mick Gillispie
If UA is not playing in SEC Basketball Tournament
WFFN-FM (95.3) - Tuscaloosa
WAPI-AM (1070) - Birmingham
Chris Stewart and Mick Gillispie
Internet: www.RollTide.com
Promotions: Friday Night Fireworks (March 13) and Kids Day (March 15)
Alabama Starting Pitchers:
1 - RHP Austin Hyatt (3 GS, 3-0, 1.89 ERA)
2 - LHP Adam Morgan (3 GS, 2-0, 2.65 ERA)
3 - RHP Austin Graham (4 G, 1 GS, 0-0, 7.71 ERA)
Georgia Starting Pitchers:
1 - RHP Trevor Holder (3 GS, 3-0, 2.08 ERA)
2 - RHP Justin Grimm (3 GS, 1-0, 2.87 ERA)
3 - LHP Jason Leaver (3 GS, 2-0, 2.92 ERA)
FIRST PITCH: Alabama opens its 2009 Southeastern Conference season this weekend when the Crimson Tide host the defending league champion and No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs will meet Friday, March 13, at 6:35 p.m., Saturday, March 14, at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, at 2:07 p.m. (CST). The series finale will be televised live by Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS). Alabama and Georgia closed out the 2008 regular-season (May 16-17, 2008) at Foley Field in Athens, Ga., last season with a high-scoring series. The Crimson Tide took the series, with 17-13 and 16-13 wins. Georgia won game two by a more traditional baseball score, 4-3. The Crimson Tide also beat the Bulldogs, 5-2, in an SEC Tournament (May 24) elimination game in Hoover. Alabama's next win will be the school's 2,300th all-time baseball win, tops in the SEC and 15th nationally.
RANKINGS: Georgia is ranked No. 1 in two of the five baseball polls, including Collegiate Baseball newspaper and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The Bulldogs are ranked second by Rivals.com and USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and eighth by Baseball America. Alabama is not ranked.
HEAD COACH Jim Wells: Coach Jim Wells begins his 15th season at Alabama and his 20th overall as a Division-I head coach. He has compiled a 597-304 (.663) record in 901 games since being named UA's 29th head coach on June 4, 1995. A 2009 Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (AlaBCA) Hall of Fame inductee, Wells is the winningest coach in Crimson Tide baseball lore. He is sixth on the SEC's all-time win list and needs just five wins to become the sixth league coach to win 600 games. He is also fifth on the SEC's all-time list in terms of winning percentage. Overall, Wells has compiled a 790-392 (.668) record in 1,182 games over 20 seasons at the Division-I level. Prior to Alabama, he spent five years at Northwestern (La.) State, where he compiled a 192-89 (.683) record and led the Demons to three Southland Conference championships and two NCAA Regional appearances.
ALABAMA VS. NO. 1 TEAM: Alabama is 14-14 (.500) all-time against the nation's top-ranked team and has won six of the seven regular season series' against the top team in the land. The six series wins came against Miami, Fla. (1985), Mississippi State (1989), Auburn (1995), LSU (1997), Mississippi State (2006) and South Carolina (2006). The lone series loss came against Vanderbilt (2007). Alabama has won all three series against the No. 1 ranked team here at the Joe, including wins over Miami, Fla. (1995), LSU (2007) and Mississippi State (2006). The last time the No. 1 team in the nation played at Sewell-Thomas Stadium was March 31-April 2, 2006, when the Tide took two of three from then top-ranked Mississippi State.
WHO TO WATCH: Senior right fielder Kent Matthes (.460, 11 HR, 27 RBI) continues to lead the NCAA with 11 home runs this season. The Orlando, Fla., native belted a two-run home run in the first inning of the Tide's 11-6 win over Samford on Wednesday, March. 11. He slugged a three-run home run against Auburn on March 12 at the MAX Capital City Classic. He has homered in nine of the 13 games this season, including multiple-home run games against SE Missouri State (Feb. 22) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 7). Matthes is also riding a career-best 13-game hitting streak. Freshman left fielder Taylor Dugas (.400, 1 HR, 7 RBI) has raised his season batting average 90 points during his four-game hitting streak. In those three games, Dugas is batting .563 (9-for-16) with six runs scored, four doubles and two RBI. He tied his career high with four hits in the win over Samford on Wednesday, March 11. Junior third baseman Jake Smith (.311, 3 HR, 12 RBI) has a five-game hitting streak entering SEC play. He is hitting .458 (11-for-24) with three home runs and 10 RBI and raised his season average 168 points in those five games. Sophomore second baseman Ross Wilson (.340, 3 HR, 14 RB) and junior backup catcher Cody Trotter (.467, 2 HR, 6 RBI) have both hit safely in five straight games. Alabama's starting pitchers - Austin Hyatt (3 GS, 3-0, 1.89 ERA) and Adam Morgan (3 GS, 2-0, 2.65 ERA) - are a combined 5-0 this season with a 2.25 ERA and four quality starts this season. Sophomore right-hander Austin Evans (6 G, 1-0, 1 SV, 1 H, 0.96 ERA) has 12 strikeouts in nine innings out of the pen.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Alabama's weekend rotation will consist of senior right-hander Austin Hyatt, freshman left-hander Adam Morgan and junior right-hander Austin Graham. Hyatt will be making his fourth start of the season in the series opener against Georgia. He is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and three quality starts this year. Morgan is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA and two quality starts. Alabama has scored 36 runs (18 per game) in his last two starts. Graham will pitch game three of the Georgia series, earning the starting nod after his four-inning relief stint against Auburn on March 10. Graham has no record and a 7.71 ERA in four appearances this season. His only other start came against Nicholls State on Feb. 25.
