Baseball Team Hosts Alabama A&M
3/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 16, 2009
Alabama vs. Alabama A&M Game Notes 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama baseball will spend its spring break playing six games, starting with Tuesday's game against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.
The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs will meet for the first time in history March 17, at 6:35 p.m. at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The two teams will play a double header on Wednesday, March 18, with the first game starting at 12:05 p.m. (CST). On Monday, the Tide added another game to Wednesday's schedule to make up for an earlier rainout. Both games on Wednesday will be seven innings.
After a series win over No. 1 ranked Georgia this past weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama looks to carry that momentum into the Alabama A&M series. The Crimson Tide has the SEC's second-best batting average (.323) and top-ranked fielding percentage (.973) heading into the second week of league play.
Senior right fielder Kent Matthes (.444, 13 HR, 33 RBI), who was named the National Player of the Week on Monday, continues to lead the NCAA in home runs with 13 this season. The Orlando, Fla., native belted two home runs in the series against Georgia this past weekend, including a go-ahead three-run home run in the series finale.
Freshman left fielder Taylor Dugas (.400, 2 HR, 11 RBI) has hit for average and power during his season-high six-game hitting streak. The Lafayette, La., native is hitting .484 (15-for-31) with two home runs and seven RBI during the streak, with five doubles and 13 runs scored. Sophomore second baseman Ross Wilson (.354, 3 HR, 16 RBI) is riding an eight-game hitting streak, where he is batting .400 (12-for-30) with two home runs and 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. Cody Trotter (.478, 3 HR, 8 RBI) has hit safely in all seven games in which he has played this season.
"It's a good hitting lineup," Alabama head coach Jim Wells said. "Matthes just happens to be the best right now and hitting home runs all the time. It's a pretty good lineup and we can run two or three other guys out there and put pressure on you. (Ross) Wilson is good. (Brandon) May is swinging the bat now. Dugas has been really hot. We need to get (Josh) Rutledge going a little bit."
Wells also sees the three-game series with Alabama A&M as an opportunity to take a look at several pitchers, including senior Miers Quigley, who is expected to start the opener on Tuesday.
"These three games will be good here to run some guys out there," Wells added. "We would like to have some stability (on Sunday), but right now we don't. We have to be happy with what we have, but we need another guy. We have some candidates. I think (David) Head is still going to be good. I think (Austin) Graham has a chance to be good. (Del) Howell will get his first taste over the next 24-48 hours. Kilcrease is good and he throws strikes."
Junior left-hander Del Howell, who was sidelined with mono for the first 10 games of the season, will make his season debut against the Bulldogs, possibly as a starter in one of the two games on Wednesday.
"Howell has been out with mono since the beginning of the season," Wells said. "He came back last week, but we have not had a chance to use him. We will pitch him against Alabama A&M."