SEC EXPERIENCE: Alabama has 19 players on its roster with previous SEC playing experience, including Matthes (64), Rhoden (59), May (57) and Smith (51), who have all played in more than 50 career SEC games. Wilson and Rutledge played in all 30 games last year as true freshmen. The Crimson Tide opens the season with eight pitchers with previous SEC experience, including Quigley (18), Hyatt (16) and Kebodeaux (16). Alabama has 16 players with at least one career SEC start entering the 2009 SEC opener. Matthes heads the list with 55 career starts for the Tide, while May (53), Smith (49) and Rhoden (48) are close behind. The Crimson Tide has only four pitchers that have started an SEC game on the mound, including Quigley (16), Hyatt (12), Graham (4) and Kebodeaux (2).
STARTING LINEUPS: Alabama has used 11 different starting lineups in the first 13 games. The only lineup used more than once this season includes Jones (1B), Wilson (2B), Rutledge (SS), Smith (3B), Dugas (LF), Kubal (CF), Matthes (RF), Moore (C) and May (DH). That combination has been used three times and the Tide is 1-2 in those games. Alabama has had as many as 14 players start at least one game this season. Matthes (RF), Wilson (2B) and Rutledge (SS) are the only players to start all 13 games. The Crimson Tide has started three different catchers this season, with DiFazio earning seven starts in 13 games. The Tide has also employed three different first baseman, with Clay Jones earning the starting nod nine times. Smith (12) and May (1) have started at third base. Dugas leads a trio of left fielders with 10 starts, while Kubal (8) has made the most starts among the three center fielders. May (6) heads the list of four designated hitters this season.
MATTHES LEADS NATION WITH 11 HOME RUNS: Alabama senior right-fielder Kent Matthes leads the nation with 11 home runs, entering Friday's series opener with No. 1 Georgia. Matthes has homered in nine of the Crimson Tide's 13 games this season and has two multi-home run games against Southeast Missouri State (Feb. 22) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 7). Matthes' 11 home runs this season matches his career high set last season in 61 games. He also has 31 career home runs for the Tide, which leaves him five shy of the school's all-time Top 10 list.
*Homered in nine of UA's first 11 games
*Homered against seven of the Tide's first eight opponents (UTPA)
*Homered in six different innings, including season-best three home runs in first inning
*Hit eight of 11 home runs against right-handers (3 vs. LHP)
*Hit seven of 11 home runs at home (3 HR on road; 1 HR at neutral site)
*Hit six of 11 home runs during the day (5 HR at night)
*Hit four HRs with no outs; four HRs with one out; three HRs with two outs
*Seven of his 11 home runs have tied the game or given Alabama the lead
*Has two-game winning home runs against Nicholls State (Feb. 25) and UIC (Feb. 28)
*Hit walk-off home run in 10th inning vs. NSU; one night after hitting for cycle
*Owns 42.3 percent of team's total home runs (11 of 26)
ALABAMA AMONG NCAA HOME RUN LEADERS: Alabama is tied for fourth in the SEC and tied for seventh nationally with 26 home runs in its first 13 games. The Crimson Tide has homered in all 13 games this season and the 26 home runs have been accumulated by 10 different players, including five players with multiple home runs. Matthes leads the way with 11 home runs, followed by Wilson and Smith with three each and Trotter and Jones with two home runs apiece. Dugas, Henderson, Odle, DiFazio and Kubal have one home run each.
ALABAMA-GEORGIA SERIES: Georgia owns a narrow 63-61-2 lead in a series that dates back to 1904. Since the two schools began meeting on a regular basis in 1986, Alabama holds a 36-29 series lead, including winning three of four from the Bulldogs last season. The Tide closed out the regular season with a series win at No. 6 Georgia in Athens, then six days later eliminated the league champions from the SEC Tourmament with a 5-2 win at Regions Park on May 22. Alabama has won the last four regular season series', dating back to 2005. Georgia's last series' win came in 2004. Alabama head coach Jim Wells is 26-15 (.634) in his career against Georgia, leading the Tide to 10 series wins. Georgia coach David Perno is 8-14 (.364) in his career against the Tide and has lost five of the seven series. Alabama is 40-33-1 at home against the Bulldogs, including a nine-game winning streak from 1946-86. Wells has led the Tide to a 15-3 (.833) home record against Georgia, including six straight series wins. Georgia has not won a series in Tuscaloosa since the 1990 season. Alabama is 19-29-1 in games played in Athens and has lost nine of 13 series played at Foley Field. Wells is 10-11 in games played on the Georgia campus, including a series win over No. 6 Georgia in 2008. Alabama and Georgia have met three times in the SEC Tournament, with the Tide winning two games. All three games were elimination games. The Bulldogs eliminated the Tide from the 1986 SEC Tournament, while the Tide knocked the Bulldogs out of the 2000 and 2008 SEC Tournament in Hoover.
GEORGIA SCOUTING REPORT: The No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs (14-0) bring a 14-game winning into in the 2009 SEC opener at Alabama, the best start in school history. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in hitting (.360) and pitching (2.29 ERA) and rank seventh in fielding (.963). The Georgia offense also leads the league in runs scored (164), hits (185), RBI (148), doubles (39) and on-base percentage (.466). The pitching staff paces the league in opponents batting average (.211), fewest runs allowed (49) and fewest home runs allowed (4). The Bulldogs have the third-most errors in the SEC, but are the only team in the league without a passed ball. The Bulldogs are paced by freshman left fielder Jonathan Taylor's .425 batting average (19-for-40) from his leadoff position in the batting order. He leads the team with 12 stolen bases and ranks third with 20 runs scored. Senior first baseman Rich Poythress is hitting .429 (24-for-56) and leads the Bulldogs in runs scored (23), home runs (7) and RBI (32). He also leads the SEC with 32 RBI in 14 games. The weekend rotation will consist of senior right-hander Trevor Holder (3 GS, 3-0, 2.08 ERA), sophomore right-hander Justin Grimm (3 GS, 1-0, 2.87 ERA) and senior left-hander Jason Leaver (3 GS, 2-0, 2.92 ERA). Georgia (45-25-1, 20-9-1) is the defending SEC Champion and finished runner-up to Fresno State at the 2008 College World Series.
ALABAMA-GEORGIA TIES: The Alabama baseball roster contains seven players from the state of Georgia, including junior catcher Brock Bennett (Tucker), junior pitcher David Head (Ellenwood), senior pitcher Austin Hyatt (Marietta), redshirt freshman infielder Jon Kelton (LaGrange), junior utility-man Brandon May (Marietta), freshman pitcher Adam Morgan (Marietta) and senior pitcher Miers Quigley (Roswell) ... May and Georgia freshman pitcher Michael Palazzaone attended the same high school (Lassiter) ... The Georgia roster contains one player from the state of Alabama, senior pitcher Trevor Holder (Mountain Brook) ... J.B. "Ears" Whitworth was the head baseball coach at both Alabama and Georgia ...Whitworth was 21-11 (.656) in two seasons at Alabama (1933-34) and led the Crimson Tide to its first-ever SEC Championship in 1934 ... Whitworth served one season as Georgia head coach, where he compiled a 1-10 (.091) record in 1943 ... Former legendary Crimson Tide great Jim Whatley served as head baseball coach at Georgia from 1952-75 ... During his 24-year career, Whatley compiled a 336-327 (.507) record and he led the Bulldogs to two SEC Championships (1953-54) and four Eastern Division crowns (1953, 1954, 1955 and 1975) ... He was twice named SEC Coach of the year in 1953 and 1954 ... Whatley lettered in four sports at Alabama, including football, basketball, baseball and track, earning as many as 13 varsity letters in his career.
2008 ALABAMA-GEORGIA RECAP: Alabama closed out the 2008 regular season with a series win at No. 7 Georgia. Alabama and Georgia played two vastly different games on Friday at Frank Foley Field in Athens, Ga., with the two teams splitting a double header on the next-to-last day of the regular season. The Crimson Tide walloped five home runs and won a 17-13 slugfest in the opener, while the Bulldogs earned the slit with a 5-4 game in tightly contested game in the nightcap. Alabama jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the opener and held off a furious Georgia rally. Jake Smith hit two home runs in the game for the Tide, while Alex Avila (grand slam), Ross Wilson (3-run HR) and Del Howell (3-run HR) also hit home runs. The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs combined for 30 runs and 34 hits, including nine home runs in Friday's opener. Junior Tyler Odle paced the Tide's 20-hit attack with a career- high four hits. Wilson (3 for 6, 3 R, HR, 5 RBI) and Avila (3 for 6, 2 R, HR, 5 RBI) combined for six hits and 10 RBI in the win. Georgia took advantage of a leadoff walk and an error in the bottom of the ninth inning to post a 5-4 win in the nightcap. Third baseman Ryan Peisel drew a leadoff walk against losing pitcher Will Stroup and scored all the way from first base on Matt Olson's single to left-center field and Alex Kubal's error that allowed the winning run to cross the plate. Stroup (5-3) allowed two runs and two hits in two-plus innings as he suffered his third loss of the season. Georgia first baseman Rich Poythress and catcher Bryce Massanari were a combined 13 for 15 with five home runs and 12 RBI in the double header. Alabama overcame a 9-4 deficit in the fourth inning to take a 13-9 lead, before Georgia scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by Massanari's three-run home to tie the game at 13-13. Alabama scored three times in the ninth off Fields to earn the 16-13 win. Josh Rutledge led off the inning with a single and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. The two teams hit six home runs in the finale. Alabama has now won four straight series' with Georgia.
